57-year-old bodybuilder promotes maintaining a healthy body

by Curlan Campbell, NOW Grenada

• 57-year-old bodybuilder Leslie ‘Strongman’ Hutchinson has the physique of a 30-year-old
• Competed in several bodybuilding competitions without protein powders and other supplements for muscle growth
• Outfitted his home gym with equipment made from readily available materials

Although not having the bulging muscle mass in comparison to the likes of local professional bodybuilders Damion Daniel or Hafid Tyrone James, 57-year-old bodybuilder Leslie ‘Strongman’ Hutchinson has the physique of a 30-year-old. He boasts of being able to compete with the best without the use of protein powders and other supplements for muscle growth.

But what’s even more interesting about Hutchinson, who is from the village of Telescope in St Andrew, is that he was able to maintain his daily training and powerlifting regimen and still be the proud father of 22 children with his wife of over 14 years, Delma.

Hutchinson fell in love with bodybuilding in 1983 and has since gone on to partake in several strongman competitions for which he has trophies and medals to show, despite not being able to afford the expertise of local trainers or specialised professional equipment. Hutchinson did not allow this to stop him and constructed his personal home gym with equipment made using readily available materials.

In his middle age years, Hutchinson was witnessed bench pressing upwards of 300 lbs, curling dumbbells weighing 100 lbs and leg pressing over 500 lbs. He said, “I still keep the discipline and principle of bodybuilding, and I all the time tell guys that a gym is no place for jokers and idlers because when it comes to the gym it is serious business.”

He admitted that bodybuilding was an escape from the temptation of overindulging in alcohol which was, and still is quite prevalent within the community. “The time I go and sit down by the block and drink rum with friends, the same friend who may turn around and burst my head after I had the rum with him, I should go to the gym. So when I to the gym and train, when 10 pm all rum shops close, and in doing so my friends hardly seeing me, because every evening after I finish work, I head straight to the gym,” he said.

During the span of his passion, Hutchinson competed in several bodybuilding competitions including placing 1^st in the Return of Legion in Heavyweight category; 1^st in Mr Grenada Middleweight category in 2009; 2^nd place in the St Andrew’s South West Father’s Day Best Talent Competition; and 2nd place in Grenada Olympia Clash of the Titans 2015 Lightweight category. While most bodybuilders garner sponsors to assist in preparation for the competitions, Hutchinson said his wife Delma has been his main supporter and sponsor, since as a poor man he is unable to afford the luxuries afforded to bodybuilders who can get corporate sponsorship. He constantly speaks of being in good health which he attributes to eating healthy foods, especially ground provisions in small portions. He also frowns upon the use of supplements to promote muscle growth.

“On mornings, I get a cup of black sage water and roast fig with a tip of salt, and I am good for the day. I eat a lot of green fig, yam, breadfruit and tannia. I would tell bodybuilders to eat natural and stay healthy like me. I will have 2 eggs for the morning maybe once a week because I am a poor man and I have never gotten any sponsors. If I need any sponsor I have to call on my wife, and I all-time say to her we are not begging anybody, what little we have we will make it do.”

Hutchinson, who weighs 170 lbs, is approaching his 58th birthday and still manages to spend up to 3 hours in his gym every evening while maintaining a full-time job as a security guard for Gravel & Concrete.