Gym rats, fitness buffs and aspiring bodybuilders get ready, because the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) Bodybuilding Championship is only one week away. The competition will take place Saturday, Aug. 11, at Nelson Recreation Center on JBLM North, and it's open to servicemembers and civilians alike.

JBLM Sports, Fitness and Aquatics Program organize this year's event. It is the continuation of over 25 years of bodybuilding competitions at JBLM, and includes morning weigh-ins, participant briefings and prejudging for all contestants, followed by a Health and Wellness Expo in the afternoon. The highly anticipated bodybuilding championship will begin at 5 p.m.

Health and Wellness Expo events include a nutrition clinic with John Nickerson, a Functional Fitness Class, and a Deadlift Competition with male and female divisions. The bodybuilding competition includes three judged rounds of posing. Round one will consist of quarter turns, round two of posing routines, and round three of mandatory poses. The top three finishers in each division and "Overall Winners" will receive trophy awards. Top male and female contestants will receive "Best Poser" plaques. Admission to the championship is free of charge, and the first 100 spectators to arrive will receive free official event bags and towels.

To top it all off, International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) professional Michael Spencer and Tina "The Titan" will be serving as special-guest posers during the event. Spencer, who started competing professionally in 2009, participated in his first bodybuilding competition at JBLM. He won the light heavyweight division at that show, and then went on to win his division at two subsequent competitions. In 2014, he won the National Physique Committee (NPC) Championship, which was also the first national bodybuilding championship he participated in. Spencer still competes today, in addition to representing multiple fitness clothing lines and serving as a representative for Titan Grips, ProSarms1 and Surge Athlete.

Those interested in attending the bodybuilding competition should note they'll need access to JBLM through a Common Access Card (CAC) or must obtain a pass from the JBLM Visitors Center to attend.

JBLM Bodybuilding Competition, 5-9 p.m., Aug. 11, Nelson Recreation Center, Bldg 3168, 2nd Division Dr., JBLM, free for spectators, 253.982.2619, active.com/tacoma-wa/jblm-bodybuilding-championship-2018