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Just call him Mr. Georgia
Pembroke man wins state bodybuilding crown
Mr-GA
Mr. Georgia - photo by Provided

His friends and fellow Pembroke residents know him as Adam Lane, but you can just call him ‘Mr. Georgia.’ Lane, a competitive bodybuilder for the last 16 years, rose above over 100 competitors Saturday to claim the overall championship in the annual Mr. Georgia bodybuilding event in Atlanta.

The title, sanctioned by the NPC (National Physique Committee), is reportedly considered the highest level of achievement in the state for bodybuilders.

Doc Neely, a longtime associate of the NPC, said Mr. Georgia "is the most esteemed and longest running bodybuilding title in the country. Winning the title allows one to compete in the nationals and could even lead to a shot at the Mr. America title."

"This is unreal," Lane said about winning the title. "It still hasn’t sunk in yet. This is the highest you can go in the state of Georgia and this has been my goal ever since I started in the sport."

At Saturday’s event, Lane was crowned "Best Arms" and as the winner of his weight division before being deemed the overall champion.

"The competition was thick this year," Neeley said. "He beat some of the best guys we’ve had in the NPC for many years. Adam was just ready for it. I remember back when he won Mr. Teenage Georgia, and he has consistently improved and stayed focused. He has built up to it and deserves all the accolades that come along with being crowned Mr. Georgia."

Lane, a middleweight, said he knew his work was cut out for him when he spotted light heavyweight champion John Oxford backstage. When it came time for the final posedown, judges commented on Lane’s superior muscle symmetry as they declared him Mr. Georgia.

Lane appears to be at the peak of his bodybuilding career because just last month he took home the overall men’s title at the annual Southern Isles Bodybuilding and Figure Championship, held in Savannah.

Thirty-two-year-old Lane has been a regular at area gyms since the age of 17. When he’s not working his day job at the Georgia Ports Authority, Lane is running his own business, Maximum Fitness, out of the Black Creek Fitness Center. He teaches fitness and strength classes and also serves as a personal trainer for other aspiring bodybuilders.

"Unlike many in the world of bodybuilding, Adam’s condition is all natural. He’s never touched steroids or anything like that," his mother Wanda Lane said. "He promotes that fact and strives to let people know what an individual can do through hard work, exercise and proper diet. I’m just so proud of all he’s been able to achieve."

Lane said he first became interested in the sport when reading about former bodybuilder and now California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"I know it sounds cliché, but I’ve always been inspired by Arnold and the things he did for the sport," he said. "He really took the sport to a new level."

Lane said he always told himself that he’d continue in the sport as long as he kept winning. If recent events are any indication, retirement is not in the foreseeable future.

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