MisterJC’s BodyBlog

This is easy…competition. There is no better motivator in my mind than competition, good and healthy competition, not cutthroat competition. I know that when it comes to stepping on stage, especially now that I am a pro, there is no room for error, and that is a pretty big motivator. What some people may not realize is that a bodybuilding competition victory starts years in advance. You can’t expect to get serious about a show 2-3 months out and be the victor. As such the motivation of competition extends deep into the off-season when you are going after those big gains. It continues and perhaps amplifies once the contest diet begins (even though the off season diet should be controlled as well), and crescendos all the way up to the day of the show.

It is not uncommon for me to think about a competitor whose physique I admire as I am getting ready to perform a big lift. Thinking that they are likely doing the same thing or perhaps more tends to light a fire under my ass, if I don’t push myself outside of my comfort zone, then I know with certainty that I will be disappointed come the day of the show. It is mandatory for me to leave zero doubt in my mind that there was anything else I could have done to prepare better for a competition.

At times the competitor that drives me under that bar is a familiar one. I am my own toughest critic; I am constantly striving for some level of improvement in the gym and with my physique. So when getting under that squat bar, or strapping in and preparing for a big deadlift, I will often times take a long look at myself and commit to something more than I had done on the previous lift.

Life is about striving for improvement, pushing yourself past that point where you feel comfortable, and achieving something that you may have thought was unattainable, and doing so without any doubt of success. That notion itself can be a pretty powerful motivator.

I watched the opening ceremony last night for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, and despite the hype the commentators made about how grand the show would be, I was completely blown away. What impressed me most wasn’t quite how grandiose of a spectacle they made it, or the obvious fortune that was spent to pull something of that level off, but rather the creativity that was shown by the orchestrator.  Simply amazing!

That said, I still have beef with the Olympics.  Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to watching as much of the 2008 games as I possibly can, in fact I currently have the US vs Japan womens soccer game on the TV as I write this (we are up by 1!), as well as a live feed going on the computer of the Mens Judo competition.  But I cant get by one simple irritation; why in the world has the sport of Natural Bodybuilding not made it into the list of Olympic events yet?  I know this is a tired subject, I have read many articles on it and sorry attempts to justify why it is not included, but with the onset of these 2008 games, the feelings and questions are renewed in my mind, and I wanted to resurface the topic.

Let me start by stating the obvious, at least the obvious in my mind.  I am specifying the sport of NATURAL Bodybuilding, in no way do I believe that the untested side of this sport should be even on the table for discussion.  That fraction goes against everything that the spirit of the Olympics stands for, and the IOC has gone to extreme lengths to uphold this standard.  I am going to leave the remainder of that debate to someone else, as I feel it is a waste of time to include here.  Never will the untested Bodybuilding athlete be included in the Olympics, so just give it a rest.

On the other side of the table you have the Natural, tested, bodybuilder.  Now this athlete exhibits the very essence of what the Olympics is all about.  This is not to say that the bodybuilder is above another Olympic athlete, there are many events that I feel embody the true spirit of the Olympics; Wrestling, the Triathlon, Gymnastics, Weight Lifting,  Cross Country Skiing, Swimming, just to name a few.  But in my mind it is insulting to know that Natural Bodybuilding is left at home while some events are included that in my mind have no business being part of the Olympics, I wont call out which ones I am referring too, as that would be unsportsmanlike, but I strongly feel that if some of these sports are present then there are a myriad of sports that deserve inclusion in the Olympic games as well.

The Natural Bodybuilder displays a level of athleticism, will, dedication, strength, intelligence, perseverance, and focus that was made for the Olympics, not to mention the physique aesthetics that embody what most of the world picture the ideal athlete to look like.  Does it get any more tailor made than that?!  Then WHY does this sport continue to get overlooked.

Aside from the fact that the Natural side of the sport gets lost in the shadows of the freak show that is its untested sister side of the sport, the most common argument I hear is that is is just too subjective of an event.  WHAT!?  Then how in the hell did events like, figure skating, diving, equine, synchronized swimming (don’t even get me started on this one), and gymnastics make it onto the scene?!?!  These are all sports that are completely dependent on judges scoring an athletes performance, not unlike that of Natural Bodybuilder.  So to me, that argument is simply ridiculous and holds no water.

So then what other reason could there possibly be to overlook this sport that quite honestly is so fundamental that its very nature can be seen in the training of virtually every other athlete on the planet.  Show me one athlete that does not have the goal of building muscle.  Whether it be in a gym, on a track, or in the water, every athlete wants to be stronger, healthier and more athletic, and that is the very essence of Natural Bodybuilding.  How insulting it is then, to have the entire sporting world discredit our efforts as athletes, and to deprive us the opportunity to compete on the most prestigious of world stages.

