I went to the Mr. USA, a natural show and pro qualifier for the WNBF. I thought it was a great experience because I saw up close what naturals are made of, which will be useful because if all goes well, I plan on competing in my first natural show in a year to year and half (gotta gain a lot of size and strength back from being out of the loop for two years).
Congrats and welcome back, Brick.
So, what prompted you to not only get back into bodybuilding, but compete, also?
Very interesting to see natural shows after spending Saturday at the Bodypower Expo with the least natural of all beings on this earth, haha. The guy on the left looks really great. I’m also very interested because I’m starting to think competing in 2013 could be an option for myself as well.
[quote]imhungry wrote:
Congrats and welcome back, Brick.
So, what prompted you to not only get back into bodybuilding, but compete, also?[/quote]
I gave up on it all and chose to just “keep in shape” and “keep healthy”, which we know isn’t the same as bodybuilding and oftentimes gives leeway in missing workouts because after all, you’re just a “regular guy keeping in shape” when you do that sort of thing–not a bad lifestyle, but again, not the same as bodybuilding.
The reason why I gave up for awhile is a bit personal. Put it this way, for some time it felt like my life would never be stable enough to sustain a serious bodybuilding lifestyle, let alone one that allows for competition. (Actually, I don’t think it’s suitable for many people, even if they want to compete because of their job, lifestyle, or various “anchors”.) This instability and irresponsibility pretty much lead me to say, "Ah, screw this; I’ll just stay in shape as best I can, but that hardcore stuff is over. It was a phase in my life, and it’s time to move on.
All that changed when I found a new job, became serious with my girlfriend whom I plan on marrying, forming new friendships with new people (some of which were started on T-mag), and above all, adjusted my attitude. My love for lifting just came back. I never thought it would. Also, I believe competing will help my reputation as a dietitian, particularly a sports and body composition oriented one.
Here’s another flick. I actually went to this event with two T-maggers.
I know we have barely spoken to eachother on here Brick, but good to see you back and good luck with the
show.
Would be cool to see more pics from the natural show btw if you have any more.
[quote]florelius wrote:
I know we have barely spoken to eachother on here Brick, but good to see you back and good luck with the
show.
Would be cool to see more pics from the natural show btw if you have any more.
[/quote]
Thanks!
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
Over 50 Class
See examples of those who don’t get in shape but get on stage anyway. [/quote]
I watched an over 50s class on Saturday… (non-natural) show but stupidly inspiring all the same. The guy who won was 65! And looked phenomenal. The announcer said “just goes to show what bodybuilding can do”. Hope to see many cool moments like that at shows in the future.
Edit: Looking good in the avi, Brick.
Jake: Thanks a lot. It’s been fun getting back into it, but I have a way to go before I get back my old size and strength, let alone make some new progress, which can be painfully slow for naturals.
Yeah, I think natural bodybuilding is great; it can be a great, healthy lifestyle for an average guy with decent genetics. It’s very rewarding and can lead to new connections, professional and social.
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
[quote]imhungry wrote:
Congrats and welcome back, Brick.
So, what prompted you to not only get back into bodybuilding, but compete, also?[/quote]
I gave up on it all and chose to just “keep in shape” and “keep healthy”, which we know isn’t the same as bodybuilding and oftentimes gives leeway in missing workouts because after all, you’re just a “regular guy keeping in shape” when you do that sort of thing–not a bad lifestyle, but again, not the same as bodybuilding.
The reason why I gave up for awhile is a bit personal. Put it this way, for some time it felt like my life would never be stable enough to sustain a serious bodybuilding lifestyle, let alone one that allows for competition. (Actually, I don’t think it’s suitable for many people, even if they want to compete because of their job, lifestyle, or various “anchors”.) This instability and irresponsibility pretty much lead me to say, "Ah, screw this; I’ll just stay in shape as best I can, but that hardcore stuff is over. It was a phase in my life, and it’s time to move on.
All that changed when I found a new job, became serious with my girlfriend whom I plan on marrying, forming new friendships with new people (some of which were started on T-mag), and above all, adjusted my attitude. My love for lifting just came back. I never thought it would. Also, I believe competing will help my reputation as a dietitian, particularly a sports and body composition oriented one.
Here’s another flick. I actually went to this event with two T-maggers. [/quote]
I’m glad to see things are going well for you, bud. Being around the right people and woman can do wonders for your state of mind. I found that out the hard way.
