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INBF ATHLETE ADAM BOWMAN
Photo: Norbert Torriente
ADAM BOWMAN
HEAVYWEIGHT HEART IN A BANTAMWEIGHT BODY
By Rich Fitter
In the past few years, the WNBF World Championship has seen legitimate challenges from the lightweight class. With great competitors such as Clarida, Santiago and Whitacre, it’s easy to understand how the title may go not to the biggest guy on stage. A few years from now, Adam Bowman may be in this discussion.
The 4-11, 100-pounder was a clear favorite with the audience at the 2008 Naturalmania Nationals. Posing to George Thorogood’s Bad To The Bone, the crowd gave him one of the loudest ovations of the evening. Adam did well in his INBF debut, but gave away some size in the teenage class. Despite the fact he was outweighed in some cases by almost 100 lbs., he finished fourth.
Adam began lifting in 2006 to get stronger for wrestling, a sport he competed in all his life, and has been hooked on the iron ever since. Currently majoring in Exercise Science at Luzerne County Community College in Pennsylvania, he trains five days per week, Monday through Friday, hitting some extra abdominal work on Saturdays.
The 18 year-old natural athlete splits up his training like this:
Monday - Arms
Straight bar curls 4 sets of 10 repetitions,
Hammer curls 3x10,
Concentration curl 3x10,
Close-grip bench press 3x12,
Reserve pressdowns 3x10,
Dips 4x20
Tuesday - Legs
Leg extensions 4x12,
Hack squat 4x10,
Squats 3x10,
Walking lunges 3x10,
Leg curls 4x12,
Seated calf raises 4x15
Wednesday - Shoulders, Traps
Arnold presses 3x10,
Lateral raises 3x12,
Front raises 3x10,
Upright rows 4x12,
Behind the back shrug 3x15.
Thursday - Back, Forearms
Wide-grip chins 3x10,
Reverse-grip rows 3x12,
Behind-The-Neck pulldowns 3x10,
Wrist curls 4x15.
Friday – Chest
Incline bench press 3x10,
Decline dumbbell press 3x10,
Cable crossovers 3x12
Saturday - abs
Hanging leg raises 3x15,
Crunches 5x20.
Sunday - rest
Adam consumes 2500 calories per day, including 150-180 grams of protein. Adding muscle is his offseason priority, so he can bring a bigger physique back to the INBF stage next year. With a motto of “Pain is temporary, pride is forever,” in a few years you may be seeing Adam on the WNBF stage battling it with the best lightweights in the world.
