Street: How long have you been participating in the bodybuilding competition?
Jess Carlin: My freshman year I was with the Fly Girls, which is what the track team calls itself for the opening dance performance. My first time competing was last year. I got second place in the short women's class and this year hopefully I'll get first place.
Street: But you're not that short, are you?
JC: I'm the shortest one out there. Yeah, I'm about 5'2" maybe 5'3".
Street: What's the competition based on?
JC: There are six mandatory poses. You show off different thing like biceps, abs, thighs, back and most muscular overall. There's a point system with judges and then you have a minute to a minute-and-a-half routine by yourself. You put together ten poses that you look best in and make up like a dance to music.
Street: What song are you doing?
JC: I'm doing "Maneater" by Nelly Furtado.
Street: Do guys find the bodybuilding intimidating?
JC: Oh yeah, like my ex-boyfriend thought it was pretty gross, 'cause you don't look very attractive dehydrated.
Street: Why are you dehydrated?
JC: You dehydrate two days before to make your skin push against your muscles so you look totally ripped.
Street: What's the diet like leading up to the competition?
JC: The diet's pretty hardcore. It's five weeks and you slowly increase proteins, decrease carbs, and pretty much like the last couple days all you're allowed to eat is spinach, chicken, maybe some oatmeal and then no water or liquids for two days.
Street: Are you on steroids?
JC: (laughs) No - all natural, none of the juice.
Street: What about your competition?
JC: Girls, uh maybe. I think you'd be able to tell if they start growing mustaches.
Street: What's the prize for the winners?
JC: Just the medal and the title, and pretty much all the money goes to the track team. It's our biggest fundraiser. And the good pictures you have afterwards. You'll look back when you're fat and say, "Oh wow, I was pretty hot."
Street: How much can you bench?
JC: I can bench a little bit over my body weight so about 120. Squatting's my best. I can squat 200, probably over, by now.
Street: Is there any afterparty?
JC: At Allegro's. We just inhale pizza like it's our job.
Street: You guys must be nice and sweaty after the competition.
JC: Oh yeah, we pretty much paint ourselves with tanner and we're covered in baby oil and we're orange and tan and um, yeah, so we're pretty gross afterwards.
Street: Are there a lot of co-bodybuilder hook ups?
JC: There's been a couple. The winners of last year are engaged now. The coach that runs it, he always likes to brag that there's always love between the bodybuilders. Two of the couples are married that met in the show.
Street: Wow, they must have ripped kids.
JC: Their kids are gonna be pretty scary, I bet.