I always enjoyed your posts… even when you went off the deep end, sometimes 
[quote]imhungry wrote:
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
[quote]imhungry wrote:
Congrats and welcome back, Brick.
So, what prompted you to not only get back into bodybuilding, but compete, also?[/quote]
I gave up on it all and chose to just “keep in shape” and “keep healthy”, which we know isn’t the same as bodybuilding and oftentimes gives leeway in missing workouts because after all, you’re just a “regular guy keeping in shape” when you do that sort of thing–not a bad lifestyle, but again, not the same as bodybuilding.
The reason why I gave up for awhile is a bit personal. Put it this way, for some time it felt like my life would never be stable enough to sustain a serious bodybuilding lifestyle, let alone one that allows for competition. (Actually, I don’t think it’s suitable for many people, even if they want to compete because of their job, lifestyle, or various “anchors”.) This instability and irresponsibility pretty much lead me to say, "Ah, screw this; I’ll just stay in shape as best I can, but that hardcore stuff is over. It was a phase in my life, and it’s time to move on.
All that changed when I found a new job, became serious with my girlfriend whom I plan on marrying, forming new friendships with new people (some of which were started on T-mag), and above all, adjusted my attitude. My love for lifting just came back. I never thought it would. Also, I believe competing will help my reputation as a dietitian, particularly a sports and body composition oriented one.
Here’s another flick. I actually went to this event with two T-maggers. [/quote]
I’m glad to see things are going well for you, bud. Being around the right people and woman can do wonders for your state of mind. I found that out the hard way.
I always enjoyed your posts… even when you went off the deep end, sometimes
[/quote]
Thanks a lot. I always enjoyed speaking with you.
I’m a different person now. And if I could turn back time, I wouldn’t have behaved the way I did, on and off the net. I have deep remorse and regret for the way I treated some people, even if it was just some trash talk on an internet message board. I want to marry, have kids, and start my own website business (obviously on dietetics, health, and fitness). So there came a time to grow up and stop acting like a kid (and moron). Also, working in a rehab and nursing center and seeing some people in bad shape, having to care for people, and seeing some family members become ill and age changed me. I seriously never want to mistreat or behave poorly to someone again.
Heya, Brick!
I was actually taking a dump and surfing the Bodybuilding forum when I saw a thread by a suspicious sounding user coming up 
Looking solid in your new avi, can’t wait to see what you’re going to look like in 12 - 18 months time.
And kudos to having your life ‘realigned’.
Welcome back, Brick!
I’m gonna stab you Brick
That’ll change you back to BrickNyce
You will go off the deep end again
Yes - his progress lately has been fantastic. Looking forward to seeing him do a show. He can do very well, that’s for sure. : )
[quote]SkyNett wrote:
Yes - his progress lately has been fantastic. Looking forward to seeing him do a show. He can do very well, that’s for sure. : ) [/quote]
^x2. I just saw him in person last month, and he’s already looking much thicker. A lot of people don’t realize how much larger Brick was before he got into his ‘mens health’ look for a while there. Gonna be very cool to see him regain old muscle and even add to it. Having a goal (stepping onstage in this case) can light a fire under your training like nothing else.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
[quote]SkyNett wrote:
Yes - his progress lately has been fantastic. Looking forward to seeing him do a show. He can do very well, that’s for sure. : ) [/quote]
^x2. I just saw him in person last month, and he’s already looking much thicker. A lot of people don’t realize how much larger Brick was before he got into his ‘mens health’ look for a while there. Gonna be very cool to see him regain old muscle and even add to it. Having a goal (stepping onstage in this case) can light a fire under your training like nothing else.
S[/quote]
And, while a lot of people were giving him shit about it, he actually helped himself out by getting very lean and improving insulin sensitivity. So now he’s perfectly primed for growth without adding excessive fat.
I watched this kid put away a huge salad with oil and vinegar, a raft of chicken kabobs over rice with a nice baked potato at the diner after the show on Saturday night - and he was still hungry! Lol…
hey brick welcome back. read your bodybuilding bible even before i joined TNation. just curious if you are currently using the same general principles you outlined in that thread. thanks
[quote]jake_j_m wrote:
Very interesting to see natural shows after spending Saturday at the Bodypower Expo with the least natural of all beings on this earth, haha. The guy on the left looks really great. I’m also very interested because I’m starting to think competing in 2013 could be an option for myself as well. [/quote]
Sounds good!
The guy on the left won and earned his WNBF pro card.