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RENE CAMPBELL SAYS SHE GETS MORE ATTENTION FROM MEN AS A BODYBUILDER THAN SHE DtD WHEN SHE WAS A PETITE SIZE 8 ene Campbell is 14st of pure muscle, and she's not aftaid
to show it off. The mum-of-two is already the UK's largest female bodybuilder and she wants to get bigger.
Her obsession - medically referred to as bigorexia, when aperson is fixated on the idea that they're not muscular enough
unlikely
- has made
her an
sex symbol,
with
thousands of men viewing her pictures online everyday. Rene, 3Z has had more than 10 marriage proposals from strangers, and last Valentine's Day received several bouquets
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of flowers from secret admirers. But Rene - who can spend up to four hours a dayworking out and eats eighttimes throughout the day ond at night - doesn t have time for a man. She tells us: "Men say I'm sexy. I've had marriage proposals from guys all over the world. I date, but I dont
have time for a relationship. My training comes first. "I love being muscular - it makes me feel strong. It's not to please anyone. I want to be a stone heavier and, if men like me even bigger too, it's a bonus !" Incredibly, seven years ago, 5ft 8 Rene was a tiny size 8 and weighed just 8st. As apersonal trainer, she pushed herselfto keep super-slim. She reveals: "I was insecure andworried about getting fat. I was married at the time and my husband made me feel like I needed aperfectbody." Rene split from her husband of eightyears, withwhom she has two sons aged 21 and 13,
in 2008 and set about boosting her confidence. Later thatyear, she went with a group of friends to see abodybuilding show. She recalls: "I didnt know about women bodybuilders. Butwhen I saw them, I was mesmerised. I thought, 'That's what I wantto look
like.' Theywere powerful and confident."
The nextday, Rene,
then 31, walked into her local bodybuilding gym in Brighton and asked for a personal trainer. She says: "I changed mydiet and upped my calories to 3,500 a day.
I ate lots ofprotein
like chicken, fish and steak with rice severaltimes aday. 'At first it felt strange to put onweight and I forced myselfto eat. I also started Iift ing weights every day. I was soon
bursting out
of mysize 8 jeans, and within six months had put on 2st." Just eight
months later,
Rene began entering contests and has so far
collected seven winning
trophies. She says: "I won the first show I competed in. Posing
in a bikini, flexing my
tE
muscles was terrifying in front of hundreds of people, but I got such abuzzfromit.
:o
"The mostboringbit is spending hours putting on fake tan to help define mymrrscles."
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Rene is nowasize 14-16with
32-inch waist, although her shoulders are a size 20 and her chest is 48 inches, so she wears stretchy fabrics. She has competed in contests around a
the world, and she was
thrilled
when she turned professional in 2012 afterwinningthe International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness'
World Championships. Incredibly, she sets an alarm so she remembers to eat every three hours - even during the night. She explains: "I wake at 6.30am and eat mybreakfast of raw oats with a banana and
proteinpowder at 7am. Then I have chicken, broccoli, rice and
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itt quickertoget
down and I go back to sleep.
"I do this dailybut some days
Iwill have salmon or steak instead ofchicken. I eat around 4,500 calories adaynow. It doesn t get boring, and once a week I'll have a'cheat' meal usually Nando's chicken and chips. On Christmas Day, I'[ have aroastdinner and maybe aglass ofchampagne, but I don t usually drinkalcohol." When Rene is preparing for a contest, she spends four hours a day in the gym. Otherwise she trains for two to three hours. With such a strict routine, it
isn t surprising she doesn t have time for men. But she still gets lots ofattention. She says:
"Men look at pictures
of meonmywebsite(www. renecampbell.net) and on Facebook, andsendme messages saying they love the way I look. They ask howbig my biceps are andwhetherl could
Victor
bodybuilder and eats the same kinds of foods as me. Both of my sons are really proud."
She's also apersonaltrainer to otherbodybuilders - mainly men. She reveals: "Some are
Despite her profession, Rene likes to wear make-up, heels and dresses. "I'm just like any
uncomfortable at fi rst. But once
otherwoman," she says.
supportive of her bodybuilding
But she does sometimes get negative reactions, adding: "When I'm out shopping, people askif I'm aman - it! usually skinny men with no muscles, so it makes me laugh." Rene's muscular frame has landed her TV and film parts. She recently played a "strong
and her eldest son is even
woman"inupcomingfilm
lift them up - it turns them on! "I meet men at fitness events. I go on dates and keep it casual. Some of the guys are smaller than me and not bodlbuilders - I donthave atypeJ' Rene's friends and family are
starring
following in her footsteps. She tells us: "He's training to be a
F
ranhensf ein,
Daniel Radcliffe.
they realise I knowwhat I'm talking about, they're fine. I'm bigger than most of them and can carrythem around!" Rene is nowtrainingto compete inthe States. She says: "I want to be 15st and crack the American bodybuilding world. I'll have to retire at some
point, but I'll definitelybe a toned little granny, lifting my
dumbbells in my80s!" ByHelenMorgan
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