From Bodybuilder to Powerlifter... My Early Days

For awhile now, the guys over in The Over 35 Thread have been asking me to post some pics of myu bodybuilding days. I thought it would be interesting to post some from when i first started. After only a hand full of years of training. Here are 4 pics from when i was 18 and in my very first 3 bodybuilding comps. Damn… that was a long time ago. not too bad for 18 and a buck eighty.

Pictures to follow.


here’s one-

another-

Kudos for starting so early. After living in both the BB and PL worlds, which do you like better?


another-


last one-

Damn! You looked great! What caused you to change the game?

Those are some amzing bicep peaks. I haven’t seen peaks like that for decades (Albert Beckles comes to mind)!

Too bad you didn’t continue, but at least you found what you love more…

[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
last one-

[/quote]

Damn meat those other guys are boys compared to you, awesome!

wow dude, nice work there!

[quote]forlife wrote:
Kudos for starting so early. After living in both the BB and PL worlds, which do you like better?[/quote]

I like them both and still incorporate both into my life. There are things about bodybuilding that i definitely didn’t like though…

number one, would have to be the judging. There’s a reason why it’s NOT a bodybuilding competition, it’s a bodybuilding SHOW. The judging is so damn subjective. I always made it a habit of going up to the judges after a show to ask what i needed to work on. I would get 100 different things from a hundred different judges- each wanting something different. i also didn’t like the tension backstage. everyone was the enemy. everyone else was sizing you up and giving you the ol’ stink eye. in powerlifting the judging is much much more objective… for the most part and the competitors for the most part are all very supportive.

also, i really hated the dieting down. it was a major mental shock to watch yourself basically waste away to what appeared to be nothing to get really lean and with it a majority of your strength. most folks and folks that call themselves bodybuilders have never gotten themselves down to single digit bodyfat percentages. it’s so grueling and to do it natural is even harder.

with that said… i will probably do another bodybuilding show again:) i’m a glutton for punishment.

For some reason this reminds me of the chapel show black Klansman sketch. Something about the whole thing just doesn’t seem right.

All those years as a powerlifter were just bulking for your next BB show :wink: I can see your point about powerlifting being more objective, didn’t realize that bodybuilders were so catty at competitions. Sounds like a Miss America pageant.

[quote]Smallfry69 wrote:
Those are some amzing bicep peaks. I haven’t seen peaks like that for decades (Albert Beckles comes to mind)!

Too bad you didn’t continue, but at least you found what you love more…[/quote]

yeah… i had some crazy peaked biceps… still do under my powerlifting sweatshirt:)

[quote]dday wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
last one-

Damn meat those other guys are boys compared to you, awesome![/quote]

well… we were just boys. i just happened to be a bit bigger of a boy:)

[quote]fighterkhan wrote:
wow dude, nice work there![/quote]

thanks… brings back memories.

memories of Nair and banana hammocks:)

[quote]forlife wrote:
All those years as a powerlifter were just bulking for your next BB show :wink: I can see your point about powerlifting being more objective, didn’t realize that bodybuilders were so catty at competitions. Sounds like a Miss America pageant.[/quote]

you have NO idea.

i was at this one comp. where this dude was strutting around with a major case of ISCS (invisable Suitecase Carrying Syndrome). He kept walking back and forth with his baggy sweatpants and sweatshirt with the hood up. He wouldn’t take it off, even when we were told to start pumping up for our class. He just kept his clothes on and gave anyone the stink eye if they looked at him. I’m think’n this dude must be huge under there. Well… as we were called to go out, he stripped down and needless to say, he should have kept the sweatclothes on.

The only reason you’re bigger than that today is that you’re using the smith machine more. Admit it.

(no, you’re never going to hear the end of it from me hahahaha)

ISCS, lol hadn’t heard that one but I see it all the time in the gym.

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
The only reason you’re bigger than that today is that you’re using the smith machine more. Admit it.

(no, you’re never going to hear the end of it from me hahahaha)

[/quote]

you’re kill’n me bro. you have a memory like a freak’n steel trap:)