Suffolk bodybuilder wins big
Published 10:27 pm Wednesday, November 15, 2017
A Suffolk native proudly represented his city with an impressive, competitive showing on Saturday.
Amos Riddick Jr., 33, won first place in Men’s Physique Novice B Class and third place in Open B Class at the New York State Natural competition held by the Organization of Competition Bodies in Syracuse, N.Y.
Riddick has now earned 16 trophies for competitive body building since achieving second place in The Colonial Open in Richmond in July 2016.
“It was amazing,” Riddick said about his Saturday victories. “I didn’t think I was going to get it out of all of those competitors. It felt really good.”
Riddick was born and raised in Suffolk and trains with fellow Lakeland High School alumni and longtime friends Bakari Pittman and Brandon Green.
Riddick’s parents, however, were told by doctors that their son wouldn’t be able to live such an active lifestyle when he was born prematurely.
He had open-heart surgery when he was 4 months old to correct its poor development. He was told throughout his childhood that he couldn’t play sports or even run with the other kids.
Riddick didn’t listen, he said, and instead started running on his own to see how much his heart could take. Now he runs 24 to 26 miles every other day.
“I’m blessed,” he said, thanking God for what he’s been able to accomplish and push through. “That just gave me motivation to push harder.”
He said he plans to compete in OCB Capital City Classic in Richmond on Dec. 2, and his training will be even more disciplined than what he maintained for his Saturday wins.
This included a 1,700-calorie-per-day diet, combined with daily weightlifting sessions at Suffolk’s Anytime Fitness. A board in the gym shows that he recorded 41 visits in October alone.
“I just try to leave everything out on the stage and in the gym,” he said. “I don’t want to leave anything left undone, because that’s when you find yourself behind.”
He wants to bring back another trophy for his city, he said.
“I try to put my city on my back, represent Suffolk and bring one back home,” he said.
Riddick also runs his company Raw Fitness out of Anytime Fitness. His company offers training programs for people of all ages and body types and currently boasts 15 clients, Riddick said.
It’s also another opportunity to train himself, he said.
“I jump into the sessions with my clients and do cardio with them,” he said.
Riddick hopes one day to own and operate his own gym, a facility that would feature state-of-the-art equipment alongside cast-iron dumbbells and other traditional equipment, plus amenities like a sauna, he said.
“I want my gym to be one of the best,” he said.
Beyond that, his goal is to earn a professional bodybuilding certification, or “pro card.” This would allow him to compete at the highest levels of the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness.
“Once I get that (pro card), the sky’s the limit,” Riddick said.