What better way to begin your post-high school life than compete in a bodybuilding contest?

That’s what Folsom’s Alexander Cosentini is doing. The 2009 Folsom High graduate will be one of many who will compete in Saturday’s Drug-Free Mr./Ms. California Extravaganza at Folsom Middle School, one of three Folsom residents signed up to participate. Kelly Carlson and Maria Tyler will join Cosentini in the show, along with several out-of-town athletes. Carlson will compete in the women’s open class, as well as the women’s bodybuilding category, while Tyler will be in the Masters division competing in the open class along with the figure competition.

For someone who once did whatever he could to avoid lifting weights, Cosentini now enjoys it.

“I used to be one of those kids who was on the computer all day and my dad told me that real men lift weights,” Cosentini said. “I took that to heart and tried it and liked it. When I played football I tried to do anything to avoid it, but now I’m glad I got into it.”

The 6-foot, 2-inch, 158-pound 18-year-old is looking forward to his first competition. After training hard for the last six months, he’s ready to show off his body.

“I’m going to go out and do my best,” he said. “I’ve worked hard at this, working out six days a week, and I’m going to try to hang in there. If there are no other teenagers, then I’ll be in the men’s novice division.”

Carlson, 46, will be competing in the show for the second time after placing third two years ago. The insurance broker has been bodybuilding for six years and it has helped her become stronger, as well as healthier.

“I started to compete mainly because of the persuasiveness of my trainers,” Carlson said. “I thought about it and said, ‘if I can still do it, why not?”

The 5’9”, 143-pound Carlson is obviously in great shape as she prepares for the competition, as she recently lost 20 pounds through training and diet.

“I work out four days a week with weights and do two or three days of cardio,” Carlson said. “I’m pretty athletic, as I ride a quad and do a lot of mountain biking and all that helps too. I’ve been training for this competition since around Thanksgiving, so it’s been a nice, slow, smart process.”

Carlson is training much differently than she did two years ago and she’s feeling more confident.

“My approach this year is much different in form and diet,” Carlson said. “I feel better and my body is much more symmetrical. I weigh less than I did two years ago, but I bet I’ve put on 10 pounds of muscle.”

Tyler, 46, will be competing for the first time. Her daughter, Gina, competed in the show three years ago and that, in part, motivated Tyler to get started in the sport.

“I saw Gina do it and thought that I wasn’t too far off from doing something like that,” Tyler said. “I also needed to get into better shape. I was stressed out and wasn’t eating right.”

Tyler is a married mother of two grown kids and stands 5’3” and weighs 117 pounds. She’s dropped 21 pounds over the last two years, including losing seven pounds over the last six weeks since she began training with Johnny Carrero, who also puts on the show each year.

“I used to lift weights six days a week, but with Johnny I’ve only been lifting three days a week,” Tyler said. “I’m glad I picked up Johnny as my trainer.”

With this being her first competition, Tyler doesn’t have any big goals other than to enjoy herself.

“I just want to have fun,” Tyler said. “Just to be up there is going to feel good. I hope I do well, but I’m not stressing about it.”

Prejudging begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, while the evening finals are scheduled for 6 p.m. Tickets for prejudging are $10, while evening finals are $20. VIP seating for the first 10 rows costs $25.