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Former 'shlob'  sculpts his  prize-winning physique

By PAUL LUNGEN
Staff Reporter

It's true that if  Jerry Shapiro wrapped his 11- megaton biceps around your head, he could  probably crack it open like a walnut. Not to mention he's probably strong  enough to stop a single-seat air- plane from taking off and land a crowbar into  a horseshoe. But as far as Shapiro is concerned, he's still just an ordinary  guy - a former 'shlob'' who was 50 pounds overweight but who is now one of Canada's  premier bodybuilders. 

Shapiro, who  turned 55 last week, has been named to Canada's  national bodybuilding team and has been tagged to travel to Sicily in November to compete in the International  Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) World Championships. Shapiro earned the spot  on the national team with a first-place finish in the grandmaster class (over  50) at a world championship qualifier at York University. 

Two months  before, at the 2006 Ontario National Qualifier in Ajax, Ont., he finished first in the  grand-master category for athletes over 50 and second overall in the light  heavy- weight division. Last year, he was named grand- master champion of the  Ontario Physique Association provincial qualifier, grand-master fourth- place  winner at the 2005 Fitness and Model Expo (FAME) World Championships and  third-place winner at the 2004 Muscle Mania Canadian Nationals. 

Not bad for a  guy who four years ago was just looking for a way to shed some weight and feel  better about himself. 

Shapiro  believes his story can be inspirational for the masses of overweight  ex-athletes and potato-chip connoisseurs who may work out at the gym but who  still can't seem to get into really good shape. 

As he tells his  story he was always interested in sports and keeping fit. He played high school  hockey, football and enjoyed the martial arts.In 1973, as a  young man, he put his sturdy physique to work in Israel as a volunteer during the  Yom Kippur War, digging irrigation ditches south of Be'er Sheva. 

As he got older  he continued to work out and lift weights, but he seemed he couldn't get rid of  his excess pounds. What's more, important health indicators, such as high  cholesterol, high blood sugar and worrisome sodium levels, were beginning to  concern him. Around that time, he decided to see a nutritionist Natalie  Bean-sole, who designed a plan for him that cut out some of the less healthy  foods and got him eating right. No more coffee and high-fat muffins for  breakfast. He started to reduce the high-curb, high- sugar and high-fat foods  and replace them with healthier choices. 

As his diet  changed and his workouts started to provide results - all without any chemical boosts  - guys in the gym suggested his physique was cut out for bodybuilding.

It was, he  said, ''like buying a house in the Manor, stripping off-the linoleum and fading  hard- wood floors below.''

Three years  ago, his main trainer at Strictly Fitness, a gym on Dufferin Street in Toronto, encouraged him to enter bodybuilding  events. One of his buddies, a guy in his every 50s, was already involved in the  sport, and being competitive by nature, Shapiro decided to give it a try He  ramped up his training regimen with two-a-day cardio and weightlifting  workouts. Coupled with some yoga, he'd put in 18 to 20 hours per week in  advance of competitions. His wife, Este. was behind him all the way.

The results  speak for themselves.

As he sculpted  his body to his new specifications, he found that not only did he look better  but he felt way better, too. Today, he feels like a different person and has a  level of confidence he never possessed before.

His new healthy  lifestyle was also expressed in his business as he developed; with the help of  researchers at the University   of Guelph, a protein-  packed energy snack called Power Pop. "I make a product and I can look in  a buyer's eye and l walk the walk," he said.

Though he walks  in the footsteps of famed body- builders like Arnold "the Guvernator'' Schwarzeneger ,  Shapiro tries to retain his natural humility "I don't see myself as the  guy they tell me l am," he said. "I see myself as a guy in good  shape. When l get on stage, l wonder if I'm good enough. . . but when l hit the  stage, it's show time."

He's just an  ordinary guy and he believes his experience could be a lesson for others.  "This should be an inspiration for everybody out there," he said. "I'm not  special. It's determination, focus, that's the real message."