Michigan NPC News

As told to the MichiganNPCnews

Age: 29

Born: Clinton Township

Current Residence: Shelby Township

Height: 5’5

Off Season Weight: 175

In Season Weight: 139 (bantamweight)

Occupation: 7th grade Geography Teacher

Favorite Healthy Food: almond butter and oatmeal

Favorite Cheat Food: Pizza/tacos

Favorite Music: 311/Incubus/Hoobastank

Favorite Body Part to Train: Chest

Least Favorite Body Part to Train: Does not exist!!

I have always been competitive in my life. I think it is part of my DNA. I started taking piano lessons at the age of 4 and competed until 14. I competed locally and then graduated to national level competition that took me all over the country. It was at the age of 14 that I needed to make a decision as to where I would concentrate most of my attention. Playing piano, basketball, and baseball was a lot to handle for a teenager so I went with my heart and decided to put all my efforts towards basketball.

I started working out in 1994. My father had got me a membership at the Sterling Heights Powerhouse Gym in hopes that I would be able to add some strength to my skinny high school frame. At the time I was 5’4 and weighed 130lbs. I was entering high school and needed to gain strength and size for basketball. I can still remember walking around the gym as a scared teenage kid watching these huge monsters put up a ton of weight. After a while I became one of the "regulars" and was introduced to gym culture. It did not take long until I was hooked. I loved the hard work that lifting weights demands.

After 4 years of lifting weights I achieved my goal of being recruited to play college basketball. I felt good because the odds were stacked against me. Not many coaches would take a chance on an 18 year old kid who stood 5’5 and weighed 155lbs. After much deliberation I decided that I fulfilled my goal with basketball and I was ready to move on to bigger and better things in college as a regular student. I spent two years and Macomb Community College and then transferred to Michigan State University where I received my teaching degree. Through this whole experience I continued to lift heavy and add size as well as strength. Through all the ups and downs the gym and competition was always constant for me. I took up and competed in judo taking a second at the Flag City Open in Findlay, Ohio in 1999. Competition in judo was short-lived as a separated shoulder kept me sidelined for weeks on end.

My bodybuilding career started in 2007 at World Gym in Shelby Township. Cj Champine (owner) was in my ear to compete for months. He had competed in over 10 shows from 1994-1997 including the ’97 Nationals were he placed top 10 as a bantam weight. Under his "Ab Finder" program, which included diet, supplements, and exercise, he took me under his wing and molded me into a bodybuilder. Cj is the best trainer, friend, dietician, and personal trainer out there. He is one of the main reasons I was able to compete. My first show was the 2007 Natural Michigan in which I took second. Weeks later I improved my physique and took first at 2007 Motor City. Later that year Cj and I decided to create the "World Gym Bodybuilding Club." With me being the only competitor the club quickly grew to over a dozen within the last year and is has been growing ever since. The club includes overall winners in this year’s shows as well as national level competitors.

The best thing that did happen to me was meeting my future wife Diana Sesto. She too competes. She is a national level figure competitor and pushes me more than anyone. She has awesome input on my diet, conditioning, and posing routines. She has a truth to her that is great for any bodybuilder because her opinions and answers are blunt, but uplifting at the same time. It is without a doubt the only way I am able to balance work with competition. She has food prepared, supplements ordered, and the Jan Tana ready when it is time to compete. We get married in December and we are really excited to compete as husband and wife.

With the help, guidance, and direction of Diana, CJ Champine, Tom Typinski, Bryan Paz, Vince Allen, and a host of others at World Gym I hope to compete nationally next year. I need one solid year of hard training to be competitive. I have done 8 shows in Michigan placing everywhere from 1st to 4th, but the one thing that will always reamin is that I will come back to the gym, work harder and improve my conditioning or placing. I have been nationally qualified for every year that I have competed and in 2010 I will test that qualifying status on the national stage.

Written by Mike Buckel

If you were going to start profiling Michigan NPC competitors, John Simmons would be on a short list of "must do". My friendship with John spans over twenty years. My own kids refer to him as "uncle" John. I have asked him several times to give me a profile for this site. He always said sure but, self promotion has never been his style. I finally pried a list of accomplishments out of him when we judged this year’s Michigan together.

