Thanks! 
I am glad I inspire others.
1 Like
I dont see any lats in these photos, you sure you posted the right ones?
1 Like
LMAO! I gotta work on them for real.
Photos can look different based on a ton of different thing, the lighting being the thing that can affect them the most as you pointed out. It can be quite dramatic, and why you often hear of people being āwashed outā if they dont get the tan dark enoughā¦ the stage light just kills your definition.
Although other things can be lens related (glass quality, focal length), angle of shot (from above, from below, straight on) and also just when the camera takes the shot. Brick was using a self timer on the other photos, and it can be hard to hit everything equally at the exact second the camera takes the pic.
2 Likes
Are you still grinding towards the NPC show?
1 Like
I didnāt want to spill/share too many events of the day on here, I figure those are Bradās to tell, and I know we did a quick wrap-up podcast (#MasMacros) recently where we hit on a few, but this is one that just made me smile:
At the end of the entire contest, Bradās out in the hallway behind the backstage area. Trophies are literally all over the floor, Rob and I are there freakinā ecstatic, Alon is there (Alon Powers, Wnbf Pro), Rags (Wnbf Pro) is probably just running up to us from the audience where he was snapping away with his camera all day, Arash (IFBB Pro) and Jules (3x Ms Olynpia) are there,ā¦ [Yeah, you could say that Brad has a pretty serious crew with him that day -lol] and over walks Shevon Cunningham with his wife and young son. His son is wearing one of his Dadās many (MANY!) medals around his neck, and you can tell that heās excited at the show he just watched. With his hand on his sonās shoulder, Shevon approaches Brad, introeduces his wife, and then looks down at his son. His kid is grinning ear to ear. Then Shevon says to him āok, you wanted to meet that bodybuilder you were cheering all day for? Here he is.ā
Seriously, just one of the coolest moments all day
S
9 Likes
No, I decided not to do it. I am too worn down from stepping onstage nine times in one day, partly because I chose to enter all three physique classes, and partly because I had to step onstage twice for the novice BB class because some people forgot to attend on the first go around.
I would like to simply go to Boston and enjoy my time with my wife for a road trip, rather than have two days spent in high stress (carbing up day before and the actual show the day after), specifically because my wife made huge adjustments in our lifestyle and tolerated a highly regimented prep. I got what I wanted out of the show, and thatās good enough for now, though I canāt wait to step on a stage again.
Furthermore, when someone is on a harsh prep, two weeks does not feel like two weeks towards the end. In everyday life, two weeks goes by feeling very quick, but when your are worn the hell down at the end of a near-half-year prep at sub-10% bodyfat, it feels like an eternity. I gave the prep my all, to the point of feeling depersonalized and unwell (for real!) and even working out with some sciatic pain for which I am now attending some PT for. So I thought it was simply unwise concerning my well-being as well to wait for another show.
2 Likes
Brick, (or do you prefer Mr. Head?)
Do you have a black and white photo doing a Most Muscular, that was your most impressive shot from the show to me, the B&W one would be sick Iām sure.
I got a variety of pics from a photographer. Unfortunately I did not do a most muscular. Thanks though!
Yes, that was awesome, and very flattering to approach me with his wife and child like that. Plus he was actually cueing me from the audience giving directions which actually helped quite a bit with my posing. Now, I know that my genes are not on par with his, but when someone of that caliber takes an interest in you, I believe it implies one has something alright to work with, perhaps not elite, but not shabby eitherāperhaps pretty good.
I had a whole helpful crew there, plus my mom, wife, and in-laws. It was one of the best days of my life, perhaps the second best day after my wedding.
3 Likes
A big congrats! I never realized from the title that this was a contest prep thread.
You looked great. Nice work!
1 Like
Thank you very much!
New podcast about my first-contest experience.
1 Like
Good convo, I think you captured the essence of the prep and the show very well.
Couple of Qās if you have the time and inclination:
-
Did you pay the entrance fee for every class you did? You donāt need to go into specifics, but that was one of the things that turned me off from competing again ( for those not in the know shows can EASILY run $500+ for just a single category by the time you factor in suit/tan/travel/organization fees).
-
Do you feel any sort of obligation to do the same show next year to return the reigning champ? Or are you on to different shows now that you are a pro?
-
What do you plan to āallowā your weight to get up to in the off season? Is there a number here, or are you just not going to get āfatā (in competitive body building terms āfatā means no longer able to see all of your lower ab veins
)?
3 Likes
I too enjoyed the podcastā¦especially as someone who is still debating entering a competition. I like all of @Lonnie123ās questions and am curious to know the answers. I also have a follow -up question of my own:
In the podcast, you and Stu talked about the amazing group of people that you have in your life in terms of bodybuilding support and knowledge. Now, letās say that group was cut down to 1 maybe 2 people (not including Stu), but Stu lives in California or Texas (rather than across town). Given all of those stipulations are true, would you have done the same contest? Would you have done as well as you did in that contest? And do you believe the package you brought to the stage would have been the same?
This is NOT trying in minimize the work you put in or give more credit to other people or anything like that. Iām just curious about prep-context.
2 Likes