Thanks for the reply. Any idea which fed is prominent here in the Deep South?
I know the NGA has quite a few shows in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, etc. All of the federations have websites with their contest schedules for the whole year! Iād check out the INBF, NANBF, OCB, NGA, USBF. There are others but those are the biggest off the top of my head
Dentist- There really is a choice among the various federations around the states. Very few are known all over, or even outside the Country. When I first competed, I didnāt really know any differences, merely that I would need to find a show that was feasible for me to get to by car or subway.
At the time, I knew of the Inbf because I was always picking up Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness magazine in Penn station every month, and all the top guys obviously were featured in the federation sponsored pages.
The first federation I competed in for a couple of years (the Usbf) was pretty well known on the East coast, and had a good number of shows, large classes, and contests that were mostly (except one that never repeated) very well run by experienced professionals.
As I spent more time around the sport, I realized that there were certain reputations among competitors about different federations in regard to their levels of adherence to drug testing policies, as well as caliber of competition you would find.
If the drug issue is really important to you, definitely (after you pick shows that are possibilities) check into their banned lists (full WADA profile, or pick n choose) as well as how long you must be ācleanā (most respectable shows are 7 years, but some are only 1 year!).
If reputation is important to you (aside from just making yourself proud), check recent contests staged by that specific federation. There have sprung up a good number of small organizations in the last couple of years, and you can find multiple instances of only 2 competitors in a class, with the winner turning āPro.ā
Everyone is different, but to me, a win has to mean that you actually beat some competition. Most respectable feds require at least 5 competitors per class or a pro card canāt be awarded no matter how good you look. Heck, Iāve judged shows where after we see one competitor get stomped and barely take 5th in their class, we hear that theyāre a āProā in some tiny, almost unknown federation.
I donāt mean this as a dig at anyone, because I respect all competitors who suffer through preps and get up there to duke it out, but it does seem like every time I pop on Facebook I see a new jumble of letters signifying the latest entry to pull competitors away from the larger, long running shows.
S
Thanks Stu, pwolves. Iāll keep checking the INBF website for updates; hopefully they will have a comp in my neck of the woods next Spring. Iāll also look into the other feds that pwolves mentioned. Thanks again.
So hereās something to think about:
I love talking about competing, and anytime current, or even potential competitors ask my opinions, Iāll always try to be helpful. However, I do so with the disclaimer and explanation that they are MY opinions, and obviously when I make various decisions, weighing all available information at the time, I honestly believe that I am making the right call. Sure, hindsight can give some perspective, but luckily, Iāve been very fortunate in the majority of calls Iāve made.
A current client recently asked me my thoughts on a friend of herās decision to do a 2nd show just a few weeks after their very 1st one. Now, usually with a question like this, I would automatically assume that the friend had done relatively well in the first one, and that the additional time before the next could only add to what was already decent conditioning, hopefully bring a better, more polished package to the stage. (Youāre certainly not adding any considerable extra muscle in a few short weeks between shows!)
Well, it turns out her friend had come in dead last at the first show, and was hysterical in tears after the experience. When I was shown stage pics online, I was horrified that she got onstage at what was a very large, and competitive NPC show. Now, before anyone jumps on me here, please realize that Iām not disrespecting someone who was overweight finally getting in good shape, Iām talking about a girl who either had no clue what she was getting into, or possibly was being fed too many pats on the back from (well meaning?) friends. Eventually landing her onstage with people who truly live the ācompetitiveā side of the sport year round.
So this got me thinking, if you havenāt made actual improvements from one show to the next, is it worthwhile to you to get up there? Obviously, itās going to vary based on the person, and what they hope to get out of the endeavor. Consider these situations:
1- A grandmasters competitor who loves competing, but fully realizes that the level of competition found in āhis classā on the contest circuit will be limited, not to mention sparesly populated. If the individual gains self respect, and a reason to keep at it throughout the year, then I have no problem with him (or her!) getting up there as opportunities arise, even though progress at this point might be scarely noticeable at all.
2- The āaddicted competitor.ā This guy ocassionally makes top 5, but pretty often not. It solely depends on the # of guys in his class, as well as how tough the lineup is. Visible progress never seems to occur, for whatever variety of reasons, and he never manages to land in a top 3 spot. Still, at the many smaller and certainly less competitive shows throughout the years, he has managed to amass quite a collection of 5th place trophies. Possibly he just loves the cammeraderie at shows, loves talking about himself as a competitor, hell maybe he even believes itās āpoliticsā that always seem to keep him out of the top spot. Regardless, the idea of bringing an actually improved physique just doesnāt seem to be part of the plan.
