CityView Magazine

Sports EXTREME fitness By Marshall Waren himself into a punishing routine of weight lifting and cardio that he likes to call “super sets.” It may not sound too “super” to most of us, but Jamel Kirklin is not alone. Meet Byron Shelton, Chris Kraemer and Amber Ameredes. They are soldiers and civilians, parents and working folks, but in the early morning hours, they are also hardcore athletes who push their bodies to the extreme. I Byron Byron Shelton is a 28-year-old soldier who, like many soldiers, considers fitness to be part of the job. But he also trains for fitness competitions outside of work. So, at 6:15 a.m. six days a week, he devotes about two hours to a “total fitness” workout. As for the seventh day, well, that depends. Byron’s routine is similar to those of professional athletes. He follows three-month cycles called “periodization.” He maintains a careful diet, consuming about 4,000 calories a day. It helps that his wife, Arlet, is a fitness trainer who competes in tournaments, too. Top | You can find Byron Shelton working out six days a week, pushing his body to the outer limits. Above| Chris Kraemer thought he was in shape until he met Shelton. With Shelton’s coaching, Kraemer says he has never experienced a workout so intense. 62|August/September • 2009 Chris Several months ago, Byron invited Chris Kraemer, 44, to work out with him. Kraemer was a gym regular who was in good shape, but after working out with Byron, he lost 28 pounds and two pant sizes. Together, they lift t was 7 a.m. on a Friday morning, and most of Fayetteville was still working on that first cup of coffee, but not Jamel Kirklin. He had already run four miles, hit the gym and flung weights, blending in quick bursts on the elliptical machine at maximum speed. Kraemer retired from the U.S. Air Force after 24 years and currently works for a private aviation company at the Fayetteville airport. At 6 feet 5 inches tall, he has played sports all of his life, including basketball, but he says he has never experienced a workout this intense in his life. The results have proven to be very beneficial. He has lost 30 pounds and two pant sizes in three months working with Byron. Amber Amber Ameredes is an occupational therapist by day, but she is also in training for the Miss Fitness Universe contest which can be seen on ESPN Sports. Amber is an aerobic dancer, and when she dances, it seems more like flying. With one giant jump, Amber manages to keep her entire body

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