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Fitzroy Bramble knows professional bodybuilding is a full-time job. "Bodybuilding is a 24-hour event. It's not my life, but my days revolve around bodybuilding," he says.

Bramble got a late start -- he didn't begin training until he was 30. "I was tired of being skinny. After training for four years, I gained a lot of quality muscle. Then a gym owner told me I'd make a good bodybuilder. I've been doing just great since then!"

Training is rigorous. To be successful, he suggests training four to five days a week with weights for 60 to 90 minutes. "Also do some aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes, three to four times per week." He adds that the most important step is a proper nutritional program.

"My nutritional breakdown is about 3,500 calories daily: 40 percent protein, 50 percent carbohydrates and 10 percent fats." When he prepares for a contest, Bramble ups his protein intake and decreases the carbohydrate intake.

All the hard work does reap dividends. Bramble won his division at the North American Bodybuilding Association National Bodybuilding Championships in 1996. "That qualified me to become a professional bodybuilder without ever having to use any type of bodybuilding drugs.

"Bodybuilding generally leads to more positive things in other areas of your life. Most people tend to handle stress better, they tend to eat better, and they generally have a better outlook on life."

How important is eating properly? Bodybuilder Patty Marciano says: "My whole day revolves around what I eat, when I eat, [and] what I can or can't do on that day because of what part of my body I have to train next."

Marciano admits the training requires a high level of discipline. "It's very hard training. You always leave the gym sore, have to maintain a proper diet, use lots of supplementation, have lots of money [to support your efforts] and have lots of patience."

Marciano cautions those considering bodybuilding to view it as more of a hobby than a career. "There are only a few bodybuilders with money because it's an expensive sport with little pay. My last show cost me a total of $18,000!" she says.

"I've been training for six years. When I was a young girl, I used to think the girls in the comics were how I was going to look when I grew up. I started when my son was three months old. I got results really fast and did a contest, winning the overalls after training for only eight months. After that, I got hooked and decided to get serious about it.

"Make it fun, and don't take it too seriously. You need a good sense of humor because you'll have a lot of curveballs thrown at you. Be warned -- society doesn't accept women with muscle. Train harder than any guy can, and always look your best."

Finally, Bramble offers these words of caution. "Not too many bodybuilders make money from this, so I'd encourage them to get a good education first. Don't be a dropout. First do it as a hobby, and as you go along you will find out if you have what it takes to be a good bodybuilder."