3- My own approach (of course I was gonna throw out what I did, and why! -lol), was that I always wanted to be better than the previous outting. In fact, one of my favorite sayings is that āIf youāre better with each successive contest, youāve already won no matter where you place.ā After my first contest, having done very well, several judges approached me afterward to inform me of other contests in the near future. Of course I knew, having always tried to be objective with myself, that I needed to be better than I currently was. As such, I only competed each Spring, and then had a solid 9 months to really focus on smart improvements.
Now, like I said, itās all going to come down to what the individual wants out of the sport. In my case, when the competitive bug bit me, I instantly was hooked, and needed to see how far I could take things. With other people though, that may be their intended goal as well, but perhaps they just donāt go about it correctly.
Still, there will always be those who do it for the sheer enjoyment, and I truly get it. In the case of someone getting smacked down so hard in their first show, I guess itās just a little difficult for someone like me, who has always tried to be so analytical and intelligent in how I approach things, to understand just what rationalization went into the decision to jump right back onstage, looking exactly the same.
S
Thought this was cool.
S
http://yourproudestmoment.com/71-yr-old-body-builder-peter-ciraulo-proudest-moment/
So while Iām still chiming in on plenty of threads, I realized that I havenāt really updated my own in a while.
My wife, Catherine, gave birth to our first son a few weeks back, so things have been a littleā¦um, hectic -lol. The ālittleā bundle of joy weighed in at 10 lbs, 1 oz and taped at 22" long. A far cry from the wifeās and my more average statures, but I guess time will tell if weāve got a true heavyweight on our hands (Iāll be showing him how to his his mandatory poses just as soon as heās able to walk!)
With the few days spent sleeping in the hospital, my right shoulder started feeling a bit achy. I didnāt give it much thought at first, and returned to the gym just as soon as time allowed. Well, even though we all had suspicions when my left shoulder went under the knife two years ago that eventually my right would catch up, itās pretty easy to forget when things are going well.
Long story short, I had my right shoulder checked by a friend/dpt and itās looking to be even worse than my left was. Thereās all sorts of play in the joint, which worries me in terms of general stability. An MRI followed the very next day (yesterday), and Iāll be talking to the surgeon at length on MOnday. Weāre all jokingly taking bets on just how bad things are.
Having gone through this already and knowing whatās involved, I think itās a lot easier to take things in stride this time. With my wife off from work with the baby, I figure the quicker I get this done and back on the mend, the better all around. Like last time, Iām obviouly planning on controlling what I can in terms of diet, supplements, and gym time. Luckily where I go for my Physical Therapy, everyone knows me and what a meathead I am, and my routine sessions always involve actual gym workouts in addition to just injury-rehab stuff.
The funny sidenote is that my middle brother needs both of his shoulder done, and thereās good possibility weāll have our surgeries on the same day. Images of Stallone and Schwarzenegger in side by side hospital beds comes to mind 
So crazy that weāve all had labrums - itās just a genetic predisposition according to the surgeons - but I suppose it could always be worse.
S
Yikes, tough break. Amazing time we live in though that something like that can not only be imaged with the MRI, but taken care of somewhat by surgery.
Thats a huuuge kid BTW, def the next ronnie coleman right there.
Utmost congratulations on your healthy offspring, Stu. I hope the prognosis/recovery for your right shoulder is swift!
dangā¦big kid! congratulations, stu
Congrats Stu!
I assume you will be feeding him Metabolic Drive baby formula 
Lol, thanks guys. We just had the lil bugger to the pediatrician the other day, and he gained another lb just in the last 2 weeks. I donāt know how long this growth rate will keep up, but Iām sure most of us meat-heads are jealous. Weāre definitely taking a hit in the sleep dept though. Catās off from work for a bit, but Iām still up at 5am every day, so with the crying n screaming every few hours throughout the night (the baby, not Cat!), Iāve been more of a zombie than usual.
Also, we scheduled my shoulder surgery for next Thursday, so I can take 2 days off, and then have the weekend to sort myself out. Last time, I was at PT just a few days post operation, so if things go similarly, I wonāt miss much time away from the weights (my Therapy sessions always seem to include some ārealā training!)
