Zac Cooper probably wouldn’t be too offended if you call him a nerd.
But you probably wouldn’t think to — that’s because a glance at him pumping iron in the gym would hardly suggest he is just as happy with his nose in a textbook or his hand on a mouse as he clicks his way through a game of World of Warcraft online with friends.
Once a self-described “chubby kid” who was “more of a nerd than a jock,” about three years ago Cooper became fed up with himself at 200-plus pounds, began exercising seriously and changed his diet.
“I’m from a family of perfectionists,” said Cooper, a 19-year-old Dalton resident who grew up in Murray County. “I’ve always had the mindset to strive for perfection both mentally and physically.”
The mental side seems never to have been a problem for Cooper, who excelled in math and science on his way to graduating as the valedictorian of Murray County High School’s Class of 2008.
Nor did he shy completely away from athletics, playing basketball and football in middle school, though he never quite caught the bug for team sports, preferring to succeed or fail on his own merit.
It was the summer between his sophomore and junior years of high school when Cooper lost 40 pounds to take his first step on the road toward bodybuilding. He took his biggest leap yet last month by entering the Battle of the River competition in Chattanooga, where he finished fourth among 14 contestants in the teenage classification and second among five first-timers in the novice class.
“I don’t want a career out of bodybuilding,” said Cooper, who will be a sophomore at Dalton State College this year and hopes to eventually study pharmacy. “People ask me that, but all I really want is to be in a magazine. It’s fun, it’s a good lifestyle, but I want to pursue other things.”
Still, Cooper’s first showing at a competition gave him reason to be even more hooked on the sport, particularly because he was hesitant to enter in the first place.
Encouraged to sign up by Preston Bivens, the co-owner of Peak Fitness — the gym where he spent nearly three hours a day, six days a week once he started training for the contest — Cooper gained confidence when others in the know about bodybuilding told him he had a good shot at bringing home some honors.
The physical transformation Cooper underwent in high school caused him to learn more about nutrition, putting to good use his interest in science, and that was helpful as he prepared for the contest, too.
Although discipline is a major part of bodybuilding — in addition to his time in the gym, Cooper pays special attention to when he eats and rests — it has to be backed by a core of knowledge, Cooper said.
“I’ve always kind of figured out everything myself through research and reading on the Internet,” he said. “The first thing I had to learn pretty much was how to diet ... and it gets even more detailed when you do workouts because if you’re not working out the right way with your diet, you won’t get the results you want.”
Also helpful to Cooper is what he’s learned about supplements — which helped him refine his physique for the contest — over the past year while working at the GNC at Walnut Square Mall. A bonus: Cooper’s boss, Jeff Baker, became his go-to phone call when he felt like slacking off or cheating on his ultra-strict diet.
“Just hearing the sound of a Coke can opening up,” Cooper said. “You don’t realize how bad you can crave things like that.”
But Cooper made it, hitting the 149-pound mark for the contest, where he picked up pointers backstage he’ll use next year when he competes again, better educated on the tricks of the sport, nutrition — like peanut butter grits, a tasty and tactical treat, Cooper assures you — and what it takes to be ready.
With water weight back on his frame and his diet and training in a growth phase, he already weighs close to 180 pounds and is looking to add as much healthy mass as possible over the next 10 months or so before cutting back again.
With a lot of physical effort, discipline and even more knowledge, he’ll be ready to compete.
“I feel like I’ve stepped up to the next level,” Cooper said. “I see I have the potential to go further in the sport than I thought.”
