Brickhouse Barbells bodybuilders bag awards

DUBUQUE — Diet for 16 weeks, cut 16 pounds in five days, feel horrible.

That was one competitor’s path to placing third in a recent bodybuilding contest.

The rigors of competitive bodybuilding can make one’s body feel horrible but look absolutely spectacular.

Washington physical fitness center Brickhouse Barbells — jointly owned by Jeff Wenger, Cody Sobaski, Rachelle Sickels and Greg Wertz — had six keenly toned contestants at the Grand River Center in Dubuque May 1.

Their ripped bodies with defined muscles bulging and veins pumping against skin tightly stretched competed in the Mighty Muscle on the Mississippi show under National Physique Committee rules governed by the International Federation of Body Building. Their anatomies were judged according to the division entered, winning a number of high places.

In Men’s Body Building Dan Cooley Jr. was the winner in the overall heavyweight division.

Wertz was third in the overall middleweight division, second in the Masters Over Age 50.

In Men’s Physique, Raul Amigon was the Class B overall winner.

In Women’s Physique, Melanie Huschka Richardson was the Class A and Novice winner.

In Men’s Physique, Scotty Melvin was first in Master’s Over 40, second in True Novice Class A and third in Overall Class C.

Caleb Smith was fourth in the Novice category of Classic Physique.

All are from Washington except Cooley (Muscatine) and Smith (Illinois).