Hugo's Debut as a Bodybuilder
Who said that you can’t get strong by starting with the 2.5 lb dumb bells?
Well whoever did, should sit and have a chat with Hugo Girard, who is a six time World Strongman finalist, and known today as World’s Strongest Man. Hugo started lifting weights at a tender age of 5! Years later, after a stint in Los Angeles in search of a career as an actor or a bodybuilder, Hugo returned home to Quebec, became a police officer and trained as a Strongman. Low and behold those 2.5 lb dumb bells proved to be the base to what created a Strongman Champion… turned Bodybuilder.
Hugo has what many would say to be a very impressive resume, to say the least. He became a 6-time consecutive finalist in the World's Strongest Man competition from 1998-2004. In 2002 Girard reached the high point of his career to date, winning the 2002 Strongman Super Series overall title. Hugo has also won the World Muscle Power Championships 4 times, in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2004.
Hugo is a man of dreams, at one point he dreamed of becoming the World’s strongest man and after he accomplished that he revealed his next dream, to be a Bodybuilder. In many public speaking appearances Hugo stresses the importance of challenging yourself, envisioning dreams and to stay away from drugs. So this athlete took his own advice and challenged himself even further to reach his own dream, and stepped on stage a few weekends ago in his first Bodybuilding competition ever!
Girard stated in an interview prior to the show:
“It will be my first bodybuilding comp so I have a lot to learn and it is a challenge that I look forward to accomplishing. It is a radical change coming from the strength world to this one, but it is also a nice transition to a new lifestyle.”
Failure is obviously not a word that floats around in Hugo’s vocabulary. This strongman turned bodybuilder, stepped on stage at the Quebec Open (APQ-IFBB affiliate) taking the first place prize in his super heavy weight class! At only two weeks out from his competition Hugo was weighing in at a solid 300lbs, and proved to be a fan favourite as he stepped on stage for the very first time!
When Hugo was asked why he chose the APQ-IFBB stream for his debut, he responded:
“It is fairly simple, I choose to compete in an IFBB affiliate federation because that is the best established organization and that is where the best athletes go. When you are a competitior and you are looking at being the best, that’s what you need to compete with, the best in the best organization”.
The team at the Toronto Pro SuperShow would like to congratulate Hugo on his success and are very excited to announce that he will be available to meet and greet Bodybuilding and Strongman fans alike at the Toronto Pro SuperShow, as he will be in attendance promoting the Ontario Strong Man Challenge.
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