But see, most people do. I remember walking up to Tony Dodd (an NPC competitor who last competed around 3-4 years ago) and telling him I wanted to compete. I must have weighed what I thought was a “very developed 225lbs”. I figured I would just have to drop to about 200lbs to compete. His advice was the same I am giving here. He also went on to say that I would probably have to drop to about 185lbs to be comp ready.
Mind you, I had arms at the time closing in on nearly 19" so I thought there was no way I would need to drop that low again.
But he was right.
To be a solid 220+lbs in contest shape, you need to be walking around in the off season around 250lbs or BIGGER…especially if you are 6 feet tall.
I think Jerm has just been listening to the wrong people. Considering how few people even look muscular lately, I am guessing barely developed people are getting much smoke blown up their asses about how “big” they are from the sedentary crowd.
It doesn’t sink in where they really stand until they are in a crowded room filled with people who actually take this seriously.[/quote]
Yeah:) I’ve definitely over estimated myself alot too.
Now it’s looking like I’m going to have to double my starting weight (~96lbs… skinny fat) in contest shape… lol… good lord… even lil me will have to end up stacking on about 100lbs over my training career. And here I thought I might be able to get away with 150 at 5’2"…
yep, I was wrong. And I don’t even want to know what embarassing weight I would be at in contest shape right now. But of course… not even gonna worry about it for like 5 more years.
Isn’t it that just shorter people are going to have an advantage in nearly all the weight classes?
If I wanted to fuck around with it, would it make any sense to come in the 220’s at 6’2"?
What its looking like, is this is mostly a shorter mans game.[/quote]
It has always been a short man’s game unless the taller guy is truly carrying more muscle (proportionally and absolutely) than everyone else. When that happens, the taller guy almost always wins unless he simply lacks any aesthetic qualities.
Someone 6’2" shouldn’t even be thinking about competing at that level unless they are at least 240-250lbs IN CONTEST SHAPE…and that is assuming they have the genetics for small joints and round muscle bellies. If not, then don’t even bother until you get past 270lbs.
I don’t think many of you have actually seen someone that size in person or you would KNOW where you stand.
If people aren’t already treating you like you are a freak in the gym, chances are you do NOT have what it takes to compete at this point in time and actually do well.
Isn’t it that just shorter people are going to have an advantage in nearly all the weight classes?
If I wanted to fuck around with it, would it make any sense to come in the 220’s at 6’2"?
What its looking like, is this is mostly a shorter mans game.
It has always been a short man’s game unless the taller guy is truly carrying more muscle (proportionally and absolutely) than everyone else. When that happens, the taller guy almost always wins unless he simply lacks any aesthetic qualities.
Someone 6’2" shouldn’t even be thinking about competing at that level unless they are at least 240-250lbs IN CONTEST SHAPE…and that is assuming they have the genetics for small joints and round muscle bellies. If not, then don’t even bother until you get past 270lbs.
I don’t think many of you have actually seen someone that size in person or you would KNOW where you stand.
If people aren’t already treating you like you are a freak in the gym, chances are you do NOT have what it takes to compete at this point in time and actually do well.
[/quote]
I have seen and been around taller guys who are 270 “out of contest shape” but very muscular and believe me, they are not big enough. Impressive yes, big as hell yes, but big enough to compete? No. These guys were 6ft 3in and taller. They would need at least another 30lbs before competing.
Arms seem to be a big issue for taller guys. Even with huge forearms, when dieted down they look small comparatively. I’m 6ft three in and my forearms are over 15inches and they are not small but certainly not huge. I’d think I’d need 18 inch forearms for them to start looking damn big.
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Looking solid, but 210 at 6’ isn’t that big when you consider that you’re going to end up at least 20 lbs less once you get into contest condition, especially for an NPC (untested) show.
S
[/quote]
Gotta give it to my man Stu, OP. It’s a better bet to go to the show as a spectator and get back into the trenches and come back next year 20-40lbs heavier than have your ass handed to you on a silver platter. Thats my opinion and my current actions.
[quote]jerm wrote:
Completely. There are way too many know it alls on the T-Nation. How many are actually competitive bodybuilders or powerlifters? You can probably count em on one hand around here. Lets see some guys start showing a pic or two to go with all this knowledge, haha, yeah exactly most of these cats cant do that.
They will however be the first to tell what is and isn’t possible and how your training and diet is soo flawed, cause they read and article by some guru that said so. My ears are open to the cats with the photos and the experience to match the advice however. I’m not gonna listen to faceless, 165lb cats however, so keep it at home unless you got the beef to back it up please…[/quote]
This is cute. I’m sure everything that Bill Roberts says is completely fabricated and unfounded because he lacks a picture that completely IDs him to the world. Lets throw X in there since we can’t see his face. World too! Lets not forget Game_Over. Lets pile my man Waylandah on there too because he’s got Toney Freeman on his avatar and I’ll set myself on the very top for of the beef sandwich for shits and grins. If the T-Nation is full of faceless wannabe bitches…excuse me, 165lb cats there are plenty of bro forums for you to join.
