A sea of purple and black machines dominates the view inside Madhouse Gymnasium. Positioned in Mableton, GA, over 540 completely different items of apparatus are transferring and clanking at any time of day on this 32,000-square-foot, 24-hour facility. It’s the house of a lot of metro Atlanta’s bodybuilders and health professionals.
The women and men who prepare at Madhouse Gymnasium are devoted health warriors. They push their limits each day, reworking their our bodies by way of exhausting work and sweat.
“You stroll in and scent the sweat within the air, and it makes you need to work. That’s what drew me to this gymnasium, not simply the tools however the quantity of labor that’s being put in,” mentioned Devon Lewis, a 37-year-old gladiator, who’s at Madhouse day by day at 4:00 AM, both figuring out or coaching purchasers.
“Why wouldn’t you need to come to a gymnasium that has no less than 4 Olympians in right here? When you concentrate on competitors mindset, that is the place you need to be.”
Madhouse Gymnasium serves as each Lewis’ coaching floor and office. As a private coach {and professional} bodybuilder, he spends numerous hours there coaching his purchasers and perfecting the physique that he’s been engaged on for over a decade.
Earlier this 12 months, he earned his IFBB (Worldwide Health and Bodybuilding Federation) Professional Card, a milestone in his profession as knowledgeable bodybuilder. It signifies that he’s gained sufficient competitions to be acknowledged as an elite competitor, permitting him to take part in larger competitions and be thought of for higher alternatives within the realm of health.
Calling Lewis a giant man is a extreme understatement. He’s a 6’5, 258 lb muscular big with solely 10% physique fats. His average-sized torso is connected to lengthy legs and arms, compacted with lean muscle, and riddled with seen veins and muscle striations. Tattoos cowl Lewis’ bulging arms, chiseled chest, and vast again.
He doesn’t must flex to show his energy, but it surely’s nonetheless spectacular when he does.
“A bodybuilder appears to be like like they’re constructing their physique,” Lewis mentioned. “You’re taking constructions and placing them collectively. It’s like making a clay piece or design. You bought to slap on a little bit extra shoulders, slap a little bit extra traps, a little bit extra delts, a little bit extra lats. The artwork of bodybuilding is completely different than a median man who works out.”
Lewis refers to his present physique as his well being upkeep section, which implies he’s at present not coaching for any explicit competitors. That is his low season so his aim is to keep up what he has till it’s time for his subsequent competitors, for which he plans to step on stage with 263lb of muscle and a couple of% physique fats.
“I identical to to be the most important baddest m-therf-cker. So long as I bought my V-cut and my abs popping I’m good,” Lewis mentioned.
The typical wholesome grownup man has a physique fats proportion of 18-24% and 24-31% for grownup girls, based on the U.S. Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH).
His physique is a good distance from the 320lb 26-year-old defensive finish, set to play within the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals, earlier than shedding all of it to a torn posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) simply earlier than going to coaching camp.
Lewis’ health journey got here nearly three years after tearing his PCL and ending his NFL profession earlier than it began. He grew to become a private coach in 2012 and commenced competing as a bodybuilder two years later.
Lewis now appears to be like like a Black superhero. He’s not scrawny just like the Miles Morales model of Spider-Man. He is perhaps comparable in peak to Frozone from “The Incredibles,” however the two are undoubtedly in numerous weight lessons.
Nevertheless, regardless of doing the job that he loves, being within the place that he loves, and competing within the sport that he loves, Lewis’ spirits are at present low. It’s additionally the vacation season, one of many slowest seasons for a health coach, which implies cash is low.
Bodybuilding is a really costly sport to take part in. Earlier than a bodybuilder can ever step on stage to be judged, they need to pay for registration, tanning, competitors apparel (posing trunks for males and bikinis for ladies), journey (flights and lodge) if the present is exterior of their instant space, coaching/teaching, dietary supplements, and final however not least meals.
Meals is the gasoline that drives all bodybuilders and is probably the most instant and fixed expense these rivals must cope with.
