BANGOR – Active with swimming throughout his life, Adam Cohen was a sophomore at Bangor High School when he decided to try something different – bodybuilding.

“Why not try it?” he said. “I’ve just been drawn to it ever since I can remember.”

Cohen, 19, is now a national champion in his new endeavor. A senior, Cohen took home top prizes at his latest match, the Natural America Bodybuilding Championship on Nov. 16 in Monroeville, Pa.

He finished first in the Men’s Junior Division for those under 23, earning the title “Mr. Junior Natural America,” and placed third in the Men’s Middleweight Division, 1541/4-1741/4 pounds.

Cohen’s contests began in August, with an appearance at the Maine Super Natural Championship in Scarborough. He earned a first in the junior division; a first in the Novice Lightweight Division, under 170 pounds; and a fifth in the Men’s Middleweight Division.

At the Scarborough competition, J.P. Soucy, owner of the Bangor Athletic Club, and a judge at the show, introduced himself to Cohen.

“We got to talking,” Cohen said, “and Soucy said, ‘Come train with me, I’ll get you ready for nationals.’

“I realized what I had to bring up for body parts, re-sculpting to compete at the national level,” Cohen said.

Soucy says that when he saw Cohen, “I saw he had the genetics, basic fundamentals and the drive. It made me excited to train him because of his drive and motivation.”

There was a change in Cohen’s training regimen as a result of the meeting.

“Before, I had always trained six days a week, two to 21/2 hours a day,” said Cohen.

Soucy explained, “I had him do cardio, eat properly, cut the workout time to 40 minutes to one hour a day, five days a week. We work on two muscle groups a day.”

Soucy, Cohen said, “helped tremendously. He has helped with diet, training and just overall precontest preparation. Since meeting and training with J.P., competition results have improved dramatically, 110 percent.”

At the Junior National Championship on Nov. 2 in Somerset, Mass., Cohen placed first in juniors, first in middleweight, and second out of all contestants.

That second-place finish qualified him for the Natural America Nationals.

When he started to work out, Cohen said, he “decided to go natural,” meaning he uses “safe and legal supplements, straight protein, nothing that messes with hormones. No steroids [substances that introduce extra testosterone into the system], no precursors [substances that mimic steroids], no illegal diuretics [dehydrators].”

After meeting Soucy, Cohen added, that desire to remain “natural” became stronger.

Cohen said that Soucy “showed me what you can really do, how far you can go by staying natural, without drugs, without spending dollars on things that will end your life.” He said, “it’s a good feeling to be able to truthfully say I’m drug-free.”

Cohen also credits bodybuilding with helping him in other areas of his life.

It “makes me feel good” he says of working out. “It’s life-changing – helps me with my schoolwork, to manage my time.”

Cohen described the activitiy as addictive in a healthful way.

“I see myself getting stronger, my body changing. I force myself to go because I know I will feel great afterwards,” he said.

Other motivation comes from seeing other athletes, bodybuilders he sees in person, or in magazines such as Muscle and Fitness or Flex. While some of those people may not follow the “natural” approach, the photos provide him with the “big drive to go to the gym and work hard.”

Cohen has already begun training for next season, putting on more muscle, weight and size.

“I won’t be competing in the early part of the year, in February,” he said, “and haven’t decided about the summer, the part of the year when the regionals take place, but I will definitely do nationals in the fall.”

The Bangor resident also has a couple of long-range goals, including going to college and majoring in exercise science.

While there “may be a little adjusting,” going on to college, “I’ll make sure it won’t disrupt my training,” Cohen said. He also would like to become a professional bodybuilder, he acknowledged.

According to Soucy, Cohen has many bodybuilding and character strengths which could help him achieve his goals.

“He’s a hard worker, consistent, doesn’t give up, likes to learn new things,” Soucy said. “If he keeps going the way he’s going, he’ll be one of the best in his weight in the North American Bodybuilding Federation.”