Colorado Pro/Am Classic report (pics included)/Results/Reports & Predictions

[JMentis]

How is Heath looking?

They all look in shape. This will be a great show.

[Stavios]

240, don't be jealous, we can ask next time for you to join Rodney and Kai on stage

Anyway, the routines, which we saw a glimpse of it at the 2006 Ironman are entertaining, whereas some can consider it just dancing, others find it amusing.  Both Rodney and Kai know they probably won't place in the top 5, so why not have some fun, and enjoy the show!

The sad  part is, Rodney could and should place in the top 5 if he is really in shape.
He isn't a bad bber

[HeartofSteel]

Look at his face! He's either got the worst sunburn known to man, or he's doing his Don Youngblood imitation.

Maybe there's a good reason most pros retire by 40?

Let's hope Gary doesn't end up like ol' Don. 

Dude, he's flexing... give the man a break!

-HOS

[Stavios]

When are the prejudging ?
has it started yet ?

[Stavios]

Prediction from a Judge of the Colorado Pro

Chad said that a judge called him and it should be

1) Darrem Charles
2) Phil Health
3) David Henry
4) Marcus Haley
5) Gary Strydom

[ether]

wilmore should win Number 1 in terms of beauty.

[kmhphoto]

Report is up at www.flexonline.com

Photos to follow

[HeartofSteel]

I don't see the report dude?

-HOS

[SLYY]

It's under...THE BIG STORY...(at the top of the page....)

[Tre]

Kevin - good stuff.  Can we re-post your story here for discussion purposes?

I'm going to have to disagree with the call on Dave Henry...he should be #1!

I agree 100% on Troy Alves.  One of my impressions is that, if the PDI ever decides to actively solicit current pro bodybuilders, Troy is the guy from the IFBB they should go after.  This isn't a PDI discussion, I know, but as great as he is, it looks like he's not going to be able to crack that upper echelon in the IFBB, however, with a different physique standard as the order of the day, he could dominate. 

This is a really deep field, but the one guy being overlooked for the top spots is Miguel-something, #7.  I've got him rated 4th, and no lower than 6th. 

[Ron]

Well, considering that the final callout was between Phil Heath and Darrem Charles - we are safe to assume that one of these two will be the champion of the Colorado Pro. Now, pretty much many people that I talked to said that it can go either way, although we do have a split count - some say Phil will win and become the rookie supestar and sensation of the IFBB, and some say it will go the Darrem Charles, a seasoned experienced vet who is usually underlooked and ready for another win. Either way, these two are great! Phil! or Darrem! Phil or Darrem! There are some serious bets on this from various people in the industry. Lets have fun!

David Henry looked good, so did Gary Strydom, who I have been told is absolutely remarkable coming back from not being in a competition in years. However, his posing leaves much to be desired, but 5th place is not out of the question here. Marcus Haley also looked very good.

Troy Alves was off, and looked so-so. Too bad. Johnny Moya was ripped and very hard on stage.

[kmhphoto]

Kevin - good stuff.  Can we re-post your story here for discussion purposes?

I can't see any problem with that.
The photos are uploading at the moment but it's a very slow connection here at the hotel.

[Lift Studios]

The jury is out on who it will be for first. Some think Phil and others think Darrem. It's definitely close and no clear cut winner. There are "gurus" who are saying they know the top 5 who weren't even at the show. I was in the pit and most feel it is Phil's show however not everyone. Of course I am biased because I am friends with Phil and have seen him compete in every show. This was the best Phil has ever looked and as I mentioned weeks ago he would shock a number of people. Not only did he show them he deserved to be on stage he destroyed a number of seasoned vets. Props to Darrem for bringing his A game and if Phil wins he earned it. If he loses to Darrem no one would really argue. Phil attacked it the final round between Darrem and my nod of course goes to Phil.

Marcus Haley shocked a few people and is battling for top 5. Bill Will more looked good and received better call outs in the second round. Gary Strydom has to be one of the worst posers I've ever seen. If they guy would pose correctly he would show off his conditioning but the way he poses on stage is horrible. Johnny Moya was the hardest and best conditioned competitor on stage but didn't have the overall physique to carry him. My 5th place prediction as of last week was a wash. Eric Bui was very watery and at the bottom of the pack. Troy Alves was smooth in the glutes and hams and faded as the rounds went on. David Henry while having one of the best backs in the biz couldn't hang with Darrem and Phil this time.

Here are a couple pics of your top 2. Congrats to both Darrem and Phil. We'll see who takes home the first place prize tonight. Overall this was a good show with 1/2 the guys coming in great and the other half just so-so.

Check GraphicMuscle.com later for complete photo coverage.

