Title well worth the weight

Mona Arvanetis’ mind cleared as she drove to Cook Auditorium.

Gone were the thoughts of the 2006 Orange County Muscle Classic in which she would soon compete. She already knew her routine. Gone were the thoughts of how at age 50 she would surely be the oldest competitor. And there wasn’t a hint on Arvanetis’ face or a thought in her mind of finishing second as she did 23 years prior in the same event.

When she arrived, all she could think about was winning.

Arvanetis said she was “easily” the oldest in the nine-woman event at Anaheim High on April 22.

What separated her and led to a first-place finish, she said, was dedication and preparation.

Winning qualified her for a state-wide and national event, the latter in July in Las Vegas.

“When I went in there, I thought I could win this show,” she said. “You couldn’t ask for a more perfect ending. It was like a cherry on top. If you really believe in yourself and go for it, it’s never too late. You’re never too old to go after your dreams.”

On her 49th birthday the co-owner of Newport Workout, a gym in Newport Beach, started to make plans for the competition. Out of bodybuilding for 17 years, it would take at least a year for her to train for the event, scheduled two months after her 50th birthday.

Arvanetis developed a following through her year-long pursuit of the goal. Friends and club members flocked to Anaheim to support the culmination of Arvanetis’ efforts.

“[The auditorium] was so full of energy,” Arvanetis said. “So many clients and friends were there to support me. It was amazing. It was heart-warming. They watched me for a year get ready.”

From 1980 through 1988, Arvanetis was a full-time bodybuilder, participating in events around the country.

“It had a lot of meaning to get ready over 20 years later,” Arvanetis said. “I was competitive in the 1980s. I loved it then. I don’t know if I can continue.”

She said bodybuilding brought back some exciting feelings.

“I like weights better than endurance,” she said. “It makes me feel strong and powerful. And it’s over in two seconds. You don’t have to endure the pain for a long time.”

The preparation for the event was lengthy and strenuous. Arvanetis shifted her calorie intake so she could gain weight.

She began with gaining mass the first six months. She ate as much red meat as she could and focused on powerlifting, adding 10 to 15 pounds of muscle and weighing in at 160 pounds.

The second six months, she focused on more repetitions in her workouts in order to burn fat.

“I wanted to see how much muscle was under that fat,” Arvanetis said.

She dropped 33 pounds before the competition. The key, she said, was eating small portions every three hours and constant weight training.

Arvanetis’s husband Mike Arvanetis assisted with training from start to finish.

“She looks fantastic,” Mike Arvanetis said. “She had already achieved something wonderful and inspired a lot of people.”