It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Nah, actually, this past weekend was the shit! Why, you ask? Let's just say the road to Ottawa was a huge success. Last week, I decided to use my column as an opportunity to congratulate my good friend Jose for winning the light-weight South Western Ontario Bodybuilding Championships. I also went into brief detail of how the Ontario Physiques Association runs their three level “tier” system. Winning the Level 1 South Western Ontario Show qualified Jose for Level 2 competition. So what did Jose decide to do with his level 2 eligibility? He took it to Ottawa with a muscular vengeance and thirst of prevailing once again.

Believe it or not, what you do 24 hours prior to a competition can be the deciding factor between 1st and 2nd place. Ever notice how after a hard night of drinking booze and eating Sammy's Souvlaki, the mirror gives you a sudden surprise in the morning? You often ponder over your body thinking “Holy shit! I look ripped!” The combination of dehydration and fat intake can lead to a full yet lean appearance. In bodybuilding terms, in essence you want the same effect, but in a more strategic manner without the intoxication of a typical college night. You want to fill up your muscle cells as much as possible with glycogen, which you derive from sugars. You also want to dehydrate your self as safely as possible to shed as much water in between your skin and muscles. These factors, combined with an already lean and well-developed muscular physique, can lead to some mind-boggling results. For the road trip to Ottawa, it resulted in us creating the secret weapon for the Eastern Ontario battle of bodybuilders — Jose.

He came in bigger, he came in tighter and he came in more confident. Only two weeks after his first title, he weighed in four pounds heavier for the Ottawa show. To top it off, he was clearly better conditioned, resulting in an even leaner physique to accompany his extra mass. This was the product we had envisioned all along; now it was finally in the flesh.

When it was time to take the stage, Jose literally took the stage. It was quite clear from the get go who the winner would be — a young man from El Salvador who developed a keen interest in bodybuilding and had finally came to the realization that he could be a success in the sport. I felt as if I was right up on stage with him every step of the way. It's much the same feeling as following your favorite football team. You know you'll never make it to the NFL, but when your team wins the Super Bowl, you feel as much of a winner as they do. It allows you to live your intangible dreams through the talents and gifts of others. Thank you, Jose, for winning us the Super Bowl!

I would also like to thank the people who helped make the road to Ottawa a success. Thank you, Alfonso, for the Canadian Idol singing and monkey calls you provided us along the highway. Thank you, Victor the Boar, for the Scarface cheers that set the capital of Canada on fire. Thank you, Coach Jordan, for showing our undisputed champion the doors to consecutive victories. And thank you, Fanshawe Student Union, for allowing me to write weekly for the Interrobang and give Fanshawe College a glimpse of one of bodybuilding's bright future hopefuls, Jose Campos Reales.

With levels 1 and 2 now clinched, chapters one and two of this ongoing tale are now complete. A good book always leaves you with a cliffhanger, making you eager to know what will happen in the next. Thus far, this story has yet to disappoint. Next up for Jose is the level 3 Ontario Championships in June, 2006. After that, there could possibly be an even bigger road trip to British Columbia for the Canadian Championships. After that, the sky's the limit.