The US Division of Well being and Human Providers recommends that grownup males eat 2,000-3,000 energy per day and grownup girls eat 1,600-2,400 energy per day.
An instance of a wholesome 2,000-calorie day would appear to be oatmeal, a hard-boiled egg, and a cup of espresso for breakfast. Greek yogurt and a half cup of fruit as a late morning/early afternoon snack. For lunch, a rooster salad, and a snack of hummus and carrots for later. Dinner can encompass whole-wheat pasta and salmon, with some steamed veggies. And earlier than mattress, two cups of air-popped popcorn would shut out the day.
Nevertheless, the typical bodybuilder eats roughly 3,000-4,500 energy per day, a bigger quantity of meals than a daily wholesome particular person and extra pricey.
Between August and October of this 12 months, the price of meals in metro Atlanta elevated by 1.1%, with meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (all protein) receiving a flat 1% improve, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Metro Atlantans noticed a 5% improve in meals costs in 2023, an 11.4% improve in 2022, and a 12% improve firstly of 2024.
Bodybuilders in metro Atlanta are impacted financially greater than the typical wholesome particular person on the subject of the just about 30% improve in meals prices during the last 3 years. As a result of they’re required to eat nearly double, or extra, energy than the typical particular person their monetary burden on the subject of meals is each crucial and unavoidable.
Lewis consumes roughly 4,200-4,600 energy a day, which averages out to roughly 8 meals a day and $400-$500 a month on groceries. When prepping for a contest his month-to-month grocery price doubles to $800 a month. Fortunately, for the final 12 months, he’s had a meal prep sponsorship that gives all of his meals without spending a dime for 3-4 months earlier than a contest.
He admits that recently he’s been consuming round 3,800 energy a day.
“I wrestle typically to eat with the financial system and the gross improve in meals. However it’s not an excuse as a result of we selected to be bodybuilders,” Lewis mentioned.
The day before today, Lewis ate a quick meals cheeseburger to shut his calorie deficit for the day. The excessive energy, protein, and fats, supplied adequate gasoline, despite the fact that it wasn’t his most popular choice.
A current journey to the grocery retailer price Lewis $154, and all he purchased was bread, sandwich meat, cheese, cookies, a pack of rooster, and two extra packs of meat. It was barely every week’s value of meals for a professional bodybuilder.
Just a few years in the past, his month-to-month grocery bills had been $200 -$250 a month. Lewis might purchase 5-6 packs of rooster for $27. Now he can solely afford one pack of rooster with that very same $27
“I’d go to Sam’s Membership and purchase it in bulk. I can’t even go to Sam’s Membership proper now. That’s costly. I walked in and walked proper again out. I’m tempted to go to Aldi’s for meals now,” Lewis mentioned.
A median day of consuming for Lewis consists of 1 cup of grits, 6 ouncesof egg whites (3 eggs), 4 cups of jasmine rice, and 20 ouncesof floor rooster or turkey. A current journey to a neighborhood Publix grocery retailer reveals {that a} dozen giant eggs are $3.21. Lewis buys carton egg whites which is $7 for 32oz. A 32 oz (4 cups) bag of jasmine rice is sort of $4. A 16 ouncespackage of floor turkey is sort of $6. And a 24 ouncescontainer of quaint grits (3 cups) will run him $3.50.
That is roughly someday’s value of consuming for Lewis, low season and with none of his regular dietary supplements. For instance, Lewis doesn’t repeatedly eat greens, he consumes inexperienced vegetable powder which works as a complement to offer him with the vitamins he would usually get from recent produce.
A tough calculation of Lewis’ each day low season weight-reduction plan lands him at over $20 a day, nearly $150 every week, and practically $600 a month — if he solely shopped at Publix. And that might nearly double when coaching for a contest.
Cliff Boyce, a 64-year-old professional bodybuilder and celeb private coach, additionally feels the affect of upper meals prices. Not solely has he needed to in the reduction of financially, however his purchasers have as properly. The rise in meals prices made a few of his purchasers determine that his health coaching providers had been an expense that they both couldn’t afford or wanted to curtail.
