Out-muscling the competition Local bodybuilders grab multiple titles at provincial show DANIELLE SHUGARUE Advertiser

Above, Jeff Nippard (left0 and Zaid Adamo show their title-winning poses at the 2009 Newfoundland and Labrador Amateur Bodybuilding Association Provincial Bodybuilding and Figure Championships in St. John's. Both walked away with four titles each including their respective groups overall titles. Left,Lisa Woolgar was also in action at championships. Woolgar earned first place in the Women's Short Class Figure for the third year in a row.

Grand Falls-Windsor was well represented at the 2009 Newfoundland and Labrador Amateur Bodybuilding Association Provincial Bodybuilding and Figure Championships in St. John's earlier this month.

Zaid Adamo took the Men's Overall Bodybuilding honours, Lisa Woolgar earned first place in the Women's Short Class Figure for the third year in a row and Jeff Nippard was the Junior Overall Winner.

"It's a big event; it's way bigger than I expected and the competition was fierce, but that adds to the fun of it. The more competition the more you see qualify, the more professional people on the stage" said Adamo.

Adamo was also awarded first place in the Men's Lightweight Division, the Men's Masters Overall title and the NLABBA Most Muscular title.

It was Adamo's first competition in eight years and his first in Canada.

He began working out 19 years ago and started competing in local and national shows in the late 90s in his native Iraq, but stopped before moving to Newfoundland three years ago.

"I competed in some events there. I got some first, second and third places I competed in around maybe a total of 15 competitions," he said. "This was my first competition in Canada."

Adamo said the competitions are the same because both the NLABBA and his former association follow the International Federation of Bodybuilding regulations.

"They do the same thing. They follow the IFBB rules so technically they should be the same. If they follow the rules if the IFBB they should have the same rules and judging."

Nippard also left St. John's with multiple titles.

He was also named the Men's Novice Overall Winner; first place in the Men's Bantamweight Division and earned the NLABBA "Best Wheels" title.

For Adamo, the titles made for an exciting day, but it's not the reason he returned to the stage.

"I think I needed goal setting," he said. "Sometimes you tend to lose the momentum of your eagerness to workout or set a goal to achieve so that gets the ball rolling. I'm not getting any younger; I'm just doing it to be in great shape and for fun. I also wanted to one day show my grand kids a picture or two of my accomplishments."

While Adamo got back into the sport to return to a preferred lifestyle, he was impressed with the show and the interested and supportive audience in attendance at the show and intends to continue participating in events.