By Neto Baptiste
Former Sportsman of the Year and former Mr Antigua bodybuilding champion, Steve Williams, believes the sport has gone soft.
Having recently received an IFBB Elite Pro Card following success in the masters division of the Roger Boyce Classic, Williams said the introduction of categories like men’s physique and other fitness categories have help to diminish the number of athletes willing to put in the work required for hardcore bodybuilding.
“Some guys think it’s just having a little six pack and they’re okay, and they can fit into another division, so to me, they are not working as hard, they are not really hitting the iron like we used to. We didn’t have social media, we didn’t have supplements, we didn’t have any professional coach, we didn’t have good equipment, but we loved it and we trained hard,” he said.
Williams, who competed at the Roger Boyce Classic at the age of 57, said the younger generation of athletes must have an appreciation for those who would have paved the way.
“If my mother said is one dumpling you getting, then it was one dumpling I had to eat, and she wouldn’t even say, give me one and a half because I am into this thing [bodybuilding], so we had it really tough. I want to write a book because these young people need to know that myself and James Daley basically brought back bodybuilding in Antigua, it was dead,” he said.
Williams was amongst four bodybuilders from Antigua and Barbuda who accepted pro cards after winning at the Roger Boyce Classic held in Barbados on June 3.
