Incredible job Dave, physique looks great and really showing that nod to the Golden era you were after. It has been so good following along as you trained with the programs of the greats in prep for this contest and you should be very proud of the results.
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I totally agree with @Brant_Drake’s wife. You were the best looking one up there. You should be so proud. Mad props to you and all your hard work!
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Thank you Simo! It’s been such an incredible ride to the show. I really have no regrets. The training in the lead up to the show was extraordinarily effective at bringing about the look I was hoping to achieve for the stage. I’m going to keep the ball rolling as the diet resumed today and the training resumes tomorrow! I don’t plan on changing too much as this style of training has been extremely productive and will probably be even more effective with more calories!
@QuadQueen I genuinely appreciate that so much! I can’t even begin to voice how much the positivity that has flowed in here has truly been heart warming and inspiring! I’m feeling more motivated than ever!
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I think you look fantastic and have balls to stand up in front of a crowd.
Did it give you the competitive bug to do another show?
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I appreciate that man! Being in front of the crowd didn’t feel too crazy, I used to be in drama in high school and competing in sports my whole life, I felt very used to that! This was the the least nervous I’ve ever been for something competitive, it felt like the work had been done already and now is my chance to show it.
I definitely feel like I’ll compete again. No exact plans for what the next show will be, but I’m going to keep training balls to the wall and eating well so I’m ready to hop in again at any time!
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Back to the grind today! Shifted the split a bit to the full Serge Nubret. I think it’ll be good because it separates quads and hams and then puts them first in the workouts and they’re kind of my weak points right now. Definitely love the Arnold split and I’ll for sure return to it. This one really isn’t that different but should help bring up my weak points.
Also took a couple of pictures outside yesterday by the pool while I’m still tan lol
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Forgot to update my log yesterday so I’ve got a double entry today. Both sessions were fantastic! Got amazing pumps! I have been getting next level sore this week. Maybe it’s from the 5 days off from lifting before Monday. Regardless, I’m definitely crushing it right now.
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Congratulations! You did a fantastic job, and I love the pics!
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Thank you so much! I think they turned out pretty nice. My wife did a great job and the professional photographs look really nice and high quality. They will be great for my coaching page haha
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I always think you look like Jason Giambi.
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I would definitely take that. The subconscious programming of my avatar is working!
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Went to a gym a little outside town today that I’ve been to a few times. Border City Barbell. Really the nicest hardcore gym in this area (border on Ontario and Michigan). Highly recommend you check it out if you’re ever in the area. I was short on time today, only had an hour so I got all of my leg stuff in and all of my sets of incline and just did a single set to failure on the rest of the chest stuff. Wish I could’ve had more time to get all my sets in but still had an awesome session and it’s always fun to use some different equipment.
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It must be the avatar. Though, I think of him as an Athletic. 
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I’m a Yankee fan so I definitely think Yankee, I got to see him hit a homer and a double against the Mariners in old Yankee Stadium in ‘08! He was definitely a beast with the A’s though! I was a fan of his before he became a Yankee, so him becoming one was one of the most exciting things in my young-sports-fan life!
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Early morning session again today and it was so good!! I liked getting in and getting it knocked out early then coming back and taking a nap! The straight arm Pulldowns were probably the highlight today. They just felt perfect. The ham curls were awesome too. I was really focused on keeping my hips pushed into the pad, which increased my connection with the upper hamstrings a ton! Really want to improve my hams before my next appearance on stage!
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Got it knocked out early again today! Shoulders and arms today! Really had the most insane delt Pump that I’ve had in a long time with those lying dumbbell lateral raises! Just awesome! Outgrowing the 25s on the Standing Concentration Curl! I’ll bump those up next time. Ended the season with calves and abs. I noticed from the competition photos, those were two very strong areas for me. I had some of the most developed and 3-D abs at the contest despite not being as crispy dry and lean. As I better nail the conditioning going forward, I think I can really bring a head-turning mid section!
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Does the behind the neck press cause you any issues physically?
No, not generally. I typically warm up with just the bar and then lower it under control and fairly slow for my first set or two until I really feel warm and good, then my following sets I’m able to perform at a more normal tempo. I do keep the eccentric pretty slow. I’ve noticed that I get a little discomfort if I jump right into my working weight or if I take too narrow a grip.
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