After hiatus, back to the weights

"It seems like riding a bike," said Ingbretson, who is competing for the first time as a heavyweight. "At first it was a little awkward, but it came right back to me."

Ingbretson was just a kid when he first stepped into Clark's Gym in Melbourne, Fla. Inspired by larger-than-life action stars such as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, he'd sneak out of his house to lift weights. He swept floors and cleaned machines to pay for his daily gym pass.

He was 15 when he competed for the first time (his brother drove him five hours to the top of Florida to compete). He didn't place, but victories followed. At 17, Ingbretson took first in a teen competition in Fort Lauderdale.

He joined the Air Force and eventually landed in Tucson, where he returned to bodybuilding.

In the early '90s, his titles included Mr. Natural Southwest, Mr. Tucson, Mr. Grand Canyon and Mr. Arizona (twice). "There were a lot of shows back then," he explained. "They were all over."

He put everything into the dream of breaking into the rarefied world of pro bodybuilding.

Then came a devastating fourth-place finish as a light heavyweight in the Mr. America mid-USA competition in 1997.

"A crushing blow," he said. It forced him to reconsider whether he could really turn pro.

"It's hard to maintain that lifestyle," he said. "If you're not on top, you're not going to make a living out of it."

Taking advantage of all those years of training, Ingbretson went to a pro wrestling college that was essentially a recruiters' camp. It was a grinding combination of show biz and brutal training, Ingbretson said, and he was "prospected pretty heavily." Then about a year into it, he developed a triple hernia that he couldn't hide forever.

He returned to Tucson and started rebuilding his life. "I started growing up and getting more realistic," he said.

Today he has a solid life that includes a close relationship with his 14-year-old son, Jasen, and a career based on fitness. He's the training director at Better Bodies.

He had also started thinking about competing again when a flier for the Desert Muscle Classic crossed his desk. "I said, 'I'm doing that show.' To me, it was a sign."

His son trains with him and would compete Saturday if not for a scheduling conflict with his wrestling team.

Jimmy Ingbretson has never enjoyed training more. "I can teach him all of the things I had to struggle to learn," he said. "It's a very rewarding experience. He gets into it."

Both Ingbretsons plan to compete in the Natural Western USA competition in Mesa on March 13.

Jimmy Ingbretson

• Age: 39.

• Gym: Better Bodies, 7285 E. Tanque Verde Road.

• Contest: Bodybuilding, heavyweight.

• Contest weight: 215.

• Weight off-season: 248.

• Height: 5 feet, 10 inches.

• Years bodybuilding: Since he was around 12.

• Favorite exercise: Bench press.

He happened to see a Desert Muscle Classic flier.

"I said, I'm doing that show.' To me, it was a sign."

Jimmy Ingbretson

Returning to competition