So, I Decided To Compete In My First Bodybuilding Show...

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Introduction

So I decided to do my first bodybuilding show at 35! Yes, I’m probably old-er than you imagined — I get it all the time. But I assure you I am 35 and have been lifting for close to 16 years now, consistently. Throughout those 16 years, never have I considered getting on a stage to be judged by strangers in naught but my underwear (if you can even call it that). It’s not so much the attire (I used to wrestling in front of crowds of people in a singlet) as it was not seeing the point.

I’ve always wanted to be muscular, but more than that it was something that I enjoyed, and needed to do. After my high school years, my emotional and mental health was an issue. I felt lost, confused, angry, and ultimately, depressed. My doctor at the time said I could either take anti-depressants or go to the gym. 16 years in the gym later, I’m still taking my “medication.”

My involvement with bodybuilding and fitness has only increased as I’ve gotten older. It’s not only something that I still do, but something that I study, debate, and obsess over. I’ve coached/taught hundreds of people over the last few years how to improve their training by creating my very own fitness community, Gaintrust. And you know what they say about teaching, it’s the best way to learn. Becoming meticulous about my training has had serious implications. I am bigger and stronger than ever in just a couple of years and people have noticed…

That brings us to today. Prior to the last year, I’ve never had someone approach me in the gym to ask if I compete in bodybuilding or if I was a professional bodybuilder, but I was getting it all the time. While this was happening, online friends who also compete have been urging me to do so. “You would crush it, no questions asked.” The possibility of going pro as a bodybuilder was even floated.

With all of this being said, the idea of getting on a stage and showcasing my physique for a series of judges is pretty far outside of my comfort zone. I can be quite introverted at times. I really don’t like to draw too much attention to myself, to the point of being accused of being anti-social. But this presented me with a real opportunity. Self growth along with the possibility of doing something very few are able to accomplish is something I can’t turn my back on.

So I signed up for my first bodybuilding show. The first show will be on June 28th. The beginning of my competitive bodybuilding career and hopefully a lot more.

Competition

I will be competing in the NPC Northeast in the Men’s Classic Physique division. I’m considering competing in other divisions as well (Men’s Physique and Men’s Bodybuilding). While I haven’t made a decision on that yet, I’m leaning towards competing in all divisions.

Depending on how I place in my first show will determine what I do for my second show. By winning a national qualifier, I am eligible to compete in an IFBB qualifier. This is where you have the chance of becoming an IFBB PRO Bodybuilder. Pretty exciting stuff!

Background Dieting History

Last year when I first considered doing a bodybuilding show, I weighted roughly 210 lbs (I am 5’10”) at roughly 15% body fat. I cut down from 210 down to 189 over the course of roughly 4 months. Around October this was what I looked like. I was roughly 7-8% body fat.

189 lbs at the bottom of my cut

From there, I did a maintenance phase (held my weight), followed by a 4 month growth phase where, at one point, I was consuming 4,200 calories per day — it was hell. While I did eventually require a ton of calories to grow, my approach to gaining muscle was gradual. For roughly half of my growth phase I was incrementing calories in small chunks to keep the growth to roughly 1 lbs per week (our bodies adapt to what it’s used to). The growth phase started at somewhere close to 2,800 calories per day, and eventually reached the 4,200 calories I have already mentioned — most of the calories were carbs. The end of my bulk has me at 215 lbs (again 5’ 10”).

During my cut and growth phase, my training split 5x per week, Upper-Lower-Pull-Push-Legs. This way I trained every muscle group at least 2x per week. Recently however, I have shifted to a strict, Push-Pull-Legs split. The reason for this is to put a greater emphasis on my biceps and triceps. With my old split, the Upper Body day didn’t leave much room for biceps and triceps (although not entirely). Now, I can incorporate biceps or triceps with each Push or Pull day, increasing the frequency that they are trained.

Tracking Nutrition

I use the mobile app MacroFactor which I recommend if you don’t mind paying the cost. This app, along with a digital food scale, allow me to accurately assess my calorie intake as well as the macronutrients I take in.

Currently, during my maintenance phase at 215 lbs, I consume roughly 3,200 calories per day. Taking in 215 g of protein, 80 g of fat, and 400 g of carbs.

Progression Statisitcs

Now before you tell me you can lift more than me, congrats on the numbers. But that is really not my concern. Remember my goals are specific to muscle growth and delivering an overall package come competition. I am not, nor was I ever, a strength athlete. I don’t say this in defense of myself but to provide context to these numbers. A person may read these numbers and think, “hey I can lift more than that, why don’t I look like that?” A few things to remember:

1. I lift with slow eccentrics. This means that while I get fewer reps than I probably could, my reps are more effective and even more importantly, safer to perform. Control is the name of the game here.

