Competitive Streak
Kenny Walburn qualifies four times over for national bodybuilding meet
By Bobbi Mlynar
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
It is accurate to say that Kenny Walburn is overqualified.
Walburn, 61, won three major competitions and placed second in another, which qualified him for the U.S. National Championship for bodybuilding and fitness next July in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Walburn placed first at the Ronnie Coleman Classic in Dallas, and the Lone Star Classic in Plano and the Power House Caveman Classic in St. Louis; he placed second in the Red River Classic in Oklahoma City. All shows were sponsored by the National Fitness Committee.
“Basically, you have to be a top-two finisher,” Walburn said. “I did four qualifiers this year, so I’m pretty qualified now.”
Walburn, who is in business with his son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Frannie Walburn, operates a fitness center in McPherson. The younger Walburns operate the Walburns Athletic Club in Emporia, which Kenny Walburn started in 1979.
The elder Walburn has been winning bodybuilding competitions for decades.
“It’s more fun than ever,” he said in a telephone interview Monday from McPherson. “My body is not 20 or 30 any more, so bringing it back, getting the elastic in your skin, the firmness” is satisfying.
Walburn’s “secret” is no secret: eat right and exercise. It is something he’s dedicated himself to doing.
“It’s just a general wellness program,” he said. “The older you get, you want some kind of balance in your life. With each decade, 60, 70, 80, you need more body movement.”
The regimen leaves him “more flexible, prevents sicknesses, gives energy,” he said. “I look at that part of it more than the muscle part.”
Feeling fit and firm does make him feel good, he acknowledged.
“It’s a lot of proper diet,” he said. “... I stay away from a lot of sugar, salt, fat. I try to eat the best I can. It’s just learning to eat a portion, not two plates.”
Walburn copes well with the diet and exercise segments of competition. He exercises for about an hour and 15 minutes five times a week. The exercise program lasts about 45 to 50 minutes, with weight and cardio programs for about 20 minutes.
“It’s good to be balanced, like cardio, and your strength training, and you always want to stretch out — that’s really important, too,” he said. “I have to stretch out much more now than I did 20 years ago. When you’re young, you just jump right into it.”
Although Walburn has no problem preparing his body for the competitions, he needs a little help preparing for the presentation.
“My son helps me choreograph my routine; that’s the biggest problem for me,” he said.
During competitions, Walburn competes in the morning in the pre-judging, in an effort to qualify for the final round of competition.
“You have to make the top five to go back for the evening show,” he said. “Then you compete for first, second, third place, so it’s kind of like a little double competition there.”
Walburn said he appreciates the support of his family in preparing for the shows and influencing their thoughts about aging.
“I hope it’s like a role model. ... People think you can’t tone up at 60,” Walburn said, immediately disagreeing with that myth. “It’s amazing what you can do.
“You just start out a little bit at a time. It’s really important.”