BY DARREN NICHOLHURST PHOTOGRAPHS BY MATT MARSH
BOBBY KHAN IFBB PRO, THE HEART OF CLASSIC BODYBUILDING
KHAN ALSO VERY much admired the physiques of Jean- Claude Van Damme and Sylvester Stallone. He used to reference their bodies in building his own look, which grew to become both unique and classic.
Unfortunately for Khan, at the time, there was no bodybuilding category which met his physique style, or indeed his needs from a balanced lifestyle point of view. He had competed previously in middle weight competitions and won several of these, but in his heart, he knew that it was deviating from the ideal physique that he had always envisaged.
Just as Khan was ready to consider an early retirement from the sport, a new category was introduced. The classic class was now the latest class in UK bodybuilding. Khan’ s great friend and renowned nutritionist, Wade Stafford, advised him that this was the category he had been waiting for, and that he should enter and compete in it. After reading the guidelines of what the classic class entailed, Khan decided the new class was a perfect fit for both his proportions and his vision.
After several months of solid training and dieting in 2009, the ambitious athlete was prepped and ready to compete at Leamington Spa as a new classic bodybuilding competitor. Although there were some tough cookies to crumble, judges decided Khan’ s natural
FROM AN EARLY AGE, BOBBY KHAN WAS REALLY ACTIVE IN SPORTS SUCH AS FOOTBALL, MARTIAL
ARTS, STREET DANCE AND MOUNTAIN BIKING WHICH HE ENJOYED A PASSION FOR. HE FELT HE
NEEDED TO BUILD A FIT AND MUSCULAR BODY, BUT WANTED TO DO THIS WITH-OUT SACRIFICING
ATHLETICISM AND FLEXIBILITY.
classic look stood out from the rest and subsequently he took 1st place.
This was a dream come true- not just from a personal point of view, but also as a milestone for the aesthetics Khan brought to the stage. It occurred to him this win could perhaps create a road map for future athletes who wanted to build a similar physique. Little did he know how profound this quiet idea in his mind could be.
Khan had just kicked off the start of what classic physiques have now become the mainstream desired look.
112 FLEX | FEBRUARY 2018