Ladner's Eddie Parinas has always been motivated to stay fit and keep active.
In fact, he opened Commit 2 Fit Club as a home-based business in 2011 and has been motivating his clients to reach their fitness goals ever since.
It was that gym where his wife, Alison Seller, got the inspiration to train and ultimately win her first bodybuilding competition last October.
Recently, it was Parinas'turn when he placed first in the masters division and third in the open division at the Leigh Brandt Muscle Classic in New Westminster.
"When Allison won it totally got me motivated to see if I could do it too," said Parinas. "I started prepping late last year, but we went on a couple of vacations after Christmas, so my training and my diet kind of went out the window, but as soon as we got back it was full on and getting ready for the show."
Taking the stage for the first time in competition since the mid-1990s was a bit intimidating, Parinas admitted.
"I'm competing with guys half my age in the open class. Some of these guys were really ripped and in great shape, so I didn't know what to expect," he said. "But I knew that I had trained hard, prepped the right way and I was really happy with how I looked. I guess the hard work paid off because the judges obviously liked what they saw."
Parinas'workout schedule was intense.
A 4:30 a.m. wake-up call every day saw him head out back of his Ladner home to his gym for a cardio workout on an empty stomach followed by his first meal of a day - one cup of egg whites and plain oatmeal. Then it was back to the gym, a protein power shake, a meal, more cardio and another meal. That cycle continued for months before the show.
"White protein - halibut and chicken breast every day," he recalled. "It was hard at times. When that alarm goes off, sure you would love to sleep the day away, but I look at it this way, my competitors are doing it, maybe even more, right, so that motivates me. Plus Allison has gone through it, so if she can do it, I can do it. And as an owner of a gym, how can I motivate my clients if I can't motivate myself?" He has now qualified for the B.C. Pro-Am show at the Vancouver Convention Centre in July, which will be his next competition.
Seller is taking a bit of a break, but Parinas expects she'll be competing again soon too.
"I can't wait for the next show. I'm just so excited that this worked out," he said. "For me, it's reaching for goals and encouraging others to be in shape and have a healthy lifestyle."