If Lewis is a Black superhero, Boyce, identified for coaching Usher, Fantasia, and Nicki Minaj, is a Black Greek god. He’s constantly offered a powerful muscular physique, with full muscle tissues and insane definition, because the late 80s. He’s 5’7, 210lb (10% physique fats), and sufficiently old to be any individual’s daddy and even grandpa. He embodies the saying “age ain’t nothing’ however a quantity.”
There are numerous images, movies, journal articles, and social media posts, that collectively doc over 20 years of Boyce’s consistency. With quite a few titles and competitors wins beneath his belt, the IFBB Professional has mastered the artwork of simply sustaining a picture-perfect muscular physique in the course of the low season and taking himself past the subsequent degree when it’s time to compete.
Boyce, who’s been an athlete all his life and a bodybuilder because the 90s, is at present coaching to compete as a Mr. World Health Mannequin; competing as considered one of 5 males for Group USA. He plans to be judged in swimwear, underwear, and activewear, at 180lb (4% physique fats).
To achieve his aim Boyce works out day by day with 1 ½ hours of weight lifting and 1 hour of cardio. He additionally eats 5-6 meals per day, costing him $500-$600 a month on groceries for selfmade wholesome meals.
“On common, I stand up within the morning, I’ve six egg whites and three to 4 turkey bacon. I’m consuming meals each 2 ½ to three hours,” Boyce mentioned. “I drink black espresso to present me some vitality as a result of I’m depleting carbs. I drink a 16 ouncesprotein shake, come again and have extra egg whites, and turkey sausage or turkey bacon.”
His common weight-reduction plan on and low season consists of T-bone steak, floor turkey, salmon, seabass, rooster (solely darkish meat), asparagus, spinach, kale, and inexperienced beans.
“ Once I get lunch I’m consuming salmon with two cups of greens,” he mentioned. “Then I’m consuming one other 16 ouncesprotein shake. Earlier than I’m going to mattress I eat nothing however greens and fish. I prefer to eat fish at night time as a result of it leans me out. I eat rooster in the course of the day as a result of it holds me and retains me from being hungry all day. That repeats itself seven days every week.”
When he isn’t coaching for a contest, Boyce has no disgrace in admitting that he often solely spends about $100 a month on groceries. The rest of the time he likes to eat out at fancy eating places. The wine and dine kind, he estimates that he might spend $800 on consuming out when he isn’t coaching for a contest.
“I prefer to go to Chik-Fil-A and eat their french fries. I’m a french fry particular person. I’ve a candy tooth so after I’m off my weight-reduction plan I’ve a loopy longing for sweets. I like cookies and Snickers bars, something that has chocolate I like,” he mentioned.
Since Boyce has been a competitor for many years, he’s managed to additionally turn out to be a professional at understanding how you can minimize down on his bodybuilding bills. Sadly, he says that meals is the one price that he can’t get round.
Just a few years in the past, he was capable of prep for a contest with solely spending $150-$250 on meals. His mastery over sustaining the proper low season physique allowed him to be nearly carefree together with his meals spending when a contest wasn’t on the horizon.
Nevertheless, Boyce now has to chop again on many different facets of his regular way of life together with purchasing and touring. He says that now day by day looks as if he’s sacrificing financially.
For Lewis, the rise in the price of meals triggered him to chop quite a lot of his funds and way of life. He can’t go on dates, to the films, or to anywhere that requires him to spend more money. The one locations he goes repeatedly are to the gymnasium and residential.
“Meals is essential. It’s primary and the one factor I care about. We have now to suck it up and let it turn out to be the norm. Not endlessly I hope,” Lewis mentioned.
A current 3.8% drop in dairy merchandise, adopted by slight decreases in the price of fruits, greens, and baked items, offers hope that the staggering will increase in meals prices is perhaps coming to an finish. Nevertheless, the US Division of Agriculture (USDA) predicts that the price of groceries will improve by 1.6% in 2025.
For bodybuilders like Lewis and Boyce, extra will increase in meals prices imply that they may proceed to pay huge costs for his or her huge good points.
