Blog Entry
Monday, June 30, 2008
The NPA 2008 Nationals and Si-Flex Masters Universe Bodybuilding & Fitness/Figure Championships Pro Qualifier, Ft. Lee, Virginia, June 28.
Results:
NPA Masters Universe Grand Master 60+ - 2nd Place
NPA Nationals Open Men’s Lightweight - 4th Place
Best Poser - I have won Best Poser in competitions at ages 61, 62, 63, 64 and now at 65.
For the second time this season, I have been in the best condition of my life for a contest. I hit the stage at 140 pounds and 6% body fat. I was hard, lean, muscular, vascular, symmetrical, well tanned and groomed and posed my butt off and for the second time in a row, I lost to a guy who was less conditioned, less muscular, less cut, less vascular, much less symmetrical, less well tanned and groomed and not as good a poser, but HE WAS BIGGER. He was an inch shorter than me and was about 15 pounds heavier.
The message is clear. The judges were looking for size, not symmetry, size, not definition, size, not vascularity, size, not muscularity. In this show, In my opinon, shared by others, they also awarded a large heavyweight the Overall against a much more defined, muscular, symmetrical middle weight.
Because of these results, I have made a decision to stop competing for the rest of the year and the first half of next year. I am taking the next 12 months to add lean mass and not diet and cut for a guest posing appearance or contest. I will lift hard and add enough muscle mass to be able to stand on the stage next June and win my class.
Since I am not going to be training for a show anytime soon, I’m going to end this journal now and start a new journal when I begin my contest prep for my next show in 2009. This journal was called, "Fourth Year Student: My Senior Year," playing on the idea of this being my fourth year of competing as a senior and student of the sport. My new journal will be called, "Getting My Kicks On Route 66" as I compete in my 66th year.
I will continue to post on this site and add my comments to the dialogue as appropriate.
Thank you for your interest.
Old Navy