2. I train through the full range of motion, no half or quarter reps (and especially no half and quarter reps at the top half of the range of motion).

My Main Exercises Per Muscle Group

These are the movements I typically train while I’m fresh which I am most focused on progressing. This is not to say I do not aim to progress with all of my lifts. It’s just that these are where I’d argue ~60% of my gains per session come from.

1. Chest - Atlantis Incline Machine Press

2. Back Width - Atlantis Lat Pulldown

3. Back Thickness - Prime Chest Supported Row (Machine)

4. Shoulders - Atlantis Lateral Raise (Machine)

5. Quads - Arsenal Leg Press

6. Hamstrings - Prime Seated Leg Curl

7. Glutes - Pit Shark Belt Squats

8. Calves - Arsenal Leg Press Toe Press

9. Abs - Panatta Crunch Machine

Post Cut Figures

These are rough estimates. I do not have my logs from October of 2023, but this is roughly what I was repping at the time.

• Chest - Atlantis Incline Machine Press - 3 PPS “Plates Per Side” for 10 reps

• Back Width - Atlantis Lat Pulldown - 205 lbs for 8 reps

• Back Thickness - Prime Chest Supported Row - 180 for 8 reps

• Shoulders - Atlantis Lateral Raise (Machine) - 165 for 8 reps

• Quads - Arsenal Leg Press - no reference (did pendulum squats, 190 lbs for 8 reps)

• Hamstrings - Prime Seated Leg Curl - 180 for 10 reps

• Glutes - Pit Shark Belt Squats - no reference (did barbell sumo squats, 3 PPS for 8 reps)

• Calves - Arsenal Leg Press Toe Press - no reference (did seated calf extensions, 100 lbs for 10 reps)

• Abs - Panatta Crunch Machine - 90 lbs for 10 reps

Post Bulk Figures

Mid-February, 4 months after my previous figures, these are the numbers I am working with.

• Chest - Atlantis Incline Machine Press - 4 PPS “Plates Per Side” for 8 reps

• Back Width - Atlantis Lat Pulldown - 215 lbs for 10 reps

• Back Thickness - Prime Chest Supported Row - 200 lbs for 8 reps

• Shoulders - Atlantis Lateral Raise (Machine) - 195 for 10 reps

• Quads - Arsenal Leg Press - no reference (did pendulum squats, 190 lbs for 8 reps)

• Hamstrings - Prime Seated Leg Curl - 210 lbs for 10 reps

• Glutes - Pit Shark Belt Squats - 6 pps for 8 reps

• Calves - Arsenal Leg Press Toe Press - 5 pps for 10 reps

• Abs - Panatta Crunch Machine - 115 lbs for 8 reps

Updates On My Mental State

Currently, I am not at my mental best. Somewhere during the bulk I stopped keeping up with my daily goal of 10k steps, which I definitely think contributed to my negative mental state. Aside from that, there were more significant factors contributing to me not feeling my best - the weather and my diet.

During the winter, it’s easy for me not to get outside as much. That combined with the shorter days, I definitely attribute a lot of feeling “down” to there being less sun in my life overall. In addition to that, consuming the amount of calories I was during my growth phase really was a burden for me. Not enjoying food, feeling full all the time definitely didn’t help either. Also, losing definition made the mirror less exciting as well. At least during my cut did I have people approaching me in the gym telling me I had their ideal physique. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t live or die by compliments, but it definitely played a factor in how I was feeling.

Luckily though, I feel like I’ve turned a corner on this phase and am starting to feel a lot better. In fact, I’m starting to get excited again about the path forward and especially about getting on stage for the first time. I am also lucky in that I have a community of people (The Gaintrust Community) in my corner who step up every day and keep me motivated.

Posing Practice

Prior to a few months ago I had never posed in my life — so it’s all fairly new and honestly at first, a bit awkward.

The poses to learn:

1. Front Double Biceps

2. Side Chest

3. Back Double Biceps

4. Abdominal and Thighs

5. Favorite Classic Pose

Side Chest

Back Double Biceps

Abs and Thighs

Favorite Classic Pose

Going Forward

The hope is that I put on 4-5 lbs of lean muscle mass during this growth phase. I expect to be roughly 195 lbs come competition in June. That gives me 4 months (18 weeks) before I step on stage. More than enough time to lean out while preserving the gains I’ve put on these last 4 months. Eventually I would like to cap out the weight

Going forward I plan on giving regular updates on my progress, process, and address any questions you all may have. Hopefully this process can enlighten and maybe inspire some of you along the way.

Mikey