Sculpture of a different kind

On Wednesday, she drank three gallons of water. On Thursday, she didn't drink any.

"I feel like I'm going nuts," body builder Christina Schofield said. "I will not be able to sleep because I will be so thirsty."

After Saturday's body building competition at the Hiland Theater, she said all she wanted was a gallon of water.

The Mid-USA and New Mexico State Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure competition was booked solid, and three UNM students competed: Schofield, Sanjay Digamber and Derek Duszynski.

"It's a unique experience," Duszynski said. "It's really

exciting leading up to getting on stage. Basically there's a lot of pressure, just because it's not a team sport where you can rely on other people to help you out."

Each of the UNM students placed in the competition.

Schofield placed first in the teenage and heavyweight divisions, Digamber received first-place finishes, and Duszynski placed third in the open light heavyweight and second in the open light heavyweight divisions.

Schofield said before she began competing two years ago, she was overweight. She said she set a goal of losing weight and now spends up to four hours a day working out.

Her routine begins at 4:40 a.m. with an hour-long run followed by 45 minutes of cardio and an hour-and-a-half of weight training and abdominals between classes. When she has time, she practices posing.

"It's really hard just flexing every muscle you have and holding it," she said. "It's a workout on its own. It's something you have to get your muscles used to, or else you are going to get up on stage and shake."

To highlight muscle definition, body builders apply fake tans and oil to their bodies. Without that, the skin absorbs the light and muscle definition is not as noticeable, Schofield said.

Competitors are judged on structure, physical perfection, symmetry and body size among other things.

"You have to learn how to trick judges to look bigger than you really are," Schofield said.

A lot of it has to do with shifting one's weight on one's feet and bringing out different muscles, she said.

At Saturday's event, Gunter Schlierkamp from Germany was present. Josh Jacquez, secretary for the Rocky Mountain Region of the competition, said Schlierkamp is considered one of the top-three body builders in the world.

"It's pretty freaky to see some of these guys like this professional coming in," he said. "He has 24-inch biceps."

Schofield said she was afraid of going against bigger women because the competition did not test for steroid use.

"I could be up against 180-pound girls of pure muscle," she said. "If it is girls like me who are more natural, the chances are better."

Several weeks before a competition, Schofield said she begins dieting to lose fat to become as lean as possible.

"You just have to be very self-disciplined," she said. "I'm pretty much a perfectionist. Once you see results from the dieting, it keeps you motivated and gets you more motivated to just keep going."

Duszynski said the hardest part of dieting is the cravings, mainly doughnuts and cheeseburgers.

"It's pretty much a relief," he said. "(Saturday night) I just went out and ate whatever I felt like eating. I don't necessarily have to go back on a diet any time soon."

To add flavor to things when he diets, he said he uses a lot of Splenda and cinnamon.

"It helps, but by no means is it the same thing," he said.

There are around 4,000 amateur contests in 167 countries each year, Jacquez said.

"It culminates into two professional competitions that would be the Super Bowl of body building," he said.