1999 Southwest Naturals

Men's Teen winner Bryan Valenzuela

Standing 5-8 and weighing in at 157 pounds, 19-year-old Bryan Valenzuela was nowhere near the physically largest competitor in the Southwest Naturals Bodybuilding Competition held May 8, 1999, in Ft. Worth. But with a body fat of approximately four percent, Bryan was one of the hardest.

His animated, crowd-pleasing posing routine showcased his lean physique, especially his abs. And the intensity of his routine looked more like that of a national-level competitor than a young man in the first contest of what he hopes will be a fruitful bodybuilding adventure.

"I began to work with weights when I was 12 years old," Bryan explained. "My brother Dean introduced me to the sport. Then he took me to Gold's Gym in Dallas where I saw all the big men and women there. I've been involved ever since."

Bryan convinced his mother to purchase a set of weights, which he set up in the garage.

"I began to read everything I could about bodybuilding, nutrition and fitness. From that point on my whole life was engorged in bodybuilding," he said. "I read as much as I can. I go to seminars and apply what I can to my personal training."

Although he trains alone, he seeks advice on certain aspects of the sport, including nutrition and posing. Prince Harrison, promoter of the Southwest Naturals and owner of Optimum Fitness, assisted him in his pre contest diet while Marvin Meinstein of Power Sports Promotions helped Bryan perfect his posing routine.

"My goal for this contest was to be as lean as possible, and Prince helped me with that. Now my goal is to gain mass and to be my personal best."

The hardest part of the pre contest prep, according to Bryan, was "reducing my water consumption to one liter per day and eating plain chicken, plain potatoes and plain vegetables." Once the competition began, Bryan said he was somewhat surprised at his own mental state.

"I surprised myself in that I didn't get extremely nervous, which I thought I would be," Bryan explained. "I was so busy I just didn't have time to be nervous."

Bryan, a community college student in the Dallas area, hopes to major in kinesiology, preferably to be a strength coach or personal trainer or fitness writer working with various athletes. In terms of his bodybuilding goals, Bryan wants what most bodybuilders want: more lean muscle mass and an even better posing routine.

"My long-term goal is to advance as far as I can," he said. "I'm just going to take it one day at a time."

He summarizes his bodybuilding passion as follows:

"The human body is the most beautiful machine in the world."

 

Click on the thumbnails for larger images

Note: All photos on this site were taken by the page author and are protected under copyright law. Reproduction, modification or other use of these images on other web sites or newsgroups is expressly prohibited without permission.