No narration in this video, just some background music to set the mood a bit, they are not really in too much of an order other than they are some of my favorite photos from the ones I received and start off with Men's Physique and end with Classic Physique.
They are a mix of the morning pre-judging and evening awards shows but it is hard to tell the difference really all that much. Maybe I was a smidge fuller in the evening show?
Now that's the Vancouver Open is all over, what are my thoughts on how everything went? Did I meet my expectations? Was there more I could have done? How did I compare to the other guys on stage and was I perhaps at a disadvantage as I am restricted to an actual TRT dose rather than a bodybuilder dose? Can I even be competitive under these circumstances? Does it even matter since this was a personal goal to get back to the stage and at the end of the day, that is exactly what I accomplished so I would say it was a major victory if only a personal one...
What is next for me? I am not even really sure, but health will always be priority number one, followed closely by quality of life. I am a bodybuilder that lives a bodybuilder lifestyle, this can put some strain on the body but it also brings with it positive health impacts. It is about finding that perfect balance, and that is what I plan to do.
Show Day! What all the hard work is for, It's not about where I place, well at least for me this time around but rather, did I accomplish what I set out to do? My goals where simple this time around, firstly, to make it to the stage without compromising my health in any way. If health concerns arose then my plan was to shut things down.
My other goal or focus for this show was on conditioning oversize as I knew bring a lot of size to this show (as I am limited to a very low dose of TRT - 60mg per week) which keeps me in terms of muscle building ability on par with what a natural athletes should be able to accomplish. Keep in mind I am not able to compete in a natural show due to the fact that I am taking synthetic testosterone which is not allowed in natural shows even when prescribed by a doctor.
So here I am competing with guys taking body builder levels of gear while I am limited to a very conservative replacement therapy dose of Testosterone. It is what it is and I knew that going into this show and so my expectations where in line with my limitations.
I will be making a full video going over my thoughts on the show and what my plans are moving forward from this experience. I can say I am extremely pleased with how my body dealt with the stress of preparing and competing in a bodybuilding show. The additional exercise, hard dieting and then the incredible demand right before and after the show where I need to manipulate food and macros in a way that is not healthy to say the least. My body took it all in stride and didn't even flinch. I can not remember a show where I felt as good during prep and all the demands put on it during the show.
Oh ya, I also got a third place in both Men's Open Physique and Masters Classic Physique 45+. There where only 4 people in each of these classes and they all looked really good so third considering my limitations going into this show I feel is a good result.
I don't have any photos or video just yet but will post them when I do have them so stay posted.
The time has gone by so fast in this contest prep to get to the stage foe the Vancouver Open and the work is done other than just trying to fine tune my water and fullness for show day by ramping up the carbs and filling in from a very depleted state.
No matter what happens tomorrow I will be OK with it as a little over a year ago I was not sure if I would even be a part of this world anymore. The idea of doing a show was the furthest thing from my mind, I just wanted to survive and be around for my family and be able to be a somewhat productive person for myself and the people in my life.
Well my excitations have been surpassed beyond belief, and this contest prep has solidified that in my mind, I am not only back to a state of good health but I feel better than I have can remember going back even into my teens and early 20's. Nothing short of a miracle had been bestowed upon me and I am thankful.
So what does this video compose of mainly? Some eating, some exercise, some grooming and preening, some contemplation about life and this journey in particular, Some self doubt but not too much...