Local bodybuilder Cassandra Dean shows off her progress during the course of her preparation for the Sask Classic. (submitted photo/Cassandra Dean)

By Rob Mahon

Local Bodybuilder Competes

Local bodybuilder competes in two categories at Sask Classic

May 17, 2023 | 3:00 PM

Months of preparation, both in and out of the gym, paid off in a weekend for Cassandra Dean.

The Prince Albert-based bodybuilder competed at the Saskatchewan Regional Classic in Regina on May 13. She came in second place in the figure category, and in the wellness category she placed fourth.

“There’s such a camaraderie with your competitors,” Dean said. “You’re not on a team, right? Everyone backstage is high-fiving, hugs everywhere, everyone is super uplifting. It’s always such a great experience. This prep, I think, is probably the most mellow I think I’ve ever had.”

Dean has been in nine of these competitions, so she knows a thing or two about proper preparation. And while the prep this time around may have been one of the easier ones, that doesn’t mean it was easy in general. She made changes to her diet starting in December, and had a rigorous workout schedule.

“I spent about three to five hours a day (in the gym),” she said. “And that’s not including practicing your posing for an hour… You’re definitely really tired, and you have to restructure. I’m normally a night gym person, so when I’m doing that amount of time in the gym, plus working a full-time job, I get up earlier so I can get half of the cardio, if not all of it in the morning.”

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That cardio time meant two hours a day on the stair climber in addition to weight work, and all that on top of a strictly regimented diet. When bodybuilders finish their competitions, most of them have a go-to cheat meal already in mind, and Dean had hers right after the event.

“Steak and wine,” she said. “I wanted a big, medium-rare steak and red wine. That’s what I wanted the most.”

With all that preparation behind her, Dean was pleased with the way she placed and with the experience but as with many other bodybuilders, her goal is always to reach an even more impressive level of physique.

“There’s always room for improvement,” said Dean. “I tried my hand at a new category this time. I definitely need to work on the posing, I kind of put the two of them together because I’ve been doing figure for quite a few years now. It’s just separating the two categories, which was a little difficult for me.”

Dean added she’s getting right back into competition mode after this event, as she’s planning on competing in another event on July 1 in Alberta, and an event on September 9 in Saskatoon.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP