Bodybuilding teen at top of his game
Jake Stewart eats a steady diet of chicken, broccoli and a bit of rice.
And it’s Himalayan salt, rather than a teaspoon of sugar, that helps it go down.
Occasionally the 18-year-old has tuna. Or protein shakes. And in the lead-up to bodybuilding competitions, Stewart has six or seven egg whites for breakfast.
Stewart, who lives in Inglewood, entered two competitions this year. He was second in the nationals and won the Tournament of Champions in Palmerston North in the teenage category.
But working out at the gym three hours a day, five days a week, and his strict diet are all year round, he said.
‘‘Usually most people will diet leading up to a show or something like that, but I diet constantly. I don’t change. I eat the same thing. Just chicken, rice, broccoli and Himalayan salt to make it taste a bit better.’’
After one competition he had a burger and some icecream, he said.
‘‘And a big pizza that I haven’t had for, like, three years, but after a two-day hiatus of not being on the diet I got back to it.’’
The diet gets even stricter as
he gets closer to competing, he said. So he only competes about five times a year.
‘‘I get a bit heavier in my off season. But I maintain a leaness so I don’t go overboard and get fat as, but I tend to stay around 12 per cent body fat yearly.
‘‘I got down to eight per cent
for my shows.’’
Stewart stays motivated because he has a long-term goal of going pro and competing around the world.
‘‘I have posters of Arnold (Schwarzenegger) on my wall. It’s an obsession.’’
Not many teenagers do
bodybuilding in New Zealand, he said. The most he has ever competed against in one competition is four.
‘‘It’s not really a thing teenagers do. And some people say I’m just competing against myself, but it’s building up to get me where I want to be in the long term.’’