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05-06-2015, 09:37 PM #1
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Smock proves there is plenty of life after 50
Smock proves there is plenty of life after 50
Kevin Smock
By Pete Chiodo Meadville Tribune
May 4, 2015
Kevin Smock lives in Franklin these days, but he still considers The Body Firm in downtown Meadville his home gym.
“It’s where I got my start,” said Smock. “It’s where my allegiance is, being born and raised in Meadville.”
As with any business in downtown Meadville, nearby parking is sometimes hard to find. Smock can’t understand why, for The Body Firm’s patrons, that’s such a bad thing.
“People would go to the gym and complain that they can’t get a parking spot: ‘I had to park in the alley beside the Academy.’ ‘I had to park a block away.’
“I can’t help but laugh. Did you forget why you came? You had to walk a block? Isn’t that the whole point?’”
Walking a little, riding a bike, hitting the weights, cleaning up the diet. It’s been Smock’s mission of late to encourage everyone — young or old — to take any step toward living a healthier lifestyle.
And he’s not just talking the talk. Although he’s in his mid 50’s, Smock has returned to the work-intensive sport of bodybuilding. And it’s been quite a successful comeback.
On April 4, a few days after his 55th birthday, Smock competed in the NPC Natural Eastern USA Championships in Pittsburgh and claimed first place in both the Master’s 40+ division and the 50+ division.
Then he jumped right back into competition on April 25 at the NANBF Natural Pittsburgh and grabbed second place in the 50+ division and third in the Pro Qualifier Master’s division.
“It’s been an amazing year,” said Smock.
Back in the early 2000’s, Smock was an avid bodybuilder, placing high in many competitions, and winning a few others.
Yet, he eventually drifted away from the sport.
“I just kinda got burned out,” he said. “It had a lot to do with jobs, and my daughter was 6 or 7 at the time. So I just took a break.”
Eventually, though, Smock didn’t like where that break was taking him.
“I was getting out of shape,” he said. “I wasn’t living very healthy. So I made a bunch of changes in my life and I got back to what had always worked for me. I started going to the gym again.”
After more than a decade away from the weight room, getting back in the saddle left its share of sores.
“The first couple weeks were pretty rough,” he admitted. “But once I got through those first two weeks I noticed my body was starting to respond.”
Soon enough, “I really got into it again,” he said.
And he started hearing things like, “‘I can’t believe you’re 55 and you’re in that kind of shape.’”
It wasn’t long until he starting thinking about competing again.
And that led Smock to the stage at the Carnegie Library of Homestead’s Music Hall for the NPC Natural Eastern Championships on April 4 — his first competition in nearly a decade and a half. The net result: two new first-place trophies for his trophy case.
“It’s been a remarkable ride,” said Smock.
It’s the sort of ride he’d like others to experience. Not necessarily in something as extreme as bodybuilding, but rather in any and all efforts to live a fitter life.
“Obviously, bodybuilding is on the outskirts,” said Smock. “But any type of fitness on any level can do so much good for people. I’ve really seen it turn people’s lives around. It gives them more energy, it makes them feel better about themselves.”
He’s seen it first hand in his role as president of the Venango Chapter of the Oxford House, a support center for people who struggle with addictions. There, he uses fitness, “as a path for them to realize that they can overcome any obstacle in life and ... change their lives for the better.”
“This isn’t about me,” Smock added. “I run into so many people, through my work day or my social circle, people that are younger than me that say, ‘Ugh, I’m too old for that.’
“But at my so-called advanced age, I’m feeling pretty young at 55.”
From http://www.meadvilletribune.com/spor...5a106343a.htmlFacebook | Instagram | Twitter | Join Rx Muscle on Facebook!
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05-06-2015, 09:38 PM #2
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- Big Jeff's Family Restaurant, 815 Fremont Ave, South Pasadena, CA
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Gallery for the 2015 NPC NATURAL EASTERN USA @ http://contests.npcnewsonline.com/co...a/kevin_smock/
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Join Rx Muscle on Facebook!
Contact [email protected] to be interviewed!
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05-07-2015, 01:09 AM #3
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Hey, life only STARTS at fifty!
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05-07-2015, 06:50 AM #4
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looks awesome for his age, hes got a better body than most of the 20 year olds at my gym
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05-07-2015, 10:26 AM #5
Ooo topic, but I wonder why masters competitors all have a harder time building legs than upper body...maybe spine degenaration due to years training and reegular wear and tear of the spine over time? Never degenaration? Yo ucan go to any regional show and even the masters who look great have subpar legs
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05-07-2015, 11:05 PM #6
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