Jonn Schoolkate stepped on stage three times at the Alberta Open Bodybuilding Competition in Red Deer on May 30 and came home with a podium finish.
The Medicine Hat bodybuilder competed across three divisions at the event, sanctioned by the Canadian Physique Alliance and the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Professionals. Schoolkate finished second in the Men's Classic Physique Novice division, sixth in Men's Classic Physique Open Class C, and eighth in the Masters 40+ division.
What classic physique actually is
Classic physique is one of the fastest-growing divisions in competitive bodybuilding. Unlike open bodybuilding where competitors chase maximum muscle mass classic physique rewards proportion, symmetry, and a balanced look with roots in the bodybuilding era of the 1970s and 1980s. Competitors are judged on conditioning, muscle shape, stage presence, and overall presentation within weight and height limits that prevent the extreme size seen in open divisions.
Getting that balance right under competition lighting, in front of judges, requires months of precise training and nutrition. Posing is a discipline on its own a competitor with better muscle development but poor posing will lose to someone who presents themselves more effectively on stage.
What it actually takes to get there
Most people who train regularly never get close to a competition stage. A contest prep phase typically runs 16 to 24 weeks tracking every gram of food, managing water intake in the final days to sharpen definition, often training twice a day during peak weeks. The final week is where the visible transformation happens. Competitors manipulate carbohydrates and water to pull the skin tight against the muscle and create the sharp, defined look judges want to see. Get it wrong and months of work disappear under stage lights. Get it right and it shows.
Doing that for three separate division appearances on the same day is a full day of physical and mental output that most people in the audience never fully appreciate.
What competing in three divisions means
The novice division is for competitors without a first-place finish at a sanctioned event. A second-place finish there is a meaningful result — novice classes at provincial opens typically have deep, competitive fields of athletes who are serious about advancing in the sport.
The Masters 40+ division is its own category, recognizing athletes who are maintaining elite physical condition later in their athletic careers. Competing across novice, open, and masters on the same day means three separate stage appearances, three sets of judging, and the discipline to stay locked in from start to finish.
What comes next
The Canadian Physique Alliance sanctions competitions across Alberta throughout the year. A second-place novice finish at a provincial open positions Schoolkate well for future competitions. Competitors who place well at the provincial level often move toward national-level events sanctioned by the IFBB — the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Professionals as they continue to develop.
For Lethbridge and Medicine Hat residents interested in competitive bodybuilding, the Canadian Physique Alliance's full competition schedule is at canadianphysiquealliance.com.
Sources:
Medicine Hat News, Hatter finishes second at Alberta bodybuilding competition, June 11, 2026 (medicinehatnews.com)
Canadian Physique Alliance, Alberta Open Bodybuilding Competition results, May 30, 2026 (canadianphysiquealliance.com)
