Lyle Scwartz and Courtney Spaeth win awards

“I always was really active in sports growing up,” S-B alum Lyle Schwartz said recently by tele-phone. “In muscles and how they worked.”

Schwartz, a 2013 graduate of Stanley- Boyd spoke after winning a Natural Bodybuilding competi-tion at Green Bay, in the amateur level. A wrestler in high school along with competing in the sports of cross country and football, Schwartz said that bodybuilding become an outlet for this competitive aspect of his nature once he stopped wrestling competitively. With Coach Peter Fisch-en helping Schwartz with the nutritional specifics and training that he needed to compete at the amateur-level competition in Green Bay, Schwartz’s wife Lindsay (a registered dietitian) helped him find ways to have the food he needed, and also make it manageable. Schwartz said he got in-spiration for bodybuilding after seeing friends and mentors compete. The first, Anthony Friese, was a friend from college while the second, Courtney Spaeth, is from Boyd, owning her own business called Build by Design.

From this background Schwartz entered the sport, winning awards in both Classic Physique and Bodybuilding for the heavyweight class at Green Bay. In addition, Schwartz also earned two natural pro cards, meaning that he can now compete in the professional bodybuilding realm. So what’s with the bronzed-up appearance?

“The reason for the tan is so you can see the definition under the lights,” Schwartz said, adding that the stage lights are “super bright.” Schwartz said he used a product called Dream Tan on stage, while bodybuilding has two seasons.

The first, called the “off-season,” is when bodybuilders are building their muscles, during which body fat will be higher. The second, that of competition, is when bodybuilders shed the excess weight to shine under the spotlight.

“The idea is to have as little fat as possible,” Schwartz said of competition and appearing on stage. Along with awards in Classic Physique and Bodybuilding, Schwartz also won Best Poser at the Green Bay competition, which category he explained more about via telephone.

“One of the more important things is how aesthetic things are,” he said of competitive bodybuild-ing. “How muscles flow together.” Also important in terms of specific muscle groups for the sport are the legs and back. So what about inspiration Courtney Spaeth? The Boyd resident had much to share, including how she got started in the sport.

“I got started through a good friend who was kick starting her personal training business. I’ve al-ways been an athlete and love to compete. So this was something that definitely helped fill that void.” A full-time Physical Therapist Assistant and director of Rehab for MJ Care at August Health and Rehab in Augusta, Spaeth has also coached sports.

Over the last four years, meanwhile, she has won “over 20 first place titles,” along with ‘pro’ sta-tus in natural bodybuilding for Figure, Figure Classic, and Women’s Physique. Spaeth’s most recent pro title came from being declared the 2020 Natural Olympia in Las Vegas. Coming out of the competition she won a ‘most symmetrical’ award along with the world tour grand prize, a Harley Davidson. In addition, she has also been featured in the last two issues of Ironman Magazine. So what does bodybuilding entail, or how might Build by Design help? Spaeth shared more on both topics.

“Lots of hard work,” she said of what bodybuilding entails, “and not just in the gym.” A lot of it, as it turns out, has to do with the nutritional side. Spaeth said things can vary somewhat for male versus female bodybuilders, with men typically running higher on their intake levels, although she also said this can depend on the person and how their body burns “the food fuel.” Whereas during the offseason one is working to build excess and bring growth, the equation changes once in prep for competition.

“In prep you are working down into a caloric deficit to shed the fat layer off to bring all that muscle development to the surface,” she said, adding that “having the right balance of micronutrients plays a key role on your development and progress as well.” Working out at various places and building a home gym during COVID, Spaeth said that body image issues can cause problems—if you let them.

“Having the right frame of mind through the process is everything!” she said “It can be an emo-tional rollercoaster ride if you let body image issues get in

See LOCAL ATHLETES, Page 10

Above, Lyle Schwartz stands on stage with the judges at a recent bodybuilding contest he won at Green Bay. Schwartz is a 2013 graduate from Stanley-Boyd. Submitted photo.

Courtney Spaeth of the Stanley-Boyd area has won many awards in bodybuilding as a pro bodybuilder, also owning Build by Design, a personal training business. Submitted photo. LOCAL ATHLETES

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the way,” Spaeth said. Then what about Build by Design?

“Build by Design is my personal training business,” Spaeth said, adding that it was also a way to help other obtain their personal goals. Although committed to her patients and fulltime job in Au-gusta where she said her heart is, Build by Design allows Spaeth some fun on the side as well.

“After competing in my first Natural Olympia back in 2019 I made the jump to get my personal certification,” she went on. “I named it that because building any physique of any range of goals takes a specific designed plan unique to that individual. Not everyone is the same and not everyone responds the same to things.” So long as one is consistent and able to follow a specific designed individual plan, Spaeth said that “you will know exactly what adjustments need to be made based on your individual goals and how you are responding.” As stated before, though, Spaeth said that, “Nutrition is a huge part of that along with the workouts.”

Returning to Schwartz then, just what are his plans for the future, now that he’s won some awards?

“I plan to take the next two years off,” he shared of the future and his bodybuilding plans. “To grow and be more competitive on a pro stage.”