鈥淏odybuilding is a lifestyle you have to live everyday to be successful,鈥� said Theoren Peniuk in a conversation about his recent third-place finish at the Western Canada Bodybuilding Championships in Kelowna B.C. on May 18, 2013.

鈥淚t鈥檚 more than just lifting things up and putting things down.鈥�

This year鈥檚 podium was the third time Peniuk had returned from the drug-tested championships with a trophy in the junior men鈥檚 division. In 2010 and 2011, he placed first as a teenager.

Now 20 years old, the 亚洲天堂 Lake athlete plans on taking a hiatus from the sport to concentrate on a pending move to Prince George in order to eventually register at the University of Northern British Columbia.

The discipline and focus required to train consistently and effectively have shaped  Peniuk鈥檚 outlook on life.

鈥淏odybuilding teaches you more than just lifting weights,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t teaches you life-values, like discipline and time management.  Your work ethic in the gym transfers over to everything that you do in life: your job, your relationships, your family relationships, your studies.鈥�

In addition to regular off-season training, peaking for a competition involves 12 to 18 weeks of carefully controlled dieting and extra cardio to strip a competitor of any extra fat that would take away from the definition and appearance of muscle.

Because Peniuk was competing in an age category rather than a weight category, he didn鈥檛 have to worry about his overall weight too much. Instead, he focused on muscle and physique appearance.

鈥淚 have very high expectations of myself,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 competed at four per cent body fat.鈥�

Nine percent body fat would be considered lean by any standard; four per cent approaches the limit of what is healthy.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 live healthy at four per cent body fat,鈥� Peniuk said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why you only look the way you do for the competition for the one day.鈥�

The discipline to train and diet presents challenges to any athlete, but for Peniuk, local circumstances made his training even more difficult this time around.

In the years he competed as a teenager he had the freedom that comes with being a high school student where perceived responsibilities famously outstrip actual responsibilities.

鈥淚 had two part-time jobs this time around,鈥� Peniuk said. 鈥淚n the first competitions I was in high school. This time I had a lot more responsibility.鈥�

鈥淚t forced me to manage my time accordingly. I needed to train before work from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. or I wasn鈥檛 going to be able to train.鈥�

Training at the unwelcome time of 5:30 a.m. brought with it a conflict with members of his local gym who were unaccustomed to the intensity levels associated with training for competitive bodybuilding.

Facing complaints, Peniuk felt isolated in the gym, training at an unnatural hour and without the support of other athletes.

鈥淚deally, your local gym should feel like a sanctuary,鈥� he said.

Peniuk credits Dave O鈥橤rady, a recent new part-owner of the gym, with turning things around for him.

鈥淗e was able to explain to the members that I needed to work that hard to get to a bodybuilding competition state. He was very supportive of my training.鈥�

鈥淭hings can get really tough,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here can be lots of people doubting you or things can get in your way, but if you stay focussed on your goal, eventually you will reach it.鈥�

Peniuk dedicated his evening posing performance to his mom, his 鈥榥umber one supporter鈥� through the ups and downs of training for competition.

He鈥檚 proud to have come back from three competitions with three trophies, but Peniuk said that the hard work, performance and the joy of competing are reward enough on their own.

During the evening section of the competition the top five competitors in each category are invited to  perform their own personalized routine set to music that displays their best poses. After the routine, but before the judges make their final decisions on the placings, the competitor stands alone on stage soaking in the adulation of the fans.

鈥淎ll the hard work and the mental struggle is gone when you get the cheers,鈥� Peniuk said.

鈥淚 would have been happy just going home with that feeling.鈥