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Photo courtesy of muscleinsider.com




At his first national-level meet, Harry Johal stood out from the crowd.
Johal, 29, earned second-place honours in his category at the Fitness and Physique Canadian Nationals, held last weekend in New Westminster. At the event, sanctioned by the Canadian Bodybuilding Federation, Johal was handed the runner-up trophy in the men's physique class, which featured 16 competitors.
"I'm happy," said Johal, who currently trains at Goodlife Fitness, and, prior to that, worked out at College Heights 24 Hour Fitness. For nationals, he was also coached by Dean Brandt, of Body By Brandt, and followed a customized meal plan.
"I usually bring some of the best conditioning," Johal added, in reference to his showing in New Westminster. "I really diet down to a low bodyfat percentage. My abs and my obliques really set me apart. Sometimes I'm not as big as the other guys but when I'm on stage I look that much bigger just because I have deeper cuts."
Johal stands almost five-foot-10 and, for nationals, checked in at 170 pounds. He had been preparing specifically for this meet since last September and that included cutting his calorie intake about three months ago so his muscle definition would be at its best.
Johal's first bodybuilding show was a novice event two years ago in Fort St. John. A top-three finish there qualified him for last year's provincials, where he placed second and earned a spot in nationals.
At Canadians, Johal was second to Julian Colley of Nova Scotia. For winning, Colley was awarded a pro card through the International Federation of Bodybuilding and that's something Johal is aiming for in the future.
"I might do nationals again next year because I'll have a really good chance of winning first and my pro card," he said. "The guy that won it this year (Colley), he did it last year and placed second last year."
In the meantime, Johal could have some other prime opportunities come his way. By virtue of his top-three finish at the national championships, he's anticipating invitations to the Arnold Classic (held in March) and the North American championships. If he does get an invitation to attend the Arnold Classic - a prestigious annual event hosted by bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger - he'll likely accept.
"That's someone I've obviously always looked up to, even when I started working out about 10 years ago," said Johal, a local real estate agent. "I was just a skinny little kid and I'd watch him on YouTube and videos and want to be like that. It would be cool to compete at an event where he'll be."
The Arnold Classic has amateur and professional divisions, so Johal would compete on the amateur side.


Jason Peters / Prince George Citizen


AUGUST 18, 2016 08:19 PM


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