[quote]djrobins wrote:
Lets make weight terms “competition weight”, s the original 230-250lbs I was saying was “competition weight”, assuming off season is 25-40lbs heavier.
So your saying that 6 ft to 6 ft 4 in needs to be 270-300 competition weight, even at the lower levels?
Thats what I’m talking about, state level amateur “natural”.
I have seen some “taller” leaner “cut” individuals win such competitions.[/quote]
dude natural guys are not going to be weighing 270-300 lbs come competition. I’d say maybe 205-215 for a 6 ft natural.
When I first mentioned to people at my gym that I was going to compete, they all assumed that because I was always around 205-210 lbs that I’d be a heavyweight. When I explained that after dieting to insane conditions, I’d be dropping at least 20 lbs, they would comment how I was already in ‘good shape’ -lol.
The funny thing is that in hindsight, the couple of comments about how I would end up as one of the ‘bigger’ naturals,… and here I am, now at around 176 lbs, and still 5 weeks out! Cordova puts it best with his conditoning… You have to “diet until your cheeks suck in”. Sadly, in real life, the ‘larger’ Natural guys are only tipping the scales at about 190 lbs. Which, at the heights they usually are, doesn’t sound like much.
I have no idea why a novice division even exists in bodybuilding? It just encourages average builds like the OP to waste time competing when they could be trying to reach their potential instead, some of the people on stage in these novice classes look disgustingly under developed.
So what your saying is a person 6’1" should aim for 220lbs at contest shape (3-4%BF)? My god i totally underestimated how small i am and how many years upon years i have to put in to even try and compete competitively.
X- are you ever going to compete? 5’10 and 250? Your fucking huge, why so long, what if you get to the size you want but cant maximise your success cos of ur age? (no i have no idea how old you are)
ps. waylanderxx - 275 now man, congrats, youve blownup heaps since ive been on here congrats.
[quote]pro-a-ggression wrote:
So what your saying is a person 6’1" should aim for 220lbs at contest shape (3-4%BF)? My god i totally underestimated how small i am and how many years upon years i have to put in to even try and compete competitively.[/quote]
Someone who is 6’1" should be shooting for more than 220lbs. I also suggest some of you start paying attention to NPC comps. That is the level right before these guys turn pro and is also the closest to the ideal physiques that came along in the late 80’s.
Most of you seem to be drastically underestimating how big you have to be to do well in these contests.
I’m in my early 30’s and already have a career. Yes, I would like to compete but it is not a top priority. Also, I don’t give out how much I currently weigh on the forums.
Considering most of the guys doing well currently are either my age or older, no, I am not worried about my age right now. Some of those guys didn’t start placing well until their 40’s.
If I compete, it will be within the next two years.
I have been enjoying being able to hold heavier weights for longer these past two years which is something I wasn’t able to do previously.
I think it will make a big difference when I diet down.
I seem to be getting a lot more people than usual coming up to me lately and asking why I’m not competing yet…so I sort of feel an obligation to do so just to justify the size I am carrying.
Fitting in hours of cardio is something I don’t have a solution to right now either. My schedule is too tight. That alone can erase my efforts. Dieting hard at this point would mean becoming a hermit for 3 months and not seeing the light of day unless I am walking to my car from the gym.
That is why I have just been trying to hold my current weight and see if I can instigate a positive composition change.
he was 250lbs @ 5’6" with abs [trained for around 15 years at this point] and he only dieted down for a show because he got tired of people telling him to compete and did it to shut them up lol
He never actually won, 2nd was his best and he just told me straight “I never got into this for competition” and he said he just couldn’t subject himself to the mad diets to get to sub 5% BF
he was 250lbs @ 5’6" with abs [trained for around 15 years at this point] and he only dieted down for a show because he got tired of people telling him to compete and did it to shut them up lol
He never actually won, 2nd was his best and he just told me straight “I never got into this for competition” and he said he just couldn’t subject himself to the mad diets to get to sub 5% BF
[/quote]
That’s how I feel about it. I do this because I love it. That is why I am in the gym on a regular basis and why I can never say, “I train ‘off and on’”. That is also why I object to people claiming you can’t call yourself a “bodybuilder” unless you compete.
I’ve seen many people who compete who do not look impressive in the least. They are not more of a bodybuilder than me simply because they jumped on stage.
All of the hard work in this is put in for years in the gym. That is where you create physiques that stand out to that degree. Jumping on stage is for those who have reached the pinnacle of development and are ready to show it off…it is not for every wannabe average looking gym goer just so they can say they did it.
If I do compete, it won’t be “just for the experience”.
