Muscle man

Schuyler Beers waited 13 months to sew on his Master Sergeant stripes.

His promotion ceremony was held in June.

And the 30-year-old California native realized another personal goal this summer when he competed in his first amateur bodybuilding contest.

“Ever since I was 12-years-old,” Beers said, “I’ve wanted to work towards something physical.”

At 5 feet 7 inches, Beers competed in the men’s short category where he placed fifth. The Master Sergeant said he considered his spray-on tan and full body shave “stage make-up” for the competition. “I was so dark (from the tan),” Beers said, “that I definitely got some funny stares in the hotel elevator before the competition.”

But, Beers said the deep tan was neccessary so he wouldn’t “fade out” on the stage.

Beers, who serves as Electrical and Environmental Section Chief at Cannon Air Force Base, said the year leading up to the Albuquerque competition had its challenges. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve done,” he said. “The workouts are intense.”

Besides working out three times a week, Beers said he followed a strict diet that included two phases — bulking and cutting.

During the bulking stage, Beers said he ate incredible amounts of food when. “It’s hard to eat when your not hungry,” he said.

The cutting stage, which consisted of five small meals daily, involved a lot of dieting, Beers said. “It’s hard to lose all your fat and keep the muscle,” he said.

But, the dieting paid off when Beers, who normally weighs around 155 pounds, competed at a lean 142 pounds.

The Cannon Air Force Base airman, who doesn’t plan to compete again until 2010, said his next goal is to gain 15 pounds of muscle over two years.

“It’s challenging,” Beers said, “but doable.”