Schriever bodybuilder works at professional status

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Mike Meares
  • 50th Space Wing Public Affairs
SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) --  A bodybuilder here who placed fourth in the U.S.A. Championships in August is busy sculpting his body for a professional qualifier match in Dallas next month.

William Owens, a captain with the 22nd Space Operations Squadron, started working on his physique 20 years ago at age 13. In 1990, at his friends urging, he entered his first competition. Since then, he has been featured in several muscle magazines like Muscle and Fitness, Flex and Ironman.

Although he is looking for professional status at next month's qualifier, it is still strictly a personal challenge for him.

"It's just me getting my body to the best condition I can get by training it," said the section chief of orbitial analysis for the Air Force Satellite Control Network. "I'm the one who needs to be pleased with my physique. The judges judge me on my physique, but I have fun."

Like any sport on the planet, it is not cheap to build muscle and show it off. The base services division sometimes sponsors him by providing the entry fee for him to go to a competition. They will be sponsoring his efforts in November.

"He represents the Air Force, and particularly Schriever, in a positive way," said Seth Canello, Schriever sports director. "We would like to help him out as many ways as we can. He helps us by providing training classes upon request."

During the competition season, Owens trains with a 12-week, high-intensity program. He lifts 90 percent or more of his capacity during this routine.

"From trial and error, this method has worked for me," said the 5-foot-6-inch, 197-pound man. "I'm able to maintain more muscle while dieting."

During a normal day he consumes 3,500 to 4,000 calories. During competition training, he takes in more than 6,000 calories.

"Don't mistake my dieting as dropping calories," Owens said. "I actually increase my calories due to the intense training during the 12 weeks before a competition."

During the off-season, Owens continues to fine-tune train to maintain his physique, but he does not train as hard as he does for a competition.

"I train about 60 percent of my capability and use it to recover from competing," he said. "I heal from the 12-week training session to get ready for the next competition."

Owens' workouts are based on a six-day routine. Day one he works on his legs, squatting 675 pounds of iron to focus on his quadriceps. With a bench press of more than 405 pounds, the second day burns his chest out before working his biceps and triceps on day three. His shoulders and back get worked on days four and five and he finishes out the week with his hamstrings. He is able to dead lift more than 600 pounds within his intense workout program.

"I enjoy lifting and competing because it provides me the sense of a stress-free environment," said Owens. "Just me and the weights." (Courtesy of Air Force Space Command News Service)