LRS Airman bulks up for upcoming competition

  • Published
  • By Tyler Hemsteet
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- --  In the midst of a strict, 12-week diet, Airman 1st Class Ryan Timm, 62nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, is often subject to a never-ending list of food temptations. 

Friends and coworkers inadvertently (or at times, intentionally) parade by the young Airman goodies such as Girl Scout cookies, ice cream, smoothies and generous plates of Mexican food. 

But Airman Timm grits his teeth and stubbornly sticks to salads, chicken, tuna and small servings of carbohydrates here and there, along with drinking between two and a half and three gallons of water a day. 

"I turn (the food temptation) into motivation," he said. 

That motivation stems from the desire to one day compete at an elite level as a natural competitive bodybuilder. Natural bodybuilders build muscle and compete without the use of steroids or growth hormones. 

"I devote most of my life to bodybuilding," said Airman Timm, a Portland, Ore., native. "It's a balancing act." 

The young Airman recently fi nished training and preparing for the International Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness Washington State Natural Bodybuilding & Figure championships Saturday in Arlington, Wash. The tedious process of preparing his body for competition included maintaining a strict diet, workout regimen and keeping a watchful eye on his body fat. 

After a long day of work at the squadron's materiel handling equipment shop repairing and maintaining the wing's 100 pieces of cargo-moving equipment, Airman Timm spends nearly three hours a night working out at the base fi tness center. 

He also drives down to Portland most weekends to see his trainer and nutritionist. 

"You have to have a passion for (bodybuilding)," he said. "You can't get good at it overnight." 

That passion shines through in Airman Timm's daily interaction with other Airmen in his unit, said Staff Sgt. Edward Lamar, 62nd LRS. 

"Everything he talks about is either eating or lifting weights," said Sergeant Lamar, who is Airman Timm's supervisor. 

Having been around bodybuilding his entire life (his mother is a competitive bodybuilder), Airman Timm started getting serious about it at age 17 and entered his fi rst competition at age 19. Now 20, Airman Timm's ultimate goal is to compete in
top-tier competitions as a professional and perhaps one day own his own gym. 

"He's pretty dedicated," Sergeant Lamar said. 

And while fellow Airmen may give Airman Timm a hard time about his physique ("His head hasn't grown into his body yet," quipped Sergeant Lamar), he feels their support for his passion. 

"They respect what I go through," he said. 

While currently working on a degree in sports medicine, Airman Timm also does his part to spread a positive fi tness culture across the Air Force. He routinely helps fellow Airmen with weightlifting tips and workout regimens, as well as creating custom diet plans.