Dartmouth bodybuilder earns pro status after 14 years of training

Keiva Bundy was a bodybuilder who fell just short of gaining his pro status before the COVID-19 pandemic.

But now, the 42-year-old father of two from Dartmouth is back in the gym and achieving his goals while posing a big problem for the competition.

A national-level gymnast and personal trainer, Bundy was approached at age 28 about becoming a bodybuilder.

“No, it’s not for me,” Bundy said at the time. “I don’t want to pose on stage in trunks.”

But the more Bundy thought about bodybuilding, the more interesting the prospect became.

“I was a national-level gymnast so I had a really good foundation of muscularity,” he said. “I talked to a lot of guys in the gym and they said they’d help me out with the diet, help me out with how to pose.”

Back in 2019, Bundy participated in a national bodybuilding competition where he came up just one point short from earning his professional status.

“My body felt really burnt out from just doing the diet year after year, and coming one point away from becoming a pro, it was kind of a kick to me,” Bundy said. “It was a little bit depressing. I went through a little bit of a spell where I thought, ‘I’m done with bodybuilding.’”

But Bundy found inspiration from an unlikely person -- one of his clients. Before passing away in January, Anne Barnes worked out for 17 years with Bundy as her personal trainer.

“She always knew that I wanted to fulfill this dream of becoming a pro bodybuilder,” he said. “She always told me, ‘Do what you love Keiva and don’t let anything hold you back.’”

Now, 14 years after starting his career as a bodybuilder, Bundy has received his International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) pro card, an accomplishment he considers “the ultimate goal since I first stepped on-stage.”

“Never give up on your dreams and your goals because there’s always someone or something out there that will try to hold you back. Just keep pushing forward.”