Chemistry major Trey Smith recently became the 2010 National Collegiate Bodybuilding Overall Men’s Champion in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“I’ve been a bodybuilder for seven years,” said Smith, 25 years old. “Winning the Men’s Overall Championship is like winning the Heisman Trophy of bodybuilding, there is no greater honor at the college level.”
A former football player at Soddy Daisy High School, Smith endured a Jones fracture of the foot at summer camp. Several colleges were looking at Smith, including UTC, but after the injury he was only able to play two games at the end of the season. He could have been a walk-on, but he decided to take a different path. Smith said his type-A personality required an outlet for his energy, so he turned to bodybuilding.
“I’m a very goal-oriented person, and bodybuilding gives me something to work towards. I enjoy the discipline, perseverance and drive it takes to compete,” Smith said.
A strict diet of what Smith calls “clean food” includes chicken breasts, fish, eggs, a little steak, sweet potatoes, rice, oatmeal, fruits and veggies. Fried food and processed food are not on the menu, although once a week Smith allows himself to eat out and order whatever he wants. He estimates his food bill runs between $300-$400 per week.
“Everybody is so different, but for me, I did a lot of research, took really good notes about what worked and developed a plan,” Smith said.
In the off season, Smith, who stands an inch over six feet, weighs about 300 pounds. That’s when he does thirty minutes of cardio and lifts weights once a day. When he is training, he executes an hour-long cardio workout in the morning; two hours working with weights in the afternoon and another hour of cardio before bed.
Smith explains that when he is not going to classes, training, preparing and eating food or sleeping, there’s not much time left. His parents have been very supportive of his bodybuilding career.
“I realize I cannot do this forever, so I am getting a good education. When the ride is over, I can use my education to hopefully launch a career with TVA,” Smith said. He plans to graduate after fall semester and then pursue a master’s degree in chemical engineering at UTC.
Smith was interviewed after being named overall men’s champion. Watch the video.
