After the contest ?

[Julio Ceasar]

u did something in life, most people do nothing in life...

Its a memory its an achievement. Thats good.

[Master Blaster]

That's the best thing Howard has ever written on here. By far.

I dug it it. It felt honest. I like that.

[Go 4 It]

Lol..i remember after i won my first show, i get off stage, surprised i won, i head backstage, snap a few photos with some of the guys in my class, some of the other competitors guys/girls congratulate me, im kind of just gathering my stuff..im kind of waiting for like something to happen. .maybe an interview with Flex or MD lol..i ask a friend who was competing in bodybuilding "what do i do?" He said you're good to go bro, you're done... so i just grab my bag, head out of the venue with my trophy, get to my car, put the trophy in the passenger seat, go to McDonalds, eat a bunch of burgers on my drive home, get home take a shower, eat a bowlof cereal, went to sleep. I thought after you win, you were famous..like all kinds of people start interviewing you, sponsorship being thrown at you lol...um no..

[Never1AShow]

Are people really this delusional?  Not knowing what to do after a show?  Asking "what do I do?"  Entering contests and driving a thousand miles w/o AC in August because of a waived entry fee?

This is all lies.

[Go 4 It]

Are people really this delusional?  Not knowing what to do after a show?  Asking "what do I do?"  Entering contests and driving a thousand miles w/o AC in August because of a waived entry fee?

This is all lies.

i never competed before..i literally signed up for the show the night before, had to pay a ton of late fees, purchase npc card..i didnt have a coach nor have any friends who have competed so how would i have a clue on what to do after the show..

[Nirvana]

In Aug 1994, I won the first , last, and only  drug tested NPC contest ever held in Louisiana.
This was the era of the Ironman Magazine Natural shows and the dawn of the Team Universe.
I should have ended my contest season with that win, but I didn't.

The contest promoter was doing another Ironman Natural in Little Rock, Arkansas, the next weekend.
He didn't have many entrants, so, if I'd compete, he'd waive my entry fee.
I heartily agreed and sealed it  with a smile and firm hand shake.

Despite feeling burned out, I managed to stay on my diet and train.
My funds were meager and I had recently gotten divorced.
I was single, driving a GEO Metro with no AC, living in most southern part of central Louisiana.
My fellow gym bros in the local gym helped apply the pro tan and bronzer Friday morning.
With little fanfare, I headed north in the sweltering AUG heat and humidity.

Needless to say, I was f'n hot and got some relief from the breeze with the windows down while driving.
The drive up to Little Rock from my place was a bit over 500 miles on rural Highways.
I made it , sweating like a pig, and the pro tan/bronzer looking streaked and haphazard.
I paid cash for my Motel 6 room, set my cheapo alarm clock and slept.

I woke early, felt like shit and decided a shower would run what was left of my contest "tan".
To save money, I was driving back right after the night show finals.
The show was small with only 9 guys in the men's open.
It was  me and 3 other heavy wts ( over 176) and 5 Lt wts ( under 176).
It was close between me and this local black dude , with big legs.

After the pre-judging, I went to a Mall to eat and kill time.
The night show finals had a small crowd , that were mostly friends and family of the contestants.
I took 2nd to the local black dude and figured he had better legs, so wtf.
Backstage, I congratulated him and talked to a few others in the show.
I did my best to wipe down and take a "whores bath" with some paper towels in the bathroom.
Grabbing my gym bag, 2nd place trophy and water, I headed home.

By 3 a.m. I was tired and was more then half way home.
I really felt horrible, and must have smelled lousy.
The remaining Pro-tan/bronzer was dried and caked on.
My sweat suit was drenched in old sweat and posing oil .
I still had on my posing trunks, now, musty with ball sweat and skid marks
Fuk it, I stopped into a 24/7 truck stop , filled up with gas and ate pancakes and eggs.

I made it home before 8 a.m and felt like dried dog poop.
I threw off my nasty sweats and jumped into the shower.
After eating a couple donuts and choc milk I fell into bed.

Upon waking 9 hours later, I took personal inventory of my life.
I gazed at my 1st and 2nd place Ironman Natural trophy statues on the table.
I had done well and for a minute felt proud to be a decent, drug free bodybuilder.
Then, I looked at myself in the mirror and laughed.

This was no way to go thru life...

God

[Howard]

I`ve been there brother. 

I'll bet you have my iron brother!

How about posting some of your contest adventure tales?!

[Howard]

Are people really this delusional?  Not knowing what to do after a show?  Asking "what do I do?"  Entering contests and driving a thousand miles w/o AC in August because of a waived entry fee?