As I watched the opening ceremony last night, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in myself and in my sport as I watched the montage of athletes talking about what it means to them to be at these games.  I almost teared up as I watched, because as I listened to them, it recalled the shared feelings that I myself had for what my sport means to me; the struggle of the countless reps in the gym, pushing past the point of comfort deep into failure, working towards something that you want even though the pain is almost unbearable because you KNOW it will be worth it, and because you KNOW not just anyone can do it.  Isn’t this what the Olympics is all about, unwavering focus and drive to reach a level of elite athleticism that is anything but commonplace?  And of course, the sportsmanship, respect and comradery among athletes across our various disciplines?  Then I ask you…where is the respect and love for the sport of Natural Bodybuilding?

It is clear to me that I should have activated this blog in the weeks leading up to my WNBF Pro Debut.  However with the anticipation of competing with the pros for the first time and the focus that I had in my trainin for this event I think I let my vision narrow a bit.  Anyway, I am here now, and I plan on keeping this blog up to date as I move away from this past weekends show and toward Pro Show number 2!!

So, a little recap of this past weekend.  The competition was held in Evansville Indiana, it was a WNBF Pro event, "WNBF Mid America Championships", and it was a first year show.  For that reason, I had some concerns that the Pro mens line up might not be super competative, but lets face it, this is the WNBF, and these Pros are some of THE most competative physiques in the natural circuit.  Regardless of my concerns, I showed up to find out that there were some big names and solid physiques present.  World Class competitors like Tony Ruffin, Kurt Weidner, Roy Perry, and Martin Daniels just to touch on a few came to bring the quality of competion up a notch or two.  For a first year show, the Mid America Championships were a stand out event.  21 total pros in the Mens division came to vie for the overall, and the heavyweight class winner Martin Daniels looking like an absolute freak was able to beat out the lightweight class winner, Tony Ruffin, to walk away with the overall trophy.

As for myself, I was able to secure a top three placement, which as this was my pro debut, I was very pleased with.  As mentioned, Tony Ruffin took first in the light weights, and Vaughan Twigger landed second with quite possibly the most dominant set of lats I have ever seen…just unbelievable, his lats to waist ratio was simply stupid!  There was a moderate seperation in points between the top three competitors, not a huge spread, but enough to make the placements clear cut.  However there was a significant point spread from third to fourth (9 points), making my top three placement secure.

Honestly going into this show I had obvious confidence in myself, as any good competitor must have, but I maintained a level of concern with how I would handle the pro ranks.  This is a different class of competitor now, and as such, there is now room for flaws in your physique or presentation, you have to be spot on.

The venue was awesome, the majority of Natural Bodybuilding shows are held in the most embarassing of places, school auditoriums, simply b/c there is just no money in the natural side of the sport (a topic/rant for another post!!), but this show was held in the Evansville Victory Theater.  A beautifully crafted and maintained high end venue that just underwent a multi-million dollar renovation.  It was refreshing to come compete in a show where there wasnt little kids fingerpaintings posted all down the hallways.

As usual, I was able to connect up with friends and competitors that I havent seen since the last show, or longer, and as usual I met a whole host of new competitors that continue to blow me away with how nice and genuine they all are.  I maintian that the athletes that I have met over the years in the bodybuilding world are some of the nicest and coolest people I have ever been exposed to.

It was great to meet and talk with some of the pros that I have been following since I started competing back in 2004, like Kurt Weidner, and Tony Ruffin.  And to meet up and joke around with guys from past shows and whatnot like Duke Bell, and Layne Norton.

This show had all the elements for me to be just an awesome experience; great people, great competitors, great venue, well run, and of course…great placement for me!  lol

I have decided that I will compete in one more Pro Show before I go into a slightly extended off season.  In just over 5 weeks I will take another crack at the stage in Kansas City and the WNBF International Championships.  I am very excited for this one, as it has been around longer, has a great reputation, and as such will bring in a slightly more competative class of competitor.  I am eager to see how I will stack up against a little bit deeper of a line up.  But having just competed, I have a lot of feedback and things to go on to make my next outing that much better.  It was clear to me that I brought my best package ever to the stage this past weekend, and I fully believe that in 5 weeks time I will move past that and take my physique to even new levels.

I would just like to mention in here quickly, that my girlfriend Judy is one of the critical reasons for my success this past weekend, with her taking care of my tan, food, and every little thing, I probably would have stressed out and burst a blood vessel!!  lol, but with her help, the entire weekend was a breeze and completely smooth running for me.

Also, show promoters; Dr. Joe Klemzcewski, and Sean McCauley deserve some credit for pulling off an unprecidented success for a first year Pro show.  Cant wait until next year.