It doesn’t happen very often in the sporting world that a father and son will go head to head in competition but that will be the case this week in Missoula at the Big Sky NPC (National Physique Committee) bodybuilding championships when Caleb Edens will compete against his dad, Jess. The event will be held on Saturday, April 15, at the University of Montana at the George Dennison Theater. The competition will begin at 9 a.m. Winners will be announced at the main event at 6 p.m.
Jess Edens is a long-time competitor in bodybuilding. He figures he’s been competing for about 20 years and has more than 36 trophies from his different competitions. He is a professional natural body builder, although this competition is not a natural bodybuilding sanctioned competition. Edens said he turned to the gym after a difficult time in his life and became interested in bodybuilding. Caleb spent a lot of time in the gym with his dad and he too, decided to compete.
Bodybuilding, as the sport is commonly known, involves many aspects. First and foremost is the time spent in the gym lifting weights to sculpt muscles. Jess was involved in a workplace accident several years ago and nearly severed his left arm. With the help of his physical therapist, they designed a special brace to allow him to continue lifting.
“It was an incredible disability (to have) in a sport that is judged on looking good,” said Jess in an interview with the Bitterroot Star on December 9, 2009.
Since that time, Jess has continued to compete and promote the sport of bodybuilding. There is no doubt that he is one proud papa that his son is following in the sport. The time they spend together in the gym is great but one has the feeling that the time they spend meal prepping is just as important. Meal preparation for the week takes almost a full day, according to Caleb. There are chicken breasts to bake, elk steaks to cook, yams to bake and of course, fresh vegetables to wash and chop. A typical day of meals for them includes a 12-egg-white omelet with spinach for breakfast, protein shakes and fresh veggies for a 10 a.m. snack, chicken salad and a cup of yams for lunch, another protein shake at 3 p.m., and more chicken or elk and veggies for supper. There’s one last protein shake before bed and maybe a few blueberries. Both Jess and Caleb say they drink about two gallon of water a day. The week’s meals are prepared, cooked and stored in individual containers so they don’t have to spend much time during the week in the kitchen. That extra time is spent in the gym, at least three hours a day.
Caleb is a senior at Stevensville and has been on the wrestling team for the Yellowjackets for the past four seasons. After graduation, he plans on enlisting in the Marines, just like his dad did. He said that training with his dad has been great and it has given him self-confidence and self-control to be able to work towards a goal and to work towards reaching and maintaining a weight. But, he says, he doesn’t always follow the same routines.
“I do my own thing,” he said. “I hated it growing up but now I thank him for getting me in the gym and competing.”
Caleb has sponsors to help with the expenses of the bodybuilding sport. Although his dad owns the gym, Lyndi’s Fitness Center (the name will change soon) in Stevensville, there are still supplements and good, clean food to buy. “It all adds up,” he said.
The pride Jess has in his son is evident as he listens to Caleb explaining the upcoming contest. Both will compete in the middleweight division, which is 154 to 176 pounds. Jess will be competing in the 50 and over division and Caleb will be in the junior division. Once those are finished, they will compete against each other in the open division. The competition consists of a series of poses designed to showcase the muscles and physique of the competitor. The areas judged are presentation, size and muscular development, and the balance of the physique including muscularity and lack of body fat. The competition will be during the day with the finalists coming back on Saturday night when the winners will be named. Braden Loveless and Hunter Haywood, both of Stevensville, will also be competing with Caleb on Saturday.
It is extremely rare for a father and son to compete against each other in the same weight division. Both Caleb and Jess say this may be their only chance, especially with Caleb going into the Marines. Both are looking forward to the event, but neither will give an inch as they both want to win.
“It’s really special,” said Jess.
What are the two doing after the event on Saturday night? They are going to IHOP for chocolate chip pancakes and maple syrup.
