Also include the poor lighting pics. It is a good test for your separation to boldly show regardless of the lighting.
An extreme example: I was on the judging panel of the 1981 AAU Mr America held in Las Vegas. The pre-judging was done in a convention hall (low ceiling) in Caesar’s Palace. There was no overhead lighting, but they had horizontal lighting from both sides at about a 45 degree angle. One side washed out what separation the other side highlighted. And visa a versa. It washed out literally everyone but Tim Belknap. His separation was stark. No one had fine definition that could be seen. The night show and finals were held in the theatre.
Pull+Hams (Width)
Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025 at 11:07am
Lat Pulldown (Cable)
Set 1: 160 lbs x 15
Set 2: 160 lbs x 13 [Failure]
Straight Arm Lat Pulldown (Cable)
Set 1: 55 lbs x 11 [Failure]
Set 2: 55 lbs x 10 [Failure]
Preacher Curl (Barbell)
Set 1: 75 lbs x 15
Set 2: 75 lbs x 12 [Failure]
Shrug (Smith Machine)
Set 1: 275 lbs x 20
Set 2: 0 lbs x 0
Lying Leg Curl (Machine)
Set 1: 0 lbs x 0
Set 2: 0 lbs x 0
Set 3: 0 lbs x 0
@hevyapp
I tried pushing through, but the migraine won today. Couldn’t finish shrugs and wasn’t going to attempt laying down for ham curls. Probably calling it an early day at work as well.
I hope that you get to the bottom of the cause of the migraines soon. The final weeks of contest prep is painful enough without migraines. I just cannot imagine the push it would take have to deal with working through migraines too.
My wife has around 6 migraines a month. So, I have “some” idea what you are dealing with.
No, because I’m too fat to be on as low of calories I’m on. A couple weeks ago, my answer would have been ‘yes’. 3 weeks of no scale change has changed my answer.
I believe we started too low and now have scant left to pull from with a lot of progress left to go.
I’ll take fault for this as I was already eating 1k cals under maintenance before we even started. I asked if we should return to maintenance for a bit then start, was given the option to do either, and chose to push on with low calories.
Pull+Hams (Thickness)
Saturday, Aug 30, 2025 at 2:28pm
Seated Cable Row
Set 1: 160 lbs x 16 [Failure]
Set 2: 140 lbs x 13 [Failure]
Dante Row
Set 1: 100 lbs x 11 [Failure]
Set 2: 100 lbs x 8 [Failure]
Preacher Curl (Barbell)
Set 1: 75 lbs x 14 [Failure]
Set 2: 75 lbs x 8 [Failure]
Shrug (Smith Machine)
Set 1: 275 lbs x 20
Set 2: 275 lbs x 20 [Failure]
Lying Leg Curl (Machine)
Set 1: 150 lbs x 15
Set 2: 150 lbs x 12 [Failure]
Set 3: 150 lbs x 7 [Failure]
@hevyapp
Okay so we’re pushing the show back to Dec 6th and taking a few weeks to try working calories back up in the meantime.
This will be a long shot no matter what, but I’m gonna give it my all.
I don’t know much if anything about cold plunges, but I always consider adverse consequences when adding something to my bodybuilding protocol.
I don’t know the benefits from a competitor’s perspective. But my concern would be that my body might adapt to the cold plunges, which I would suppose are severe, by adding subcutaneous fat to help insulate my body in an effort help maintain 98.6.
And the last thing you need to fight is extra subcutaneous fat.
