Bodin places fifth in sculpting competition

Last year, Morgan City’s Jim Bodin was told that his way of life would have to change because of health reasons.
Gone from his exercise routines would be basketball, triathlons and running.
Additionally, he’s also had to give up certain other exercises because of health reasons.
Since he was delivered the tough news, Bodin, 70, has been trying — through trial and error — to see what his body can handle.
One thing that wasn’t an option was quitting.
“If you want to quit exercising, there’s a million excuses if you want to take them,” he said. “I refuse to take them.”
Last month, he found a solid direction to his health and fitness future when he learned of body sculpting, which he said doesn’t require bulky muscles like body building.
Soon after turning his attention to this new lifestyle, Bodin entered a body sculpting competition nearly blind to the sport but finished fifth in the category for those ages 45 and older.
Bodin was one of eight competitors in the age class and said he was 28 years older than the next competitor.
While he was in the competition and will be competing in three more championships this year, Bodin said it is not his goal this year to win any awards.
“I’m not up there for trophies,” he said. “I’m not up there for medals. What I’m up there for is I want to show guys that’s sitting in that audience that if I can do it at 70 years old, if you really want to do it, you can do it. I’m a testament.”
While he said that he never will say he can compete with 45 year olds, he said he would learn about the sport, hone his skills and outwork them to get better.
Along with Bodin’s new-found sport has had to come a drastic change in his diet.
Gone are the potato chips and desserts he said he could handle with his high metabolism.
Now, the Hanson Memorial alum, who said 90 percent of the sport is dieting, has to watch his calorie intake and only can eat lean foods and nothing with grease, sugar or carbohydrates.
“Now, I’m not just a guy that works out at the gym and eats what the hell he wants to eat,” he said. “I’m a guy that works his butt off at the gym and watches everything he eats.”
While the dieting is tough, Bodin said he enjoys his workouts.
Bodin said he does 1,000 sit ups a day — 500 in the morning and 500 more at night — and in his exercises, uses light weights with a lot of reps.
He said he uses dumbbells and machines in his workouts and rides a stationary bike.
At the events, he said he “hounds” the trainers, questioning them and the competitors to learn more.
“Lean and mean and trim” are what Bodin, 6-feet and 166 pounds as of last week, describes his goal for next year in his new-found sport.
“It’s like a puzzle to me that I’m opening up a box, and I don’t know what’s on the other side,” he said. “I don’t know what I’m going to look like next year. I don’t know. But I tell you what, I’ll be the best I can be by next year.”