Profiles

Sean Ferguson has been Mr Great Britain three times in different classes of bodybuilding competitions.

After working his way through triumphs in Lightweight and Middleweight classes (in 2001 and 2003 respectively), he has recently been crowned Mr Great Britain in the Heavyweight division.

Sean Ferguson competing

And he's enjoying the success. He says: "It feels great. It's four years since I last competed and to win it after that length of time is great. I'm 38 now, so I'm still going!"

While some bodybuilding competitions permit the use of certain artificial help in muscle development, Sean competes in 'natural' bodybuilding, in which entrants compete on a strictly drug-free basis.

Ten meals a day

In the arena of natural bodybuilding, age can be an advantage: He says: "In natural bodybuilding, you don't really reach your peak until your 40s. You mature later."

Sean, who trains in Dorchester, goes to gym around four times a week and eats 10 small meals a day, containing around 250 calories each. That's roughly the same total calories intake recommended for an average man, but for Sean it's crucial that he eats the 'right' food, and that it's high in quality.

He also has an unusual way, for a bodybuilder, of keeping up his cardiovascular fitness - table tennis.

Sean in the heavyweight-class comp

When he was 18, Sean was at county standard, and he's returned to the green table to keep his fitness up.

He says, "Table tennis is much more interesting, it's a competitive sport, and you don't even think about the exercise when I'm doing it. The fat and the calories just burn away and you don't even really notice, which is great for me."

Sean is continuing to train and is preparing to enter more competitions, including some international titles.

Watch Sean's interview in full

Watch the report from BBC South Today, and Roger Johnson's interview with Sean, in full, by clicking on the links below.