John entered his first show at the age of 29 in 1989. He easily won the light heavy and overall at the Great Lakes. I head judged that show and John has reminded me, I made him step off stage at pre-judging to remove a rubber band from his wrist.

His career from there is a progression of big placings:

1990 NPC Junior USA First Place Light Heavy

1991 IFBB North America First Place Light Heavy

1993 NPC USA First Place Light Heavy

1996 IFBB North America First Place Heavy Weight and Overall and qualified to turn pro

John recently was promoted to vice chairman of the Michigan District of the NPC. He now head judges most of the shows held on the east side of the state. If you want advice about your placing, just ask this IFFBB pro. He will give you it to you strait without any BS. He is approachable, and loves to talk body building but, do not expect it to be "sugar coated". As a fellow judge I admire John’s ability to handle difficult discussions about placings with competitors after the show is finished.

This soon to be 49 year old veteran is training for the Tampa Pro Invitational in August.

John also promotes a body building show held in September at Wayne State.

Kenneth Jackson, who is 32, started his athletic career in football.  He played in high school and continued his love for the sport in college while attending the University of Michigan. He is proud to be a member of the 1998 National Championship Team and a 4 year letterman.   When he realized the football days were over, he still wanted to compete in sports.  He always enjoyed lifting while training for football so his days as a bodybuilder began in 2005. He would often grab magazines off the shelf and read about competitors, both professional and amateur.  He believed this was the path that was planned for him and he began to actively pursue the sport. 

Kenneth started training and entered his first competition in 2005 as a Light Heavyweight and placed 7^{th in the NPC Michigan show. He was hooked, however, he was not satisfied with this placement and realized he needed the guidance of a professional. He sought out the expertise of the last IFBB pro, Darien Bond.  They began working together and training hard out of the Southfield Powerhouse.} 

Kenneth entered the NPC Michigan in 2007 as a Light Heavyweight and placed 2nd.  He then entered the Motor City Classic and not only took 1st place in the Heavy Weight class, but won the Overall. If there was any lingering doubt before, he was certainly hooked on the sport now.  He entered the NPC Jr. National Championships held in Chicago in June of 2008.  This was the first time he competed at this level.  He placed 1st in the Light Heavyweight Class. Together, with his trainer, he decided to continue to diet and train through the next few months and enter the 2008 NPC National contest.  He placed 10th out of 41 competitors in the Light Heavyweight class. 

During the day, you will find Kenneth utilizing his Bachelors of Movement Science degree by managing and training folks out of his gym, Level Health and Fitness, in Shelby Township.  He also takes time out to travel to Southfield to train with Darien.  He has plans to continue to train hard, eat clean, put on some weight and compete in the USA's and the North American's as a Heavyweight in '09.  Most importantly, Kenneth is getting ready to wed his best friend, Nikki, in September '09. You can find Kenneth on Myspace and Facebook and hopefully his own website will be up and running soon. 

Height: 5'9

Off season weight: 240

In season weight: 198

Favorite music: anything loud

Favorite cheat food: Burgers and fries

Best diet food: oatmeal and egg whites

Favorite body part to train: ALL

Least favorite to train: None, love making changes to all of them!

Submitted by his training partner

Joe Leahy began competing in the National Physique Committee in 2001 at the Novice Michigan Bodybuilding Championships and has never looked back since that first fifth place trophy.  By 2008 Joe has won a total of four overall N.P.C titles including the Capital City in 2005 and 2006, The Big Dust Classic in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2006, and The Grand Rapids in 2008.  Joe also took home the Most Muscular Award at the Grand Rapids in 2008.  In 2007 Joe won the light-heavy weight class at the Jr. Michigan qualifying him as a National Competitor.  An unexpected battle with food poisoning the morning of the Mr. Michigan in 2008 spoiled his plans to due battle with the states best. 

