Considering Teen Competition

[Matt5387]

Hey guys i was considering doing the NPC Illinois State Bodybuilding Championships & Regional Fitness and Figure teen divison on May 27, 2006. I have never competed before so i was wondering if you guys think i could pull it off. if i do well than i can go to the teen nationals. i know i cant beat all those steroid users but its my last year to compete as a teen and i just want to see how i would do. it would def be an experience. i've never cut either but im guessing that if i start cutting in a few weeks, i can cut to 163-4lbs. so let me know what u guys think. thanks.

[str8flexed]

i'm not sure you'll have enough time to get lean enough for that show, but you have good development

[Matt5387]

i'm not sure you'll have enough time to get lean enough for that show, but you have good development

how much weight do u think i would need to lose? im not sure of my body fat but im assuming its around 10%.

[Ripped Italian]

Your legs are in need for some serious squats IMO

[The Brotherhood]

yeah legs need alot of work before you compete imo as well =/

[quest-x]

I agree with the others that your leg needs a ton of work.

But it's only a teen division, so you might have a chance. Your upper body is well developed.

You wouldn't do well at the Teen Nationals though because of your lacking lower body. And don't be so quick to brush the Teen Nat competitors as a bunch of juicers... Many maybe most of them haven't touched anything in their lives.

Your BF is prob a bit more than 10%. With two months if you go at it hard enough I think you can rip up in time.

[ClintH]

Ya bro, your upper boy is great, blows mine away. But those legs do indeed need work. In a teen division, you would place well though, simply because most teens come inproportionate and what not, with average size. You however, have good size, but still somewhat improportionate.

[Matt5387]

I agree with the others that your leg needs a ton of work.

But it's only a teen division, so you might have a chance. Your upper body is well developed.

You wouldn't do well at the Teen Nationals though because of your lacking lower body. And don't be so quick to brush the Teen Nat competitors as a bunch of juicers... Many maybe most of them haven't touched anything in their lives.

Your BF is prob a bit more than 10%. With two months if you go at it hard enough I think you can rip up in time.

Thanks for the input, i think i could get some good striations in my legs but i wont be able to get them any bigger before the comp. i ****ed up my knees in the beginning of the year and i just got back to hitting them hard so i might be able to add alil size but not a whole lot. about the juicers, i have not jumped to conclusions, i always thought they were natural but i have talked to many people in the industry and know what goes on. a top competitor in the teen division whose name i wont give was offered 500 dollars to do a drug test and declined the offer and said he had nothing to prove. i know not all of them do but the organization doesnt test.

[str8flexed]

how much weight do u think i would need to lose? im not sure of my body fat but im assuming its around 10%.

you'd probably need to weigh in at 150-155

[ClintH]

Man, I wish I had the maturity you do in your arms, mine are terrible. That competition may be a bit hard to cut for, try for something mid-late June.

[Ludwig]

To compete at around 154lbs... you would have to weight 170 before cutting... and probably 90% of those guys you'll be competing against have used steroids... I'm not telling you because i want to put you down... but just so you know... I wanted to try and compete this year but after a more experienced guy told me what was waiting for me i decided i wasn't ready this year... your still yound.. .i don't know if you have that where you live but in canada we have Junior competition from 19-21... that could be an opportunity for ou to compete in the lighweight category.. just a tought

[Matt5387]

Man, I wish I had the maturity you do in your arms, mine are terrible. That competition may be a bit hard to cut for, try for something mid-late June.

i guess its like that because i started working my arms in 8th grade because i had a set of dumbells so all i knew how to do were bicep curls. so i have almost 5 years of training on my arms. this is the only competition in illinois until december.

[str8flexed]

To compete at around 154lbs... you would have to weight 170 before cutting... and probably 90% of those guys you'll be competing against have used steroids... I'm not telling you because i want to put you down... but just so you know... I wanted to try and compete this year but after a more experienced guy told me what was waiting for me i decided i wasn't ready this year... your still yound.. .i don't know if you have that where you live but in canada we have Junior competition from 19-21... that could be an opportunity for ou to compete in the lighweight category.. just a tought

the rate of usage is not that high, especially in a teen show. c'mon now

[Matt5387]

the rate of usage is not that high, especially in a teen show. c'mon now

layne, some of those guys have bigger arms than u tho. like the guy that got first place last year at the teen nationals in the middleweight division, his biceps were ****in huge.

[Matt5387]

im wondering if i should get an ephedra product or go with the ephedrine/caffiene/yohimbe stack. also i can get some cAMP and sesamin maybe.

[str8flexed]

layne, some of those guys have bigger arms than u tho. like the guy that got first place last year at the teen nationals in the middleweight division, his biceps were ****in huge.

that's teen nationals, not a local or regional level teen show

c'mon guys, put the thinking caps on for a sec

[str8flexed]

im wondering if i should get an ephedra product or go with the ephedrine/caffiene/yohimbe stack. also i can get some cAMP and sesamin maybe.

you know ephedra is illegal right?

[Matt5387]

you know ephedra is illegal right?

wasn't it unbanned? all the stores around me started carrying it again since its been unbanned.

[Most Muscular]

you know ephedra is illegal right?

Where have you been living? Under a rock?

[Matt5387]

Judge Strikes Down FDA Ban on Ephedra
By MARK THIESSEN, AP

The decision may have the FDA reconsider putting the weight-loss drug back on store shelves.

SALT LAKE CITY (April 14) - A federal judge Thursday struck down the FDA ban on supplements containing ephedra, the once-popular weight-loss aid that was yanked from the market after it was linked to dozens of deaths.

The judge ruled in favor of a Utah supplement company that challenged the Food and Drug Administration's ban. Nutraceutical claimed that ephedra "has been safely consumed" for hundreds of years, and that ephedra was wrongly being regulated by the FDA as a drug and not a food.

