CHARLES CLAIRMONTE
PRO PREPPED
BY DARREN NICHOLHURST PHOTO : CHARLES CLAIRMONTE
For those of you who are too young to know who Charles Clairmonte is , let me give you an insight into what this legend of bodybuilding gave the stage . Clairmonte , a former elite unit member of the military , turned his hand to bodybuilding in the late 80 ’ s .
Clairmonte ’ s first show was the Mr England , at which he had no idea of what to do or how to do it . What you have to remember is , back then , there were no posing camps and no easy access to information on how to prepare for shows or how to diet . This was an era in which there was no internet , so knowledge had to be earned and learned from first-hand experience from other athletes . These athletes were few and far between .
As a result , Clairmonte ’ s first show was comical to say the least . He turned up unshaved with no tan , to then be told these were essentials for appearing on stage … I ’ m sure you can imagine the sheer panic and rush that ensued !
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS Clairmonte ’ s first pro show was the NABBA Universe in 1988 where he placed 1st . He then went on to win the Pro Universe , and then the worlds .
In the early 90 ’ s , Clairmonte was asked to compete in the English Grand Prix , and did so but with only 6 weeks to prepare and then competed in the following Grand Prix Tour . So , do you see now , the raw ability this guy had ? It ’ s almost unheard of , that any pro bodybuilder would progress from being completely normal to stage ready in such a short space of time . Quite evidently , Clairmonte has some of the best genetics that bodybuilding has ever seen .
Clairmonte went on to compete in the Night of the Champions in New York , placing 4th and then qualifying for the Mr Olympia and placing 7th . Following this was the Grand Prix tour , where he won 4 consecutive titles against Kevin Levrone and Flex Wheeler .
SO WHY RETIRE What the public wanted from the Mr Olympia top ten was unfortunately changing for Clairmonte , he at the time was the guy who brought symmetry and lines with a tiny waist to the stage . But this was a time when Dorian Yates was bringing the grainy mass to the Olympia . This was a look that Clairmonte didn ’ t feel he wanted to achieve . In addition to this , he wanted to avoid any consequences it would have taken to reach this completely different style of bodybuilding appearance .
Also , with the continual hardcore training and really strict dieting , injury started to creep in and his body was showing signs that he needed to retire . It was time to allow his muscles and mind some time to recover .
THE RETURN OF SYMMETRY We all know the whole bodybuilding scene has changed massively , especially with the newer categories such as the men ’ s physique breaking through . However , the one thing that is making a comeback , probably because of these categories , is a public desire for more achievable aesthetics- like Ryan Terry with great lines and symmetry that many of these guys have .
So , this is where Clairmonte fits in perfectly- he was the original man for this look .
Clairmonte never lost his passion for bodybuilding . He has always been active with personal training , and continues to work with athletes such as Sergi Constance , who has grown bigger and developed even deeper lines and perfect symmetry just like Clairmonte in his competitive days .
Now , Clairmonte has teamed up with long term friend Abs Bichri ( Owner of BodyLimit Gym St Albans ) and fellow retired competitive bodybuilder Jamo Nezzar .
Together , this trio of knowledge with be travelling from country to country giving seminars on how to train each body part , plus posing , nutrition and giving out recognised qualifications to other personal trainers attending the courses .
So , it looks as if we might see some classic cut physiques on stage pretty soon , especially now that there is access to this wealth of knowledge . I for one look forward to seeing the athletes these 3 guys are going to produce .
I asked Clairmonte what he believes has given him such a long and very healthy career in bodybuilding , and what advice he would give any new athletes looking to compete .
His reply was something we should all listen to :
“ Think long term , be mindful on training , and any aids you use , there is life after bodybuilding ”.
FEBRUARY 2018 | FLEX 25