Former Nigel resident Francois Bernard (26) recently won both the Austria Newcomers Classic Bodybuilding Open and the newcomers division for athletes weighing up to 80kg.

The competition took place in St Michael, Austria.

Francois began his fitness and bodybuilding journey at the age of 16, and 10 years later, he has achieved one of his lifelong dreams. He initially competed under the name Francois Busswald, but later adopted the stage name Francois Bernard in honour of his hero and late stepfather, Richard Bernard.

He now lives in Wels, Austria.

“A childhood dream of mine has been fulfilled. My training centre is the Painstation Gym in Wels, where I train according to Mike Mentzer’s philosophy. This means I spend no more than three and a half to four hours a week in the gym, focusing on short, intense HIIT sessions, because real muscle growth happens during recovery, not during the workout,” said Bernard.

“Nutrition plays a crucial role, not only during training but also throughout recovery. My next goals are set: by the end of 2026, I want to return to the stage at a competition weight of 100kg. That means I need to pick up some weight, with my long-term dream being to one day compete at Mr Olympia at 130kg.”