2008 Woodie Awards
Fit Physiques
Student showcases dedication to health, fitness
By Dan Inzinga
Issue date: 4/8/05 Section: Entertainment
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The choice was easy for her and she's been dedicated to good health ever since. All of her hard work paid off in full last weekend at the annual SRU bodybuilding pageant where she was deemed to have the best physique and took first place at the prestigious event.
Cannon was up against 10 other female SRU students, while 10 male students competed, with the winner being senior Bryant Lutz. But what goes into being a champion bodybuilder? Probably more than you'd think.
Needless to say, it wasn't easy for Cannon to get into the kind of shape that it takes to win a bodybuilding competition. Between numerous trips to the gym everyday and the constant devoutness to a diet of proper nutrition, Cannon found herself working a full time job.
"It's time consuming but I love doing it and it's worthwhile," Cannon said. "It's definitely worth all of the hard work."
If you've ever been to the ARC, you've almost certainly have seen Cannon vigorously working out.
"I'm always there two or three times a day six days per week," Cannon said.
Typically, she'll start her workout early in the morning with an hour of cardiovascular training before she heads to class. After class, she's off to work before she wraps up her daily training with another two and a half hours of weight training and cardio.
"It's tough to find time sometimes but I'll always do it," she said. "If I have to get up at 5:30 in the morning or work out late at night, I will. I'll always find time because I love doing this, that's my motivation."
All in all, Cannon exercises for almost four hours a day.
But even after all of the strenuous physical work is done, that's only half of the battle of being a competitive bodybuilder. A lot of what can make or break a bodybuilder is determined by dieting. Most people splurge for the ice-cream or the Big Mac every now and then, but in bodybuilding there is little room for error when it comes to counting calories. Cannon lives primarily off a diet of oatmeal, sweat potatoes, broccoli and chicken and in the weeks leading up to the show, she limited her caloric intake to a mere 1200 calories per day. The typical adult female of her height and weight would take in roughly 2200 calories.
