I retired rom competitive bodybuilding last year .I am 39 years old now I will always work out, but as far as competing goes im retired.I placed 10th last year the the Mr USA at 258lbs at 3.5% bodyfat at 5'11".The reason why I retired is the judges said because of my big frame I needed 15-20 lbs of muscle to totally fill out my frame.Plus I talked to alot of the com petitors like Jerome ferguson, and most of those guys spend an average of 8 -$ 12000 on gear during there 12 weak preparation.This is a far cry from the lousy $1600 I spent on gear for the USA's last year.I make a good living I own 2 sports nutrition companies but spending that much money on gear and putting that much stuff into your body is fucking scary.Think about it with that much money you could buy a 60" palsma screen tv, a downpayment on a house, or even a down payment on a BWM 745i.I never used gh or insulin because I dont like the look it gave most bodybuilder.Most national level guys use 8 to 17iu's of growth a day getting ready for a show.Now GH runs anywhere from $400 a kit which is a good deal to $ 800 a kit for only a 100 iu's. Which means a kit is lasting these guys 6-12 days for at 4-$800 a pop.Now they do this for 12 -16 weeks so do the math ,that would mean they are spending a minimum $3200 on gh alone.Right now I have been off all gear 11 months and I weigh 258 lbs at about 7 percent bodyfat and I want to get down to 230lbs by February, I dont want to be big anymore.The reason I held so much mass is I weighed 250lbs at 10 % bf before I used any gear, I trained 16 years totally drug free .I would compete at 216- 220lbs when I was natural.I have been training 22 years as of this year so I have alot of mature muscle.I love bodybuilding and always will but I am reitred from competing.I just didnt see any point in pumping any more chemicals in my body especially at 39 years old .Even if I did turn pro, what good does that do when your almost 40 years old? When I would bulk up I would get up to 290 lbs just by using sustanon 250 1000mg, Primobolan 300mg per week and Trenbalone 300mg per week .I never used isulin or any GH.I just at 8 meals with 600 grams of protein and trained heavy.After the judges told me to be 15 - 20lbs more on stage I knew it was time I retired because when I would bulk up to 290lbs I was only 10% bodyfat and I was so heavy I could walk up steps.I would get winded just walking across the gym, and I could sleep because I was so big I could get comfortable sleeping.Plus it was hard to breath sleeping on my side .So I couldnt imagine gaining 15-20 more lbs of season, I know my body could carry it because of my big frame I just didnt want to do it because of health reasons .Also that would mean I would have to use GH and insulin because there is no way you can get over 300lbs on just Sustanon and 2 0ther anabolics.I am very succesful and have alot to live for so endangering my health to win the USA or for a pro card didnt make much sense to me especially at 39 years old.This post is in now way bashing national level bodybuilders, it is just a post to let you guys know what most of these guys do and have to go through just to turn pro.I bet 90% of you had no idea of what it takes to turn pro, so now you know.Besides a strict diet and hard training you pretty much have to put your life on the line .to do national shows and turn pro these days.I will always train and always be a fan of bodybuilding, but as far as competing goes I am done.Right now I formulate supplements for my companies and I do custom formulations for alot of top pro bodybuilders ,including 5 of the Mr Olympia competitors ,2 0f them in the top 5.I cant say any names because they have lucrative contracts with a very large supplement company and by posting that info could cause them to loose there contract, and inturn hurt there livelly hood.I just like to work with top pro and national level athletes for self gratification.I hope some of you read this post and it gives you a wake up call, so you know exactly what it takes to get up onto a national level stage and make to the pro ranks.Bodybuilding is a great sport, but it takes alot to make it to the top.....God Bless.....John