Judge Tena Campbell agreed, saying federal law places more restrictive rules on the FDA in determining whether to ban foods as opposed to drugs. The judge said the law requires the FDA to prove that a dietary supplement is harmful, rather than having the manufacturer prove it is safe, as is required with drugs.

Nutraceutical President Bruce Hough said the lawsuit had little to do with ephedra and more to do with forcing the FDA to follow the rules Congress set down for it.

He said Nutraceutical interprets the ruling to mean that the company is allowed to start selling ephedra supplements again, but added that it is too soon to say whether it will put the products back on the market.

"This is a great affirmation for the system, that the court goes back and says, 'This is Congress' intent,' and follow it," he said.

FDA spokeswoman Kimberly Rawlings said the agency is "evaluating the decision."

Supplements that included ephedra were once widely used for weight loss and bodybuilding, with industry groups claiming at least 12 million users. The amphetamine-like stimulant, which speeds the heart rate and constricts blood vessels, has been linked to 155 deaths, including that of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler. The federal government banned it one year ago.

Campbell's sends the matter back to the FDA "for further rulemaking consistent with the court's opinion" and keeps the agency from enforcement action against the companies.

[Matt5387]

Where have you been living? Under a rock?

do u mean me??? because i found out today it is legal to sell from georgia and utah online and it can be shipped anywhere. many supplement shops around me carry ephedra products, they are just now low dosaged compared to the way they were before.

[Linaz_AU]

hey man - i say go for the comp.
its only the teen devision, ur really are not expected to have a perfect physique blah blah blah.

even if u dont do that well ( tho i think u will do fine) it will be great practice for future competitions.

[str8flexed]

Where have you been living? Under a rock?

I guess so, but I was under the impression it was only legal in certain states perhaps i misinterpreted it.

My sincerest apologies randy

[str8flexed]

do u mean me??? because i found out today it is legal to sell from georgia and utah online and it can be shipped anywhere. many supplement shops around me carry ephedra products, they are just now low dosaged compared to the way they were before.

oh no, he was referring to me.

[Amoral]

... and probably 90% of those guys you'll be competing against have used steroids...

I dont agree with this post as far as regional and state levels, but as far as a national competition this sounds reasonable, and I would bet the top 5 guys in the middle weight and heavy weights have been using for at least 2-3 years.

[Matt5387]

I dont agree with this post as far as regional and state levels, but as far as a national competition this sounds reasonable, and I would bet the top 5 guys in the middle weight and heavy weights have been using for at least 2-3 years.

yea i agree with you 100%

[jimpern]

Matt, your upper body is competitive but without more leg size you probably can't expect to place too high. But I'd say do it anyway, just for the experience. I know you've got the willpower to be successful in time. And if you can't get the leg size up in time, go for the cuts: many teen competitors are lacking in leg cuts (even at the national level) so if you can get fairly shredded you could do quite well.

If you're 172 in the photos, I agree that you'll have to get below 160 to be in competition shape. The trick will be to lose the fat and water without losing muscle, but I'm afraid I'm not the person to ask about how to do that. At your height, if you decide to keep competing, I think you'll have to work up to the light-heavyweight class (198 lbs maximum) eventually. I think that once you build up your legs to match your upper body, that will not be as unrealistic as it may seem right now.

As for juicing, I can tell you with a fairly high confidence rate that the top two finishers in the middleweight class at last year's Teen Nationals were not taking anything illegal. At least in the lower weight classes, it is possible for natural teens to do well at the national level. Stay clean--you'll be better off in the long run.

Here's a website I found that might answer some of your questions: http://www.bodybuildingcompetitionguide.com/.

[jimpern]

One other point, which nobody else has noticed yet. For a guy with pretty big upper arms, your forearms are quite skinny.

I seem to remember you saying some time ago something about an injury in your past? Does this still preclude you from doing any dedicated forearm work? Many guys get a pretty good forearm workout from their upper arm work, but obviously you are not one of those. (I'm also guessing you're not too good at armwrestling?)

If you're not already, and you are able, you need to start doing some dedicated forearm exercises: wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, reverse barbell curls; even hammer curls have an effect on the forearms, as does chinning with the palms facing forward.

Also, if you're concerned about juicers, have you looked into drug-free organizations like the OCB, INBF or ANBC? I'm certain they'll have shows in Illinois during the year. A good place to start for getting info on these is at http://www.physiquecompetitor.com/SportHistory.htm.

[Matt5387]

yea man its hard for me to do forearm workouts since i still have a broken bone in my wrist, its ****s with almost all of my workouts. i always do 2 workouts on my arm day for forearms but they dont seem to be growing. i do hammer curls and reverse cable curls and wide grip chins for my back. i have considered doing natural organizations but i just want to see how ill do in npc cuse i feel like ill get more publicity through it aswell.

[jimpern]

yea man its hard for me to do forearm workouts since i still have a broken bone in my wrist, its ****s with almost all of my workouts. i always do 2 workouts on my arm day for forearms but they dont seem to be growing. i do hammer curls and reverse cable curls and wide grip chins for my back. i have considered doing natural organizations but i just want to see how ill do in npc cuse i feel like ill get more publicity through it aswell.

That broken bone hasn't healed yet? Have you considered surgery? You'll probably need to do something in the long run. I'm still amazed you've been able to build up your upper arms so well with that limitation. Keep working the forearms as well as you can, with more reps at lighter weight if necessary. If you can't get 'em big, at least get 'em ripped!

Since you've also said you're considering modeling, you might want to consider the Musclemania Superbody show in Miami. I've seen that show twice and the place is teeming with fitness photographers and modeling agents. A lot of guys and gals who wind up in fitness magazines and clothing catalogs start out being discovered at shows like that.