"I've already won"
Frank Zane and a reminder to self 4 hours out of Mr. America
Note: this post is is definitely NOT about AI or anything tech-related, just a personal reflection on my past 9 months prepping for a bodybuilding competition as I wait to step on stage of the Mr. America bodybuilding competition today.
After 12 years away from the bodybuilding stage, I am about to go back up there in 4 hours. As I lay here in the hotel room, I am reflecting on the definition of “winning” and what it means for me today compared to 12 years ago. How different it is! So, just in case things don’t go quite well today, i.e., I come in DFL, legs aren’t as defined on stage as they are this morning, I screw up posing, etc., this is a reminder of what “winning” is for me now.
Ultimately, the journey, or “the climb” as Arnold puts it, is the reward. During my “climb” this year, I was lucky to realize that one of the legends of bodybuilding, 3 times Mr. Olympia, “Mr. Symmetry” and a person I looked up to so much growing up - Frank Zane - resided about 20 minutes from me in San Diego. I had to go meet and train with him of course! During our session, where Frank was giving me tips on both posing and training, he mentioned (and I also read it in his book later) that it’s the “I’ve already won” attitude that helped him the most both on stage and in life.
As I reflected on that statement so many times over coffee, I realized that winning means so many different things to me. Even an almost a chance encounter with Frank, made possible only because I chose to do this prep and keep my mind open and searching for ideas, already represented winning for me! Placing high is certainly important, but nowhere nearly as important as being a good Dad or husband. Or even sticking to my plan of being a lifetime natural bodybuilder (i.e., I’ve never taken any roids/juice), a hybrid athlete being able to lift heavy and run long in the same training session, and now a vegetarian/vegan with an insatiable love for coffee.
Now, as I put a wrapper on this contest prep and let chips fall where they may, I’ll steal Frank’s line to capture my “winning” across the 13 goals I set for myself about 9 months ago when I got semi-serious about this prep. I fully designed and ran this prep myself, down to posing music and posing routine design, so I’m the only one to blame for any failures :):
Goals (*** = achieved):
1. Can Daddy get abs? ***
2. Can I design my own contest prep? ***
3. Can I build software to track food all the way through the prep? ***
4. Can I build software to track my training through the prep in a way that's similar to how I tracked it with a notebook? ***
5. Can I apply Generative AI to the software I create above? ***
6. Can I learn new stack (SvelteKit/NextJS) to create software above? ***
7. Can I contest prep or maintain on a 3 week European vacation? ***
8. Can I contest prep or maintain while with the kid in LA for Young Actors Studio? ***
9. What would a vegetarian Eugene look like on a contest prep? ***
10. What would a post-Ironman/marathon Eugene look like in contest shape? How much muscle is left? ***
11. Can Daddy show the kid how to set a goal and works towards it over months? ***
12. Can Daddy show up conditioned, looking like he belongs on stage?
13. Can I win my class(es) at Mr. America?
With 11 of 13 already accomplished, and 2 to be decided in 3 hours now, I feel that “I’ve already won.” I realize #13 will be extremely hard with stacked lineup at Mr. America, but I do hope I am there on #12 already.
Let’s do this!!!
p.s. Here’s my posing routine design with music cut/mix I created, full credit goes to Classical Trancelations for getting orchestra to perform classic trance tunes!
Posing Routine Take 1:
Walk out
Hands on Hips MM
Slowly go down, right leg to the side, to the "poser pose"
Hit front double bi while in the "poser"
Get up quickly and hit archer on beat
Then "flow into" vacuum
Then "flow into" side chest
Then… Rear Quarter Turn with a Double Bicep (feet in quarter turn but the back is fully turned)
Side Triceps
Transition into back double bi ala Frank Zane
STEP
Right hand on hip, left hand in front, flexed (almost like hands on hips but left hand in front)
STEP
Front Lat Spreat, then
STEP
Front Double Biceps
Victory to finish off