2011 NMA The Reach For The Ring Awards Ceremony For The Open Men’s Lightweight Champion.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
2011 NMA The Reach for the Rings Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini Championships, Saegertown, PA, April 16.
Body Weight: 145.0 Pounds, Body Fat < 5%
Personal Results:
Men’s Masters 50+ 2nd Place
Men’s Masters 60+ 2nd Place
Open Men’s Lightweight 1st Place. I had a blast in the Overall Judging and Pose down. The Middleweight won the show. Well deserved.
Best Poser. I captured my sixth Best Poser Award in the last seven years (I have won Best Poser at age 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 and 67. I didn’t compete in a contest that offered a Best Poser Award in my 67th year).
Getting There Was Half Of The Battle!
I was scheduled to fly from Birmingham, Alabama to Detroit and on to Pittsburgh at 11 am Friday to arrive at around 2:30. After picking up a rental car, the drive to Saegertown was 90-minutes. Due to crazy weather in the Southeast, my flights were delayed, canceled and changed. I finally arrived in Saegertown at 9:30 Friday night, missing my scheduled 8:30 polygraph drug test. I had called the promoter earlier and she graciously rescheduled me for 8 am Saturday morning. I had a great carb up dinner at a family owned restaurant called Chovy’s Italian Casual near the hotel. Yum! The next morning I arrived in time for the toughest polygraph test I’ve ever taken. The tester was looking for cheaters and asked the same questions several times and in several different ways. At the end, he didn’t say anything for 30-seconds and then said, “You passed.” Ha, ha. The laugh was mine.
The show was well run by Lisa and Jon Ketcham and the support staff was top notch. I enjoyed the competition and had a great time on stage.
The coolest thing for me was personal. Russ Testo, an outstanding posing coach and choreographer, was the Guest Poser for the show and also held a posing clinic for the athletes after Pre-judging. I have worked with Russ on my posing and on six different 90-seconds posing routines. Russ was in the audience when I won my six Best Poser Award, doing a routine that Russ and I developed five-years ago. We enjoyed a post-contest dinner together at the same restaurant I went to on Friday. It was well worth a second visit.
I got up at 4 am on Sunday to drive to Pittsburgh to catch a 7 am plane home. All my flights were on time and I got home at 9:30 am and made it to Church for the 11 am service, and took my usual seat in the choir. I sing bass.
My 32nd show was very successful. I placed well, won an Open Weight Class, a Best Poser Award and brought the best conditioned physique I’ve ever had for a contest. I was pumped.
I’ll be 68 next week. I wonder what my 68th year will bring?
I took Monday off and returned to training today:
Hypertrophy Strength Training
There are only 4, 5, or 6 reps in each set. This is a heavy lifting plan, so pick a weight where you will come close to failure at the end of each set. Be deliberate in your pace. Squeeze the muscle at the top of the lift. Lower the weight slowly for negative effect. Try for a four-count rep. One count, power up, then, two, three and four count, a slow decent.
Chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Abs
Incline Bench Dumb Bell Press
2 x 4 x 52.5 pound dumb bells
2 x 4 x 60.0 pound dumb bells
Flat Bench Dumb Bell Press
4 x 6 x 60 pound dumb bells
Wide Grip Lat Pull
4 x 4 x 175 pounds
Laterals
3 x 6 x 20 pound dumb bells (side)
3 x 6 x 20 pound dumb bells (bent)
Triceps Press Downs
4 x 6 x 70 pounds
Crunches
200 slow hard reps
Cardio:
After training 30 minutes, moderate pace
Supplements:
I use the award winning AAEFX Flex Wheeler Signature Series
Kre-Alkalyn EFX PRO Pre-Workout Energy and Muscle Activator
Nytric EFX PRO Vascularity and Muscle-Pump Intensifier
CELL RUSH Post Workout Muscle Cell Re-fueling System
LBA PRO Liquid Amino Acid and Protein Complex
LG5 PRO Liquid Glutamine and Cell Volumizer
K-OTIC Hardcore Psychoactive Performance Igniter
NF-PRO 100% Pro-Grade Whey Protein
Old Navy
