As far as why I look bigger - bodybuilding is an illusion. Though I never used insulin or GH, apparently regular steroids were all my gut needed to expand. At that 2005 show my waist was somewhere around 35-36 inches - pretty huge for a guy that's only 5-8 and 209 pounds. So I looked blocky and didn't have much of a V-taper. My waist is down to 32 inches now that I have dieted down and the drugs aren't bloating my midsection. So my taper and overall shape look much better. I look bigger even though I am quite certain that I am in fact a bit smaller.
You look better with your current look- and your honesty regarding your waist is refreshing compared to some of the pros.
What would you guess some of the pro's waist sizes to be? If you say your waist at 209# was 35", what would someone like Ronnie (just using him as an example) who weighs 270+ have?
Hey, I just watched that YouTube clip and I was lowering the bar to some point between my nose and chin, not the top of my head! I guess for the reps to really count I would have to touch the bar to my clavicles every time.
Depends on the part of the shoulder you want to work. If you want to include (the most tension, I should say) on your anterior deltoid, then bring the bar all the way down. If you want to keep the tension on your medial deltoid and get the most bang for your buck for exercise choice (compared to laterals), then what you're doing is fine.