Time to put my transformation to the test, will be rolling out various pictures I’ve taken lately.
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The timeline is about 3 years. I need to learn how to pose, I need a tan, and I have some loose skin issues obviously.
Alright Tnation, hit me!
In terms of transformation: Nice job! impressive to have dropped all that weight and get yourself to have a body that looks like you actually lift. The transformation’s a solid 9 or 10.
In terms of “hey how does my physique, at this moment, compare to others?”:
Lighting/tan would definitely make you seem more impressive, but I mean that’s the case for everybody. Adding some more size would be my next step if I were you.
I would say you have a good look now, just work on getting bigger. Seems pretty symmetrical overall, nothing seems overly large or small for you.
What’re you plans moving forward? Are you fairly happy with staying roughly where you’re at, or do you have plans of gaining/losing weight in the near future?
[quote]staystrong wrote:
In terms of transformation: Nice job! impressive to have dropped all that weight and get yourself to have a body that looks like you actually lift. The transformation’s a solid 9 or 10.
In terms of “hey how does my physique, at this moment, compare to others?”:
Lighting/tan would definitely make you seem more impressive, but I mean that’s the case for everybody. Adding some more size would be my next step if I were you.
I would say you have a good look now, just work on getting bigger. Seems pretty symmetrical overall, nothing seems overly large or small for you.
What’re you plans moving forward? Are you fairly happy with staying roughly where you’re at, or do you have plans of gaining/losing weight in the near future?[/quote]
Thank you, I appreciate the comments.
I plan to gain roughly 50 lbs over the next 3 years, working in particular on getting my pressing strength up. I need to bring up my upper pecs, lats, and upper traps. Abs and rear delts are lagging a bit too. Of course the loose skin makes it hard for me to show much ab definition right now, but I also have shallow ab development because I never trained them consistently.
I doubt you really need to gain 50 lbs. A solid 10, 15, dare I say possibly even 20 lbs, of actual muscle will make your physique look drastically different.
Definitely a great transformation.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I doubt you really need to gain 50 lbs. A solid 10, 15, dare I say possibly even 20 lbs, of actual muscle will make your physique look drastically different.
Definitely a great transformation.
S[/quote]
You’re absolutely right Stu. Tribunaldude, who has been helping me out since I found this site, agrees with you. He also says you’re the most advanced natural on the site btw. It’s just that I don’t have the patience for the slow and steady approach to muscle building. I have a stressful job and I’m studying for a Msc. on the side, I don’t have it in me to micromanage my diet and gain slowly.
SO, what I’m going to do is gain over the next 3 years and accept the fat gain that comes along with the muscle. I will of course employ some strategies to limit fat gain, but I’m basically going all out for one last (clean) bulk. Then I’m going to buckle down and diet again, coming in heavier. I’m 31, so this is pretty much my last shot to do this.
I went from whatever weight I was in that first picture and up to 225 before I did this cut. I was FAT (what the hell, I’ll post a picture). At that point skyrocketing estrogen levels and whatnot made it very hard to gain any more. If I can get to 220 significantly leaner and stronger than last time, I think I’m putting myself in a good position. Cut down again, get a tan, learn to pose, do a show.
I’ll be starting a training log here, please do follow along and comment if you’re interested 
Btw, where did you learn to pose? Any tips? And thank you for posting.
[quote]Quick Ben wrote:
Btw, where did you learn to pose? Any tips? And thank you for posting.
[/quote]
When I first started competing, I made sure to study as many photos and videos as I could find. Pop on youtube, and watch any decent prejudging. Guaranteed that you’ll see the majority of competitors who end up in the middle of the stage (the ‘better’ ones) doing most of the same things. Now look at the guys towards the end, and see how they differ in terms of their presentation (actual quality of physique aside).
There are some okay write ups out there online and in magazines that will give you an overview of the basics (quarter turns and mandatories), but finding someone with a similar build to yours, and seeing how they best present it, or even hide weak points, is amazingly helpful. I knew that I wasn’t tall, didn’t have a narrow waist, and certainly wasn’t one of those rhythmically gifted fellows who glide around beautifully onstage. As such, I found poses that I felt suited my structure, and memorized the hell out of them.
Of course with each contest, I was able to watch videos of myself and make improvements. By the time I was a WNBF Pro, I had amateurs emailing me telling me that they were adopting various approaches that I used. I was never sure if they realized that I posed in certain ways to hide my weaknesses or not. Definitely film youself if you can. Photos helps, but if you’re onstage, holding and flexing (while smiling!) is quite different than a quick 1, 2, snap for the camera.
Also, I’m a big believer in frequent practice over long sessions. I would go through all my poses every night before bed. Maybe 10 minutes tops, and always in front of a full length mirror. It may not seem like much, but I’d be drenched in sweat every time. Another good tip is to assume a pose, hold it, then close your eyes for a few seconds. When you open your eyes, make sure your body didn’t shift out of the correct positioning. THere’s no mirrors onstage!
S
Thanks for that post, I really appreciate it. I’m starting to realize just how much goes into selling certain poses…
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Also, I’m a big believer in frequent practice over long sessions. I would go through all my poses every night before bed. Maybe 10 minutes tops, and always in front of a full length mirror. It may not seem like much, but I’d be drenched in sweat every time. Another good tip is to assume a pose, hold it, then close your eyes for a few seconds. When you open your eyes, make sure your body didn’t shift out of the correct positioning. THere’s no mirrors onstage!
S[/quote]
Stealing this