MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- On Sunday, 19 men and women flexed for the opportunity to place in the Friendship Day Iwakuni Grand Prix Bodybuilding Championship at the Sakura Theater.
Competitors from all over Japan came to show off their well-formed, pumped bodies to a packed theater, and a chance of being invited to the Japan Open Bodybuilding Competition in Tokyo this August.
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni's own Mark Taylor walked away with that honor, as he was the overall winner. For Taylor, it is an honor to be invited to compete against the Japanese this August, especially since this is only his second competition.
Masahiro Kakimoto, who has been training for eight years, placed second in the light heavyweight category. He is a two-year veteran of the Friendship Day competition and found the competition to his liking.
"The competition against the Americans is very fine," said Kakimoto. "I enjoy competing and this show gives me the opportunity to meet and compete against Americans."
For a number of the competitors it was their debut performance. "This is my first time competing in a bodybuilding contest, although I've competed numerous times in power lifting meets," said Larry McClain of MCAS Iwakuni, who placed third in his weight class.
Sandra Alston-Jackson, who went unchallenged to claim the women's category, made her bodybuilding debut Sunday, but is no stranger to the stage.
"I took first place in the Miss Physique for Delaware State in 1994-1995," she said. "I was nervous at first, because it was my first bodybuilding show, and I didn't have a routine. As the crowd motivated me, I gained confidence and made it up as I went."
Moving on to bodybuilding was a natural transition, as she trains a number of Station female Marines to improve their physical condition.
"I'm trying to convince these women to compete in next year's show," Alston-Jackson said.
This fits right into the scheme of things for Billie Scott Marine Corps Community Services Semper Fit Health Promotions director.
"We would like to see more competitors. Our goal is to make this the best and largest bodybuilding show in Japan," she said. "Next year all Pacific military installations will be invited to compete."
For all those considering competing next year, "the diet is the key for a bodybuilders' success," said Scott.
McClain adds, "It doesn't matter how much weight you lift, cardio you do, supplements you take, if you don't have a strict diet and display good eating habits, you won't have the cuts, density, tone or overall symmetry the judges are looking for."
Sidebar
Bantam (up to 143.25 pounds)
1st Tsutomu Tanaka
2nd Seichiro Sasaki
Lightweight (143.5 to 154.25 pounds)
1st Mr. Kanazawa
2nd Tadao Saito
3rd Larry McClain
Middleweight (154.5 to 176.25 pounds)
1st Yoshinobu Kameyama
2nd Denham Brown
3rd Koji Miyauchi
Light Heavy (176.5 to 198.25 pounds)
1st and Overall Winner Mark Taylor
2nd Masahiro Kakimoto
3rd William Fuller
Heavyweight (over 198.5 pounds)
1st Matt Fenoglio
Women's Open
1st Sandra Alston-Jackson