New Fitness Show

Bodybuilder muscles his way onto television

For Canonsburg resident Steve Nesbit, the phrase 'owning a six-pack' does not mean cans of alcohol. And when he barks at you to 'pump some iron,' he is not expecting you to open a bottle of beer.
A personal trainer and former competitive bodybuilder, Nesbit owns Fine Line Fitness on Washington Road in Peters Township. Along with having his calendar full with female clients, he can also be seen in his own reality-based fitness show "Bad Boy of Fitness," which airs at 2 p.m. Sundays on Fox Sports Pittsburgh.

"I made a lot of sacrifices, like not drinking and partying, when I decided to become a bodybuilder," Nesbit said during a break from training his clients. "To this day, I haven't had a drink or taken any drugs."

Nesbit's dedication to bodybuilding wasn't always easy. Growing up in Homewood, physical fitness wasn't a priority for Nesbit.

"I wasn't much of an athlete as a kid," he said. "I did all the crazy stuff kids do while living in the inner-city. A lot of my friends were drug dealers."

At the age of 18, Nesbit decided to become a bodybuilder.

"I was looking for something to pursue as a career and as a means of getting off the streets," he recalled. "I was never really out of shape because I had been working since I was a kid. I was a bouncer at a club, a security guard and I even did some bodyguard work. I went into a gym one day and someone told me that I would do well in bodybuilding."

That statement proved prophetic. At the age of 19, Nesbit became the youngest bodybuilder to win Mr. Pittsburgh. Later in his career, he was named Mr. Pennsylvania, placed third in the Mr. USA contest and he won the Masters National tournament while over the age of 40.

At the height of his bodybuilding career, Nesbit tipped the scales at 250 pounds. He trained four to six times a week and ate as much as 6,000 calories a day, including 2 pounds of beef, two dozen eggs, two cans of tuna and a gallon of water.

"I was persistent," he said. "I had a chip on my shoulder because I wanted to be the best."

With his competitive bodybuilding days behind him, Nesbit now focuses on training female clients at his studio.

"Women are more consistent at physical fitness than men," he explained. "Society puts a lot more pressure on women to be in shape. I let women know they can get in great shape without putting on big muscles. I've had clients stay with me for 20 years."

Television producer Ken Brown noticed the success Nesbit was having with his clients, and the two came up with the idea for the "Bad Boy of Fitness" television series.

"Each show follows a woman from the beginning of her training all the way to her entering a physical competition," Nesbit said. "We show them getting into shape from nothing. The show is instructional and educational, but there's not a lot of fighting or typical reality show drama. We don't want to exploit the industry."

And just like his competitive bodybuilding days, Nesbit is gung-ho about his personal training studio and the "Bad Boy of Fitness" program.

"I don't have much of a life outside of training," he said with a laugh. "I work seven days a week and I never take a day off."

To contact Steve Nesbit, call Fine Line Fitness at 724-942-0408.

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.