My middle brother is having his shoulder done on the same day, so Iām picturing us laid up side by side joking about what wrecks weāve become. Thanksgiving dinner with both of us unable to use our dominant hands to eat? Should be fairly entertaining.
Good times, good timesā¦
S
Congrats Stu! Thatās a handsome looking boy youāve got there. I remember when my first child was born, it seemed like we spent most of the day just staring at him and watching him. They truly are a blessing.
Good luck with the shoulder! At least you have a new little buddy to keep your mind off of it.
Lol yeah, it really does just blow my mind sometimes just watching him
Wide eyed, just staring and taking it all in. Everything so newā¦ Just crazy.
Gotta be at the hospital at 6am for the surgery, so as Iām typing this Iām killing a double Philly cheesesteak burger as my last meal before the ādonāt eat afterā cut off.
Iāll actually be spending the next couple of days at my middle brothers place (the one who is having his shoulder scoped tomorrow too). He called to let me know that he picked up plenty of comic
Books and DVDs so despite us both being all messed up on percocets, and occasional jolts of intense pain, it should be a good time.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Lol yeah, it really does just blow my mind sometimes just watching him
Wide eyed, just staring and taking it all in. Everything so newā¦ Just crazy.
Gotta be at the hospital at 6am for the surgery, so as Iām typing this Iām killing a double Philly cheesesteak burger as my last meal before the ādonāt eat afterā cut off.
Iāll actually be spending the next couple of days at my middle brothers place (the one who is having his shoulder scoped tomorrow too). He called to let me know that he picked up plenty of comic
Books and DVDs so despite us both being all messed up on percocets, and occasional jolts of intense pain, it should be a good time.
S
[/quote]
Good luck, I hope the procedure goes smoothly and successfully. Enjoy the perc while you can, too
āMe
lol, I donāt think I used the Percs much after my other shoulderās scope 2 years ago, but this time,ā¦ Whoah have I gotten some serious jolts of pain!
Of course this time, while there wasnāt any arthritis evident in the area, they did need to address the cuff as well as the labrum, so I have a much more complicated brace/sling for this arm. Also, while the rehab time will be a bit longer than last time, I was told that the āceiling of recoveryā is the best on this arm than my other arm, or even either of my brothersā arms (weāve all got bad shoulders apparently). So Despite the rough days Iāve been having, and most likely will have in terms of going back to work, the bottom line is that I should come out of this (hopefully) in a better place than after my last scope.
In the meantime, Iāll do what I did last timer around: single leg work 4x a week -lol
I just canāt stay away
S
Aside from the pain I hope all is going well, keep us posted.
Thought this was cool. A friend of mine since I was about 5 now writes a bit and picked my brain for his latest ESPN piece on A-rodās prospects considering his age, injuries, time off, and of course PED usage.
S
So after chatting with thew surgeon the other day, hereās a brief little summary:
-My labrum was torn, but not as bad as my previous shoulder. They showed me a bunch of photos and pointed out areas that could have potentially become problems down the line, but luckily they addressed them now.
-My cuff only has a small pinhole sized hole, but it was still a full thickness tear. So while the initial plan was just a little cleaning up (debridement -sp?), they ended up putting a few stitches in it just to make sure everything would be good to go.
His general description in comparing this shoulder to my previous one, and also to my brotherās shoulder (that he had worked on as well on the day he did mine), was that āeverything is fixable.ā Basically, even though I was fully expecting this one to be worse than my earlier surgery just because itās two years of further use lare, it wasnāt.
For some reason, the pain seems to be worse, and unlike last time when I only took the pain meds for a couple of days, I find myseld seriously counting down until I can get my next dose to alleviate some of the almost constant discomfort.
All in all though, especially today when everyone is going through what theyāre thankful for, I realize that thngs could have been much much worse. Like last time, Iām going to do whatever I can, with the constant reminder that at some point, this will be behind me, and that Iāll be back to my usual āwalking into the gym like I own itā each afternoon.
In the meantime, for anyone else following along, think a moment about how many little aches and pains that we encounter over the years as part of our chosen lifestyle. Consider how many times you may have just missed a serious injury just due to the nature of doing what we love so much. If after years and years, you can still get youyr aging butt in there, an under the iron, and still derive joy from it, even if the goal posts may have moved a bit,ā¦ be thankful. I know that I am
S
Glad the prognosis is good, and sorry about the pain 
I hope it passes quickly.
That was a fun article you linked to. The only thing skipped was the discussion on all of the PEDs a-rod can still take which arenāt tested for by MLB
āMe