By: AJ Jun 18, 2002

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Now from the title of this article you may think I'm going to talk about all the pro bodybuilders out there with all there 'roid' physiques but I'm not. I'm going to talk about who, among us, everyday normal people, is the perfect bodybuilder around.

However I'm going to stop there a second. I want to tell you that I am going to talk about the first Body For Life challenge. Not to advertise it or ever support it, but to answer the question 'Who is the Perfect Bodybuilder. Now I know many people don't like Bill Phillips so I thought I'd take this time to warn you I mention him for a good purpose.

The Contest

Anyway, in 1998 Bill Phillips wanted to answer the same question I am asking. Who is the best Bodybuilder. So Bill Phillips CEO of EAS and Muscle Media magazine decided to have a contest open to anyone who wanted to change the way they looked. If they entered they had to use an intensive eating and training program and use supplements over a period of 12 weeks, and see what changes they make. The judges would then go through each person looking at how much they had changed and read there essay and decide who would win over £500, 000 in cash and prizes including a Lamborghini, Diablo and a contract in the EAS team. Bill expected about 5, 000 people to enter the contest and that would make it the biggest bodybuilding contest in history. Well by the first day 5, 000 people entered and altogether 56, 000 people entered. 10 judges had the near impossible task of picking just 10 from 56, 000 people to go into the final.

After hours of reading there essays and looking at the before and after photo's the judges picked the following 10 contestants who made amazing physical, mental and social changes. At this stage Bill and his team flew around the country and suprised the 10 finalists and invited them to go to the EAS HQ.

Meredith Brown - Meredith cut her body fat in half, gained 5lbs of lean muscle and did this after she had lost her baby. A remarkable achievement.

Jeff Seidman - He gained 27lbs of solid muscle in just 12 weeks. Jeff had been surrounded by bad people, been arrested and lost his girlfriend in a car crash.

Everett Herbert - Everett lost 9lbs of fat, gained 10lbs and did all this at over 50 years of age.

Drew Avery - Drew lost 22lbs of fat and gained 10.5lbs of solid muscle. He had achieved amazing ab's.

Lynn Lingenfelter - Lynn slashed his body fat in half and gained size and strength. Lynn had been in a bad accident where he got shot in his back while hunting and he got HiV which also led to his Fiance leaving him.

Anthony Ellis - Anthony was a 100lbs weakling who gained 32lbs of solid mass in just 12 weeks and even his friends didn't recognize him.

Ab Ansley - Ab gained 21 lbs of muscle while in a full time job and kids

Brad Wadlow - Brad lost 25lbs of beer-belly and gained 27lbs of solid muscle. He looks like he's been working out for years.

Porter Freeman - Porter Freeman slashed his body fat in half and changed his lifestyle. He completed this challenge even though he works in a night club.

Ralph Zangara - Ralph lost 47lbs of fat and gained 8lbs of muscle. He looks solid. He got his goals with a full time police job and 4 kids to look after.

As well as changing there appearence's, bodybuilding also helped many of the above to get through difficult times in there life. This is more proof that bodybuilding brings out the best in people and so they can do anything they really want to achieve.

The Final 10

The 10 contestants met up with each other and bonded very well together. They became a family who all respected each other in the highest way in that they all had to sacrifice things to get to there goal. They all knew how much the other suffered and how dedicated you have to be to change. They worked out together, which was inspiring as a viewer, and they encouraged each other to get another rep in.

There was a problem however. The panel who did the polygraph testing said there was a problem. Three of the guys had to be questioned about it and it turned of that the polygraph was totally unaccurate. A lot of their people failed on there name so thats how un accurate it was. So Bill got the group together and in the rules it says that Bill can change the rules at any point. So they all decide to throw out the polygraph testing.

Each individual was brought in front of the 10 judges and talked about their experience. Each had commented how much bodybuilding changed them not only physically but mentally too. Making there life better as well as there health and fitness.

The final judgement came and 10 judges put in their scores. As Bill was about to go out to announce the winner he knew who the best of them was and who should win. He came out and said that a decision had been made and that also earlier there was a decision made. And that decision was that he could change or amend the rules as he did before and he did. So there was 10 Grand Spokesperson Champions and Bill had sold the car and brought 10 Corvettes. Everyone was a winner and they all deserved it. They all got contracts and a car each.

So that concludes my question. By telling you about this contest was how i can prove who is the perfect bodybuilder.

The Perfect Bodybuilder

Bill Phillips wanted to find the perfect bodybuilder and of 56, 000 people they then narrowed it down to ten. And then tried to narrow it down to one. And in the end we realize, that the perfect bodybuilder, was all of them. And if we choose to make it our mission, the perfect bodybuilder is all of us.