They’ve crunched. They’ve squatted. They’ve benched. They’ve pushed their limits.

Now University faculty and students who took part in the Department of Recreational Sports’ first ever “Before & After” contest will strut their improved physiques at “The Showdown” tonight.

For the past seven weeks, contestants have worked out and dieted to attain healthier and more chiseled bodies.

“At ‘The Showdown’, all the contestants will get to do a dance, flex their muscles, anything creative they want to do to show everyone what they’ve accomplished,” said graduate student Stacy Cintron, the contest organizer. “Then even the audience will get to help vote on the ‘Before & After’ champions, one male and one female.”

Cintron would not release the names of the contestants competing at “The Showdown” because participants are allowed to drop out of the competition before tonight’s event.

But for those who choose to participate, making it to “The Showdown” has been no small feat. Most of the contestants’ journeys began before the competition.

A calling

Contestant Dana Kirk, a freshman from Royston, had never been the active type.

But with a family history plagued by diabetes, high blood pressure and a tendency in women to be overweight, Kirk said she knew it was time to get into shape.

Kirk contemplated getting a personal trainer, so when flyers for the competition went up in January, it seemed like her calling.

“I decided to get off my butt and do something to finally jump start my goal of losing weight,” Kirk said.

For contestant Iyali Ruiz, the U.S. Air Force has always been a motivation to get into shape.

“We do a lot of physical training at the Air Force ROTC here on campus,” said the freshman from Franklin, N.C., “so I knew I needed to strengthen and tone up to keep up with everything.”

Second thoughts

In the initial weeks, both contestants found themselves doubting their ability to go through with the competition.

“At first, I always questioned myself and thought I could never stick to working out six days a week,” Ruiz said. “I’d never stuck with any workout schedule before, so what was going to be so different this time around?”

Kirk’s anxieties weren’t in her ability to execute the exercises, but rather in working out in a gym full of already toned individuals.

“I felt uncomfortable, the way I guess most people do, because you feel like you should already have a good body to step foot inside a gym,” she said.

At the competition’s four week mid-point, however, Ruiz had slimmed down from 22 to 17 percent body fat and Kirk had trimmed seven pounds off her figure.

A piece of cake

Tough workouts weren’t the only way contestants tackled their goals.

Kirk devised a log book, where she kept a record of everything she ate.

“I thought of calories as money,” she explained. “I could eat a tiny piece of cake for 300 calories or eat four pieces of fruit for the same amount. So I would have to think about what was worth it – what would give me the most bang for my buck.”

New bodies, new minds

The contest ends tonight, and both contestants have undergone emotional, as well as physical, changes.

“I’ve gained the confidence to do anything, no matter how challenging it is,” Ruiz said. “The workouts pushed me to the edge, but no matter how hard they got, I didn’t give up.”

Last week, Kirk walked into the Ramsey Center with a wave of confidence for the first time.

“I realized it doesn’t matter how you look because the gym is for everyone,” she said.