California continues to put out a good number of athletes, and one competitor ready to take the national stage is Meghan Hart-King, who most recently took the overall title at the 2001 NPC California Bodybuilding Championship, quite a feat for a lightweight. Of course things don't stop there for Hart-King. "My personal goal is to build my physique to my own satisfaction, a tall order since I am a bit of a perfectionist. After eight years of training, I am just now becoming the bodybuilder I have envisioned myself to be. Winning the overall at the CAL is a goal I had not even set my sights on," she adds. As many who watch the sport know, overall titles seldom go to the lightweight, so you can imagine her pleasure and surprise when she was announced as the winner this past May. "My next goal is to compete on the national level in 2002 and crack the top five. Generally speaking, I take things a step at a time so I'll wait and see how 2002 goes before setting my next goal." That patience began from her early days when Hart-King was an aerobics instructor. She was watching another instructor prepare to compete in competitive aerobics and didn't think she was good enough at aerobics to do it. The other instructor said to her that she should try bodybuilding because of her great genetics. "I talked to the gym owner about it and he said I should talk to Mike King, the guy who opens the gym in the morning because he had competed in bodybuilding. So I ran into Mike one day, he gave me a book called Sliced and said ´If you still wanna compete after reading this, then come back and talk to me.´ I read it and still wanted to compete so back to the gym I went to talk to Mike and he agreed to train me." That was in August 1993 and was the first time she broke one of her cardinal training rules: Never Date Guys From the Gym. So how did that end up? "Mike and I were married in 1999 while at the Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas!" Quite the way to start off a marriage, but things have been going well since for the couple. As far as the competitive scene, Hart-King is done competing for the rest of 2001, but looks forward to competing on the national level in 2002. "My plan is to get back to the gym and bring up my physique a bit. I'd like to add some thickness to my chest and delts, perhaps a bit of size to my arms, and some detail to my hamstrings. Of course those are preferences and priorities. Like most bodybuilders, I want to better my package all the way around!" Making the jump to the National stage can sometimes be a tough move, but competing in California should prepare her for the wider competition. "I love a challenge. I like to push the envelope to see what I'm capable of in the gym. And I love seeing the change in my physique - seeing proof that the hard work paid off. I'm very fortunate that I have found something I love to do and that I'm pretty good at. "I like to train heavy too. However I've learned that form comes first. About three years into my training, I would try to lift anything, especially on leg day. I was known to try to squat 315 lbs. (I did it but really poorly)! It really was just an ego thing, to see how much I could lift. I still lift heavy but have a better sense of mind-muscle connection and much better form," she adds. Like many who get addicting to lifting, Hart-King used to train heavy with low reps, but with little or no cardio. She will continue to train heavy but plans on doing more cardio to stay a little tighter in the offseason. But of course the allure of strength is always there. "I love being strong. It makes me feel confident and independant. Bodybuilders definitely have a distinct look and I like the look of muscular, fit women and enjoy not looking average most of the time (although it is hard to buy clothes sometimes)!" Some of the lifts she's referring to include dumbell presses with 65 lbs. (flat or incline), barbell curls with 80 lbs., squats with 275 lbs. (or 295 if she's feeling ambitious!), leg extensions with 140 lbs., and barbell rows with 135 lbs. all for sets of at least six reps. Strength training is mentally challenging and a great stress reducer and dieting is an exercise in self discipline, as any competitor can attest to. But it's the total package that's the most important. That is something that drew Hart-King's attention to one bodybuilder in particular. "I'd say Laura Creavalle is someone that has inspired me. She has a muscular yet feminine physique. Her longevity and tenacity is amazing. Additionally, she is an excellent spokesperson for the sport. I've seen her in person a few times and she has always been cheerful and receptive to her fans. "My husband is the other person who inspires me. Mike taught me everything when I was just beginning in the sport. Not just training and diet, but how to keep it all in perspective, to balance it with our lives outside bodybuilding," she adds. That component is an important one, as bodybuilding is a sport that can easily consume and take over one's life. A lot of people have misconceptions about the sport, so it's important to keep it all in perspective. "I think this gets back to the general public being either uninformed or (worse) misinformed about bodybuilding. After I had done this a while, most of my friends and family learned enough about it not only be understanding but became genuinely interested and very supportive. And I have noticed that even people who have no interest in bodybuilding at all are amazed by the self discipline it requires especially regarding pre-contest dieting." Ideally, that interest will continue to grow, as more and more people see competitors like Hart-King and others take the sport into the future.