Kurt “The Animal” Weidner has his eye on winning the upcoming WNBF Pro Natural U.S. Bodybuilding Championships, and the professional heavyweight champ from Virginia will be pacing back and forth behind the scenes in Sacramento on September 26 waiting for his opportunity to pounce on stage and devour the competition.
Weidner grew up in Pawling, New York, has been “physical” since he was a youngster (his father started him doing pushups and sit-ups when he was just 8). He played hockey in high school and college while dabbling in soccer, lacrosse, and track along the way and coaching in most of these sports too.Striving to improve his athletic performance through weight training, “I quickly recognized and became fascinated with the ability to manipulate my physique and, over time, my training became devoted to improving my physique in and of itself versus just training for performance in athletics,” says Kurt.
Kurt, 33, began competing in natural bodybuilding in 1997 and has entered more than 26 contests to date, winning or placing in every event, and capturing overall titles in the 2003 INBF Tri-State Championships, the 2003 INBF Natural Connecticut, the 2005 OCB Core Nutritional Natural, and the 2005 Musclemania Pittsburgh along the way. He finished 5th in the heavyweight class in his first WNBF pro start in 2004, and he has continued to improve his professional standing with every contest. 
His training is intense – hence his nickname “The Animal.” “I use a very high volume approach to training. I go as heavy as possible while maintaining good form. I perform a higher number of sets of various exercises, going to failure on virtually every set until the muscles are completely fatigued. I try to continuously shock the muscles by combining a variety of exercises and rep schemes as well as mixing heavier weights with intensity.”
“I have always chosen to challenge myself and pursue excellence in anything I set out for,” explains Kurt. “Bodybuilding for me is about challenging the limits of the human body. Competing naturally (not enhanced) is more of a challenge, which is why I choose natural bodybuilding. The lifestyle is also sustainable and helps me continue to build my body along with both my physical and mental health. Taking drugs destroys both!”
Kurt earned a BA in Economics and taught AP Economics and Algebra in high school for a few years before relocating and switching his career path to personal training. He is currently working as a full-time personal trainer at Blacksburg Health & Fitness at The Weight Club (http://www.theweightclub.com/) in Blacksburg, Virginia, and also serves as the supplement sales and inventory manager.
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A single guy, Kurt lives alone in a house that he owns on 1.5 acres with his two dogs – a Rottweiler and a Doberman Pinscher (call before stopping by for a visit unannounced). He enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing and hiking, playing sports of all kinds, and watching college football.
“I have committed my life to the sport of bodybuilding,” says Kurt, “and wish to encourage people to attain their ultimate physique via hard work, discipline, and patience rather than using shortcuts such as steroids and other harmful substances. It is my goal to show people what is possible without the use of performance enhancing drugs and to help enlighten the public about the sport of bodybuilding.”
“The Animal” is on the prowl again. Readers can see him at the 2009 WNBF Pro Natural U.S. Cup Bodybuilding Championships (www.uscupnorcal.com/) at the historic Crest Theatre in Sacramento on September 26. See him stretch, see him flex - hear him roar! “The Animal” is hungry.
(To learn more about Kurt “The Animal” Weidner, refer to his website at http://www.kurtweidner.net/about.html.)
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