Been puts his focus on bigger, better goal

Louie Been started lifting weights three years ago, and now he says he won't stop until his body gives out on him.

The 23-year-old Southeast Missouri State University student from Imperial, Mo., became interested in weightlifting when his friend Ron MacCubbin approached him with the idea and offered to be Been's personal trainer. And at 22, after seeing MacCubbin participate in body- building competitions, Been and roommate Kyle Kuba began competing.

"Ron told me I should do it," Been said, "so I waited until I was at the right physical state, and then I started going to competitions."

Been admits he originally began lifting weights to impress others, but his motive quickly changed after he started engaging in the sport.

"It's just become an addiction," said Been, an industrial management major. "I do it because it's fun, and I love competing against people."

Been has competed in two middle-weight contests so far in his career, winning his first show at Rockford, Ill., and placing second at another in Oklahoma.

But much more than traveling and showing off a muscular body is involved in body building.

When preparing for a competition, Been begins his extensive dieting two months prior to the contest. His "competition eating habits" include consuming a half-cup of oatmeal in the morning, then about 10 chicken breasts for the remainder of the day. Been admits he and Kuba sneak in a cheat meal about once a week until about a month before the event.

"We have to take a little break so we don't get tired of just eating chicken all the time," he said. "The diet I put myself through is the most mentally straining thing I've ever done."

When Been is not in the kitchen priming for his competition, he's in the gym four to five hours a day.

He spends two hours on cardiovascular exercises and then lifts weights for about two hours. Been trains a different body part each day, keeping the same routine week-to-week throughout his preparation. The week before the competition is a rest week to avoid injury.

When Been isn't in training for competition, he eats eight times a day and works out about five days a week without cardio workouts.

Despite the pressure, Been has sustained only one injury when he broke his hand in August. His hard work and determination pulled him through it.

"I had to work my butt off to get back in, and it sucked," he said. "I just took a little time off, came back and hit it hard."

Been plans to participate in a team competition in Illinois before joining Kuba and MacCubbin at the Show-Me Naturals in St. Charles, Mo., near the end of May. Kuba, now 20, competed in that event last year and won the teenage division.

"Me and Kyle vibe off each other," Been said. "It's competitive but friendly."

Looking ahead, Been said he would love to go professional but knows it won't be easy.

"My goal is to take first place in all of my shows and eventually move to the light-weight category," Been said. "I pretty much want to keep going 'til I can't go no more."