THE cream of Swindon’s bodybuilding crop took to the stage at Kiss Gym today.

Personal trainer Piotr ‘Pete’ Budzinski, National Amateur Bodybuilders’ Association (NABBA) England winner 2009 organised the competition. The event was open to men and women.

There were 12 men who took part and one woman with the competitors doing their best to ensure their abs and muscles stood out to the judges.

Pete said: “I think the competition went really, really well we’ve had lots of competitors and we’ve had a very enthusiastic crowd today. I was really impressed by the competitors, we had a lot of people in perfect condition to take part.

“This was my idea to put the event together, I think it has been a success and I’d like to do it again in the future.”

The men’s competition was won by Steven Wells, 27, who was delighted with his achievement.

Steven, who trains at Pro Strength and fitness, said: “I’m very pleased, I think there was a very good standard across the board and there were some really good guys competing.

“I think Pete does deserve a lot of credit for organising such a great event.”

Steven received a trophy for winning the competition as did those who came second and third. Next weekend, he will be competing in the United Kingdom Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation event.

Kiss Gym was impressed by the reaction to the competition and manager Adam York said they’d like to make the bodybuilding event an annual occurrence.

Adam said: “We couldn’t have wished for today to have been any better.

"Today was about giving our members the opportunity to give something new a try. We’d certainly be keen to hold another competition in the future.”

Meanwhile, Pete has some advice for aspiring bodybuilders in Swindon.

“Bodybuilding is so much more than how big you are; knowing how to pose is a big part of it,” he said.

“Bodybuilding is an art form, it’s about proportion, and the quality of the muscle, it’s about celebrating the body as a work of art and about finding the perfect physique.”