By Neto Baptiste
The Antigua and Barbuda Amateur Bodybuilding and Weightlifting Federation (ABABWF), as it seeks to introduce two new categories to local athletes, will host a virtual bodybuilding workshop and seminar with International IFBB judge Dwayne Edwards on Saturday.
Newly elected president of the federation, Marvette Richards, said the body is hoping to introduce both the Fitness Challenge and the Women’s Fit Model categories in future competitions here and have included them on a list of categories to be discussed following rule changes at a recent IFBB judges training held in Barbados.
“They will be adopting a document that was crafted by one of the committee members for Fitness Challenge, and that document that has been crafted will be one of the areas we will focus on and the changes that IFBB has now created, but we are hoping that we will have all the documents in place and all the various changes for Fit Model and all the different categories by Saturday,” she said.
Elected earlier this year to run the affairs of the federation for the next three years, Richards briefly outlined the perimeters of the Fitness Challenge category.
“That’s something we are incorporating now, just to see how many persons can come on board and try this new initiative, so that Fitness Challenge is open to persons who think they can display various strengths and they would have two minutes to display various routines.
“It is open to all age groups but the juniors are from 23 and under. The females are from 24 to 35 and the male is from 24 to about 40 years,” she said.
According to the IFBB, ‘the Women’s Fit Model category is aimed for women who prefer the physique neither excessively muscular nor excessively lean’.
Richards believes young ladies, in particular, will gravitate to this recently added category.
“This category will, primarily be focused again, for persons who may have taken part in a queen show or feel like they are queen element and may not have been successful at the queen level but they can display their poise, grace and beauty. It’s a new initiative and I think the young ladies will gravitate towards it,” the president said.
The first session on Saturday will commence at 5pm and will focus on the Fitness Challenge before moving into the bodybuilding session 30 minutes later. There will also be half-hour sessions on classic physique, men’s physique, body fitness, bikini and wellness, and fit model with the final session starting at 8pm. There is a registration fee of $25 and individuals wishing to take part can register online by sending an email to [email protected]. Registration can also be done via the federation’s PRO and IFBB PRO, Ambassador Kimberly Percival, at 720-6101 or via Richards at 728-5909.