Sculpting for Stage
Member Keita Matsumoto shares the challenges and rewards of bodybuilding in your 40s.
I used to go to the Fitness Center about once or twice a week. As I got older, I worried about developing a belly. I also found my body got tired easily.
Then, in 2017, I saw another Member, Koki Uchiyama, working out at the Club. I didn’t know anything about bodybuilding at the time but seeing him got me interested in it. I thought it was an opportunity.
To learn the basics of building muscle and toning, I worked with Club personal trainer Koji Yoshida once a week for two years. But I thought I wouldn’t be able to continue training unless I had a goal. I set a goal of fifth place in a regional bodybuilding competition that was easy for amateurs to enter.
That first competition was in September 2019, and I finished fourth. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and boosted my confidence. Last year, I won a local competition and then entered the Best Body Japan contest last December.
Even during the pandemic, my efforts paid off and I finished in the top 10 in the 40s age category. It was a great feeling. I hope to enter a slightly higher-level competition this year.
I train six times a week for one hour at the Fitness Center. I concentrate on a different set of muscles each time. One week includes sessions on my chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs and abdominal muscles.
Naturally, I have fundamentally changed my eating habits. I eat three meals a day and adjust the balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates in each meal according to whether I need to put on weight or lose it.
I need to start losing weight four months before a competition and during that time I don’t drink any alcohol. I had a hard time at first, but I’m used to it now. It’s also easier to wake up in the morning when you don’t drink any alcohol.
At home, I eat different meals from the rest of my family, so I prepare those myself. Sadly, when we eat out, I am the only one eating separate dishes.
Through continuous training and improved eating habits, I realize how my body has changed. In January 2020, for example, I weighed 80.3 kilograms and my body fat percentage was 17.4. At the time of the competition last December, I was 67.8 kilos and my body fat percentage was 3.2.
The biggest challenge of bodybuilding is staying motivated throughout the training. Also, when you tan yourself for a competition, you sometimes receive strange looks from people. I even notice that I have fewer conversations with my wife and can’t even make eye contact when I’m tanning.
Physically, I feel very healthy, and I have seen an improvement in my performance when I play soccer with my team as well. I also really feel training has boosted my immune system. Mentally, I have learned how you can achieve your goals when you are single-minded and determined. I plan to make full use of this experience in my new business.
As told to INTOUCH’s Nick Jones.
Image: Yuuki Ide
