Marla Battles does not need to take steroids to look like this. And she wants to show others that being involved in bodybuilding carries no requisite for the use of illegal performance enhancers.

Battles is a part of the North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation, which hosts showcases and events for all-natural bodybuilders and now thanks to her, has a presence in the Puget Sound region including an upcoming show in Bellevue later this month.

Rather than the traditional image of disproportionate, hulked-out monsters that bodybuilding conjures in the minds of most Americans, Battles and the NANBF hope to recreate the sport as a healthy, conscious way to stay in shape while looking and feeling at one’s peak.

As a personal trainer for nearly three decades, bodybuilding was also something that had piqued Battles’ interest. Her workouts were so intense and yielded such fantastic results that others at her fitness club in Kansas City, Missouri began to ask if she was preparing for a show. At the time she wasn’t, but as the questions persisted, so did her fascination with putting her hard work on display in competitions.

But after continuing to train and field questions regarding her status as a competitor, Battles began to find her workouts were turning into, well, work.

“All these people started asking me questions everyday and it started taking the fun out of my workouts,” Battles said. She eventually decided not to enter the show she had been training for, but did end up entering a competition four months later without the fanfare. Battles said she trained herself in the gym and tailored her own diet for that first show, bringing home a fourth place finish in her class. That led her to seek out training in the hope of taking her game to the next level.

And that’s when she learned some important lessons about bodybuilding and more importantly, herself.

In addition to engaging in dehydration prior to the show, this time in Las Vegas, Battles’ new trainers had her eliminate sodium and other important dietary staples in order to gain a perceived edge on stage. The results were physically and psychologically taxing and left Battles feeling the effects.

“The show was on a Saturday,” Battles remembers. “By Monday morning, I couldn’t see my ankles or knees and my whole body sloshed when I walked.” The dehydration had taken its toll, leaving Battles feeling like a walking wading pool and unable to comprehend basic thoughts as a result of the diminished mental capacity dehydration leads to.

“I was like ‘this is not right, it can’t be healthy,” Battles said. “I thought, ‘I’m never going to do this again. That’s when I met Fred.”

Fred, is Fred Rowlett, the president of the NANBF who along with his wife Jan, has been promoting the sport of bodybuilding for over ten years.

Both have a strong belief in the importance of natural bodybuilding and Rowlett made it clear that competing does not necessarily mean dehydration or other unhealthy methods of gaining an advantage.

Battles continued training and also began assisting the Rowletts at shows and working as a judge. They helped her realize that there was a viable alternative to the extreme and destructive methods she had been shown under previous trainers.

“I have always adhered to the belief that our bodies are incredible machines,” Battles said. “I don’t like the idea of putting anything into my body or anyone else’s that is going to be harmful in the long run, just to look good for the moment.”

Rather than gimmicks and shortcuts, Battles focused her energy on hard work in the gym and dedication to her diet. She exercises daily, taking one day off per week from her weight lifting routine and stressing cardiovascular fitness. Her dietary practices center on eating proportionate meals every one and a half to two hours throughout the day. She stays away from sugar-based foods and sets strict parameters for carbohydrate and protein intake.

“I always just work really hard,” Battles said of the key to her fitness. “There’s no starving involved, I never go hungry.”

Shedding her Midwest roots for the greener pastures of the Pacific Northwest, the mother of two came to Bellevue three years ago and when she arrived, she realized the sport she loved was almost non-existant in the Puget Sound.

“When I got here, there was only one show here in Washington that was truly an all-natural show,” Battles said. “I wanted to have one here in Bellevue since this is where I live.” So true to her hard working, never-say-never attitude, Battles decided to do something about it.

She created the Natural Cascades Classic in 2010 and led a show of 14 competitors. This year, the show is set for Saturday, June 25 at Sammamish High School and Battles hopes it will continue to grow.

“I want everybody who competes to talk about it and remember it as a great show,” Battles said. “Part of our thing at NANBF is that the competitors come first.”

There will be awards handed out for the top five in all categories, which include beginner, novice, open figure, open male and female bodybuilding, teens and masters (age 40+) as well as a bikini competition. Part and parcel to the mission of the NANBF, all competitors are drug tested and polygraphed and must be at least seven years drug free in order to compete. The NANBF posts a lists of banned substances on their website so no one is caught off guard or can claim ignorance to a specific substance’s status as impermissible.

Battles is completely immersed in the natural bodybuilding culture and knows that while others look for shortcuts through substances, there is simply no substitute for hard work.

“There are a lot of guys and girls out there that want to get there faster and you can’t get there as fast natural,” Battles said. “What we’re trying to do here is change everybody’s idea of bodybuilding. There’s a way to do this and be healthy and look strong and you would be amazed what the body can do and look like without all of that.”

For more information on the NANBF, the Natural Cascades Classic, or natural bodybuilding in Bellevue, contact Marla Battles at naturalpro44@gmail.com

Tips from a pro: Destroying fitness myths with Marla Battles

Myth: I don’t have the time to workout.

“I’ve heard every excuse in the book and the first is always, ‘I don’t have enough time.’

Yes, you do.

It’s a priority thing. Make it part of your everyday routine like sleeping or eating. As far as time goes, it’s there, it just has to be found.”

Myth: Getting in a worthwhile workout takes hours to complete and like I already said, I don’t have enough time!

People think that workouts have to take two hours and they absolutely do not.

I can put somebody in a gym and if all you have is 30 minutes, we can work really hard for that 30 minutes.

Myth: I’m not a personal trainer, so I don’t go to the gym because I am never sure what workouts will help me reach my goals.

If you don’t know how to do it on your own, call a trainer.

A good trainer will listen to your schedule and your restrictions and put something together for you that isn’t necessarily going to be fun, but it will be something that will work for you and that you will want to continue to do because of the results.

Some basic food tips to live by

When it comes to food choices, get real!

People just have to get a handle on what they’re eating, they just don’t think about it. It’s a matter of just being real with yourself. If you could eat 90% of the time well, then 10% of the time you can go out and enjoy a meal and have a good time.

Are sports drinks replenishing my electrolytes, or just giving me a sugar rush?

Anything that is sugar-based needs to just go. Let’s just drink water, or put a little Crystal Light in it.

What are some staple foods that I can incorporate into my diet that are healthy but satisfying?

Fruits and vegetables, eat a lot of veggies. Stick with lean cuts of meat and substitute quinoa for bleached grains (white rice, white flour).

Fish is great, Salmon is a really healthy fat. Cod is great and so is Talapia.

Carbs are the enemy, aren’t they?

People cut out carbs and I think that is completely wrong, it’s what helps grow your muscle. When I tried that, I couldn’t think straight, it is crazy what it does to you. Carbs are definitely not the enemy.