Five Foot Freaks Face Fierce Fitness Fights
Taylor, undefeated, is competing at the NPC USA National Bodybuilding Championships is Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday July 28-29, 2007.
Portland, July 26, 2007 — A Portland corporation, is sponsoring 29-year-old graphic artist Bleu Taylor, from Gresham, Oregon, in his first competition for the USA Bodybuilding Title.
Taylor, undefeated, is competing at the NPC USA National Bodybuilding Championships is Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday July 28-29, 2007. The competition will air on ESPN-HD. Taylor and his trainer, Todd Scott, will both compete in this Sunday’s competition.
Taylor started a family, a full time job, and initially decided that he was going to go back to the gym to getaway from the daily rigors of family life — even if for just a short time each day. A veteran wrestler, Taylor has always been interested in anatomy and the human body. When he’s not at the gym and pumping iron, he plays with his kids and runs an independent graphic design business
Trains 1 Hour Per Day
Taylor spends about 1 hour each day in the gym, five days per week — contrary to many who may think that it takes hours upon hours each day to train for bodybuilding at the competitive level.
“I had some friends at the gym that were into bodybuilding. I got a taste of it and fell in love with it. That was 2002.”
Taylor got involved in bodybuilding by socializing with others at the gym that were bodybuilding at the competitive level. Bleu started probing them for advice on topics like nutrition, supplementation and form.
“Tactics and breaking down the muscle. It was a whole new world.”
Three Competitions. Three 1st Place Wins. Taylor is Undefeated.
In 2004, Taylor started training with Portland ’s Shane Jack for the Evergreen Cup. Jack was a trainer working at “Jungle Gym” and a well-known bodybuilder and competitor. This was Taylor ’s first competition. Taylor took 1st Place.
Later that year, Taylor prepared for his second show, “The Seven Feathers Bodybuilding Competition,” in 2004. Taylor took 1st Place.
Taylor then took almost two full years to improve his physique for the largest West Coast’s largest bodybuilding competition, “The Emerald Cup.”
“I knew I had to get as thick as possible,” said Taylor. “So I hooked up with a guy named andre Scott. Scott was a well known bodybuilder in the Northwest, a national competitor.”
Bleu Taylor was now “living and breathing” bodybuilding. andre Scott was a dedicated competitor and only accepted the most dedicated students. Scott ended up taking over Taylor’s complete bodybuilding campaign from start to finish. Taylor took 1st Place.
Peers Pressure Taylor to Go National
Amazed by his competitive results, his bodybuilding peers wanted Taylor to compete immediately after the 2006 Emerald Cup win to the 2006 National competitions. Granted, the Emerald Cup is the largest bodybuilding competition on the West Coast. Taylor has just won it. He won everything — on his first try.
“I was feeling a lot of pressure from other bodybuilders around me whom all said that I was ready for the nationals, right then. But I was tired and my body needed a rest,” Taylor said. Taylor then decided to train for the 2007 National competition.
Taylor ’s new trainer, Portland’s Todd Scott, has a nickname amongst the bodybuilding community: “Shredded Five Foot Beast”. Taylor took this year to train with Scott who is also competing at the Las Vegas national event in the MIDDLEWEIGHT division.
Taylor equates the mindset of bodybuilding to more of a “church” mentality.
Taylor adds, “It’s not so much the time you do in church that matters, it’s what you do outside of church — applying and practicing what you have learned, said Taylor. “It’s the same way with bodybuilding. The gym is only part of the equation. Nutrition and activities outside of the gym are what really matter.”
“Shredded Freaks”
After some investigative reporting, I found that the bodybuilders are quite aware that they look abnormally big. Heck, they’re bodybuilders, right? A delicate topic, this reporter wasn’t sure how to address the undeniable first impressions of a 5 foot 1 man who is, frankly, huge. So, I almost fell out of my chair when I heard the bodybuilding community refer to other peers as “shredded freaks.” It was true. “They”, the bodybuilders, knew they looked ‘freaky’ and were light about the subject.
“If you think I’m freaky, you should see Todd Scott. He’s a real freak. He’s just scary.”
COMPETITOR PRofILE
Name: Bleu Taylor
Hometown: Gresham, Oregon
Age: 29
Height: 5″1
Weighy: 185#
Bodyfat %: less than 3%
COMPETITIVE RECORD
2004 Evergreen State: 1st Place
2004 Seven Feathers: 1st Place
2006 Emerald Cup: 1st Place
2007 USA Bodybuilding Title
Competitive Weight Class: LIGHTWEIGHT
Tags: Bodybuilding, business, fitness, health, muscles, national bodybuilding, sport