Submitted by MichignNPCnews

He was a football standout in high school at an early age he excelled at the sport. In fact he never left the field seriously. He play tail back, strong safety, and returned all the kicks. Even as a inspiring football player he loved the sport of bodybuilding. He always followed the sport closely and bought all the Magazine's.

After a bad knee injury (his knee cap fell off his leg) the last game of his senior year, after he had a verbal with EMU he decided to quite playing and move onto what he really wanted to do - bodybuilding. In 2005 he placed 4th in the NPC Michigan in the light heavy‘s, he took a year off because he got married and returned meaner then ever and entered the 2007 Michigan won the Light heavy’s and the overall. After that he got forced on the North American right away knowing that he still needed some work to compete with the best in the Nation. He just got done with the NA and placed 6th    out of 28 people in the Light heavy‘s.

He has been training since he was 15 years old. His parents got him an old sand weight set and he trained with that for about 8 months until he grew out of the weights. After that he started at the local Gym called The Outback. He stayed at the outback for about 7 years. The outback was a great place to get started because it had a some good lifter there. He got a lot of training in with Craig Gallo a power lifter and 1000 lb. squatter and some other people that help him get better. He left the outback when he moved out of the town he grew up in and he is currently train at the Brighton Powerhouse gym where he will stay as long as he lives in Michigan. The owner of Powerhouse, Wallie Gumiela, totally goes above and beyond what is expected of a gym owner to do for a athlete.

What’s going on now and what’s next:

Ever since the NA he has done a photo shoot for Muscular Development and ad in the trenches video on their website, he got a shoot with Anthony Sbriglia from Muscle Mag and a shoot in LA with Alex Ardenti for Muscle Mag and REPS Magazine. He also had another shoot in LA with Muscle and Fitness.

The articles will started hitting the stands in the January issue and later dates. Now that he has gotten all of the photos shoots out of the way he can started with his off season. He plans on competing in the JR Nationals and the North American next year. He is in this sport to be the best bodybuilder he can be. He is hopeful that takes him to the pros in the next few years and then he can start my pro career.

He have a lot of friends in the sport of Bodybuilding. Almost all of his close friends compete or are planning on competing. His training partner is James Mason and is coming to the stage next year so watch for him. His good friend Earskin Presily (2008 Mr. Michigan) trains at his gym and trains with him when their schedules match. His good friend Rob Mostia just won the Central States this year. He is surrounded with good athletes and they all help each other when one of them needs some extra motivation.

Age: 26

Born and raised in: Dexter

Current Residence: Pinckney

Height: 5'9"

off season weight: 250

In season weight: 215

Current Occupation: Local 190 Plumber

Favorite Healthy Food/Meal: Peach tea oatmeal

Favorite Cheat: Food: Pizza

Favorite Music: Anything that gets me going I listen to it all

Favorite Body Part to Train: Legs

Least Favorite Body Part to Train: I don’t really have one I love to train everything

Mon: Chest

Tues: Back

Wed: light Legs and Hams

Thurs: Shoulders

Fri: Bis

Sat: Tris

Sun: Heavy Legs

I take days off when I need one about every 15 days or so

Best lifts

Dead lifts: 700 lbs

Bench: 505 lbs

Squat: 600 lbs

My website is JoeflexRomine.com or my space page is myspace.com/joeflexromine

As told to Michigan NPC news

SHAWN JENNINGS is the owner and founder of FitWorld LLC. Shawn has been in the fitness industry for 20 years.  He has competed in bodybuilding shows and guided figure competitors toward the right nutritional balance.  FitWorld was established as a company that would encompass the active person. FitWorld offers fashionably fit active apparel but also includes nutritional and weight training programs. Shawn is dedicated to helping clients meet their personal and professional goals through a sound nutritional plan, weight training and cardiovascular programs.  He is a certified kickboxing instructor & a certified nutritional counselor. In addition to the passion of the fitness industry, Shawn has over 15 years experience as an engineer.  www.fitworld.org

Bachelor’s of Science – Central Michigan University
Master’s in Business Administration – University of Phoenix
Certification in Kickboxing – The Boxing Fitness Institute
Certification in Nutritional Counseling – Trinity College