I know it doesn't matter what I say but I think you should do figure also Rip....I admire your work but you look so much prettier in your non-comp pics.
I can totally appreciate your POV, and what I really appreciate is the fact that you acknowledge the hard work that is involved with competition and contest prep.
Alot of guys prefer the softer, non-contest-ready look, and that's totally cool.
(I personally like the lean, ripped, muscular look on women, I think it's pretty hot.
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I don't compete to "be pretty," as bodybuilding is not a beauty pageant, and figure really shouldn't be either. However, I do prefer a more feminine, "pretty" look for female bodybuilders, and I hope that female BB heads back in the direction of the glory days when Cory Everson and pioneers like her dominated.
Keep in mind that most competitors, including myself, only look really "contest ready" for a few days. I've already completely re-inflated since my last show, and even though I still look muscular and fit, I think I look pretty "normal." I suppose that could be debated, but this IS a BB messageboard.
I compete in BB primarily because I
LOVE to train hard, heavy, and intensely. I love to lift weights, I love to have a lot of muscle, and I love to feel strong. I always have. BB allows me to put 110% into my contest prep and not hold back at all...it gives me a great sense of empowerment and accomplishment.
I love both the physical AND mental challenge involved with the BB contest prep. I like the fact that the challenge of contest prep extends far beyond just training in the gym.
I love to wake up every day and look different than the day before. I like constantly changing and always seeking to improve myself, physically and mentally.
I also like the feeling of waking up not sure if I can make it through another day, and then the sense of satisfaction when I go to bed knowing that I did.
As strange as it sounds, I love having a structured routine and regimen every day...waking up and knowing that I have to do x, y, and z at a particular time and place. I guess I'm slightly OCD, as the contest prep actually provides me with a sense of balance and control in my life. I feel more out of control when I am not prepping for a show and/or not on a specific diet and training program.
And if I AM going to go at it 110%, which I do, then I prefer to have an opportunity to get up on stage and have a few minutes to display my hard work and show everyone what can be accomplished through hard work, discipline, and dedication. Quarter turns in a pair of high-heeled shoes does not provide me that opportunity.
Bodybuilding is about going at it 110% and accomplishing something that you may not be sure you can, which is a great feeling when you do.