This is all lies.

I never worried about doing a national show back then because I wasn't good enough.
I enjoyed competing and did some crazy stuff to make that happen.
When you're a broke dick meat head , you don't always use good sense LOL.

[Howard]

Lol..i remember after i won my first show, i get off stage, surprised i won, i head backstage, snap a few photos with some of the guys in my class, some of the other competitors guys/girls congratulate me, im kind of just gathering my stuff..im kind of waiting for like something to happen. .maybe an interview with Flex or MD lol..i ask a friend who was competing in bodybuilding "what do i do?" He said you're good to go bro, you're done... so i just grab my bag, head out of the venue with my trophy, get to my car, put the trophy in the passenger seat, go to McDonalds, eat a bunch of burgers on my drive home, get home take a shower, eat a bowlof cereal, went to sleep. I thought after you win, you were famous..like all kinds of people start interviewing you, sponsorship being thrown at you lol...um no..

Good stuff!

I always enjoyed going to a post contest "pig out" with my fellow meat heads 

[stuntmovie]

Hell yea, that "pigout" has been a universal post-contest activity since the very first event of this sort.

And once upon a time bodybuilder's "pigout" fine dining spots were well known throughout So. California.

Here's a few you might remember if you're in your 30's and beyond.

SWEDISH SMORGASBOARD - A small buffet place a few blocks south of the Santa Monica Gold's. They soon went broke because the bodybuilders loved that place and could eat the whole damn lineup at one sitting.

ZUCKY's .... Arnold's hangout. A large Jewish coffee shop always full of the Weider boys. The chicken soup cured any cold that you happened to have.

The GERMAN's  .... Around the corner from the Venice Pit. A bodybuilder's wet dream.  A dozen egg omelette and a huge bowl of strawberries wold set you back about five bucks, but that place seemed to be owned and managed by lost souls of some type or another. Possibly a drug rehab facility.

And if there was a contest in the Anaheim area .... just about every contestant and all the guest posers would end up in a restaurant a few miles south of Disneyland where a "turkey sandwich" meant you got half a cooked turkey and a loaf of bread and all the condiments.

BUT if you won an amateur contest ... that's all you got beside that six inch plastic trophy. No picture nor any mention of your accomplishment by Weider, nor Mabel, nor Perry, nor Dan.

Hell! Not even by the Hoffman guys.

Like today .... you are on your own ..... but not deserted.

Somethings never change, but those  old-time, post-contest dining spots .... they ain't there no more!

[wes]

I'll bet you have my iron brother!

How about posting some of your contest adventure tales?!

Took a trip to Nashua N.H. back in the early 70`s and I was in the 123 pound class.......the rest of the team who were all heavier than me obviously went out to eat while I bombed out missing all 3 attempts on my squat.

Talk about a long quiet ride home. 

[Hack Benchers]

GEO Metro , 3 cyl ,5 speed manual stick shift w/floor pedal,  factory blue color.
The cheap vinyl plastic interior seats  insured maximum ass crack sweating.

Aaaaaaaaaah, those WEREN'T  the days 

3 cylinder?
Even in Europe this is frowned upon lol
Those were not the days indeed.

[SaintAnger]

Where you Southern Louisiana, you redneck?

[wes]

Was that in the old New England AAU powerlifting federation?
The head lifting referee was a huge older dude named Joe Zarella.

He'd wear this classic blazer with an AAU power patch sewn on the front.
Once I was squatting and he raised his hand for me to start...holding a hot dog.

Yes it was,and I remember Joe very well from my powerlifting days and from Mt. Park in Holyoke.

[tres_taco_combo]

the last show I did the drive home was fkin awesome. drove from LA to SD, stayed downtown at the W (they renamed it) got fucked up, ate tons of Italian food then drove home on I8 with a smile on my face back to Scottsdale.

I will say.. doing a show and having a gf is the way to go, have some nutty broad in the crowd screaming your name/number. I gave my ex-gf one of my trophies. home girl earned it up putting up with my diva ass - love that chic

that nite went to Chilis and then went swimming to wash off the spray tan

[tres_taco_combo]

i never competed before..i literally signed up for the show the night before, had to pay a ton of late fees, purchase npc card..i didnt have a coach nor have any friends who have competed so how would i have a clue on what to do after the show..

how the hell did you know how to pose? were you practicing or kinda knew them?

[Nirvana]

The original post needs to be preserved somewhere.

On that note, Getbig should make a bodybuilding movie or TV series to compete with Generation Iron that shows the real life of BB. This post would make a great pilot.