TIFTON — Trust Jamie Hill, he’s a professional.

A professional bodybuilder, that is.

At the age of 48, Hill earned his “Pro Card” Sept. 7 in Ormond Beach, Fla. at the OCB (Organization of Competitive Bodies) Southern Cross Southeast Showdown. There, he took first place in the Masters class, which is for individuals 40 and older. By winning the Masters, he earned a Pro Card for that division.

That was not the end of Hill’s day. He also competed in the open division, which does not separate by age group.

“I always get in that division,” he said, “and I’ve come in second the last four times. This time I finally got first.” Hill earned a Pro Card in that division as well, one he is extremely proud of earning. “The open was a really big deal,” he said.

Hill will be able to always compete as a pro going forward; once you are a professional, you are always a professional. Most of Hill’s competitions have taken place in the southeast. He has been to Atlanta, South Carolina and Florida. He said the area is a hotbed. Hill said there will be plenty of professional shows in the southeast as well, including in Savannah.

Hill began bodybuilding in 1997. He competed perhaps once a year for the next five years. Family life beckoned; Hill married his wife, Angel, in 1997 and their daughter, Chalee, was born in 2003. Son, Cannon, followed in 2006. It was not until 2011 that he began actively competing again.

“I kept working out,” he said. Not that Hill had much choice. Angel is a personal trainer at J&J Weight Room, which his brothers-in-law run. When Hill was 40, a friend convinced him to give it another try.

Starting back was not the easiest.

“Those eight or nine years that I laid off, it changed a lot,” he said. Nutrition was one of the biggest changes. Hill said people are smarter now in that regard. “I competed in 2011 and didn’t do really well. I came in, like, fifth place.”

Hill was surprised he finished that low. Instead of quitting, however, it lit a competitive fire under him.

“So, when I came in fifth place, I said, ‘No way I’m going out like this.””

He began educating himself, reading and asking professionals for advice. The diet was adjusted and around 2016, he began hitting second place. Hill did not compete in bodybuilding in 2018 and instead dedicated himself to running — successfully — for the Tift County school board.

Hill eased up on the diet briefly, but that turned out to be a help. “I put on a little size,” he said. “When I got ready to diet this time, I knew exactly what to do. I gave myself plenty of time. I hit it just right.”

Bodybuilding is quite disciplined. The athlete must combine weightlifting work with an even more attuned stomach. Dieting, said Hill, is the difficult part.

“Seven days a week,” he said. And no cheating. “There are no sauces involved. There is no ketchup.” The closest thing to birthday cake for Hill are cake batter-flavored protein shakes. Coffee is OK. He is partial to a doughnut shop flavor. “That eases the cravings,” he said.

Hill described a typical day as such: 10 egg whites and a cup of grits for breakfast, lunch is two grilled chicken breasts and a cup of brown rice. A protein shake and an apple serve as an afternoon snack.

He downs another protein shake and three rice cakes after his afternoon workout. Supper consists of two hamburger patties and a bag of steamed green beans. The day winds with two tablespoons of natural peanut butter and a protein shake. Hamburger can be switched with a sirloin steak, fish or turkey.

“Proteins and monitor your carb intake and your fat,” said Hill. It may seem surprising that he recommends some fat as part of the diet, Hill said it helps with energy levels. The diet is not to say that Hill can’t order a pizza or go out to a restaurant. If he does, he has to reconcile it with the rest of his intake to keep within his daily allowances.

Trial and error were required for Hill to find the perfect diet. He has it down to such a science he knows it takes him 26 weeks to get ready for competition. Each week, he knows where he needs to be. Hill has his menus planned out for weeks. To keep on the diet, he recommends packing a lunch to work.

There is not a right way or a wrong way to work out for bodybuilding, he said. “As long as you’re already working out and training, you don’t have to change anything about your weight training.” Body definition, he said, comes from the diet.

“You cannot out-train a bad diet,” he said.

Hill generally trains two body parts each workout. “One big muscle, one little muscle.” For example, he pairs chest and biceps or back and triceps. Legs are a day by themselves. He trains five days per week, leaving the weekend for family time.

With his whole family geared towards fitness, it’s not a surprise that Angel is very supportive. After all, she helped talk him into his first competition.

A Leesburg native, Hill was attending Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Looking for something to do, he began working out at J&J Weight Room. “It just clicked,” he said. Hill went on to the University of Georgia, then moved back to Tifton. He drives to Clyattville for his job, which is at Packaging Corporation of America, where he works as a wood procurement manager.

Hill will take the Pro Cards out for a spin Nov. 2 when he competes in Atlanta. He does not really have a goal in mind for his first time. The top five in competitions place. If he is one of them, “Hey, I’m happy.”

After that, being there or even a fifth place finish just won’t do.

“Next time I go, I want to be fourth,” he said.

The chase has begun.