Isaac

[Tre]

The problem with Strydom is shoulder-drop.  I don't know whether it's the result of injury or just what, but his left shoulder hangs, um, 'funny'.  It almost looks as if he's physically unable to hold it level with his right side. 

His muscle quality is undeniable, however, and I feel the callouts were very fair to him. 

Miguel Filho is better than Marcus Haley, though. 

[Tre]

AMAZING shots, Isaac - you get your Schmoe Card, brother!   

[Tre]

Thanks, Kevin.

Charles and Heath battle it out in Denver

report courtesy of: Kevin Horton, Flex Magazine - flexonline.com

Two men and two men alone stood centerstage at the finish of the prejudging of the Shawn Ray Colorado Pro Bodybuilding competition. The judges had spoken, and the message was clear: It is between Darrem Charles and Phil Heath for overall honors.

Both men were in their all-time best condition. Darrem was considerably larger than we've seen him before, but with his usual super-crisp conditioning. His first appearance onstage drew audible gasps from the Colorado Convention Center crowd. Phil looked like the second coming of Ken "Flex" Wheeler. He was dry, hard, full and sporting some of the shows most beautiful lines. Each man had their supporters, although hometown hero Heath certainly brought the largest cheering section of any competitor.

Dave Henry may very well be at his all-time best as well. He seems to have added a bit of mass to his upper body, yet has lost none of his trademark sharpness. His back never ceases to amaze. It actually has more detail and contours than most guys' fronts. Dave looks to be very solidly in third at this point.

Denver has been abuzz with talk of the returning Gary Strydom these past three days. At 6'1" and a reported 270 pounds the 1986 Nationals winner looked mighty impressive standing relaxed in the lineup. He is as big and full as ever, with better conditioning than previously. But when he posed the drama of his improbable comeback petered out quickly. He seemed to have difficulty hitting all but his side chest shot and often rushed his poses and fiddled with them while his fellow competitors held their own steady. It could be ring rust. Hopefully he'll have fine-tuned things by the time he reaches New York next week.

While the top three placings are all but filled, spots four through six are open to speculation. As it looks right now, Marcus Haley could have fourth place tied up. He's very hard and has one of the best backs in the show. Rodney St. Cloud's vastly retooled physique makes a strong case for keeping Marcus out of the #4 position though. With his controversies of two years ago behind, the New Yorker has been able to concentrate on his training and the results are impressive. Bill Wilmore has brought incredible conditioning to the show and should be rewarded handsomely for his efforts.

Troy Alves seems to be the odd man out for this show. From the front he looks great- heroic to say the least. From the back it's the same old story- the one Troy himself is tired of hearing himself: He's smooth below the waist. Win, lose or draw however, the story of Troy Alves' never ending battle to meet IFBB standards is one of the more compelling this sport has to offer.

A man whose name isn't household, but deserves to be, is Thomass Bengali of Italy. The guy is a modern-day equivalent to Milos Sarcev, who happened to be his trainer a few years back. His physique is strictly old school in the best sense: Great lines, fantastic proportions, nice posing (for the mandatories that is) and good coloring. The slight layer of water he's holding is all that is keeping him from top six consideration, and a case could be made that even that should not keep him out of the money.

Be sure to check back at flexonline tonight for the final results and a wrapup report live from the 2006 IFBB Shawn Ray Colorado Pro/Am weekend here in beautiful Denver, Colorado.

List of Competitors (in order of appearance)

1. Oliver Adzievski
2. Jason Arntz
3. Thomas Benagli
4. Eryk Bui
5. Darrem Charles
6. Derik Farnsworth
7. Miguel Filho
8. Kai Greene
9. Marcus Haley
10. Phil Heath
11. David Henry
12. Milton Holloway
13. Ken Jones
14. Rod Ketchens
15. Jeff "Box" Long
16. Evgeny Mishin
17. Johnny Moya
18. JoJo Ntiforo
19. Dragan Paunovic
20. Manfred Petautschnig
21. Edson Prado
22. Heinz Senior
23. Rodney St. Cloud
24. Gary Strydom
25. Bill Wilmore
26. Fabrizio Zittucro
27. Troy Alves (note: came on after #28)
28. Martin Kjellstrom
29. Vejic Zoran

[Darth Muscle]

Phil Heath looks amazing, much better than I thought he would.  Darrem looks like...well what Darrem always looks like.  I guess Chad missed that one about Phil needing to wait.......

[tech n9ne]

http://media.putfile.com/Phil-vs-Darrem

[Darth Muscle]

Awesome post dude, other than Darrem having a wider back, I think Phil's got him covered. 

[Ron]

Well – since I am not there, here are some stories and reports from various people, and more to come…

There were 29 competitors in the show, and by many, you can split the conditioning down the middle – 15 competitors that are good and should be in the lineup, and 14 competitors that people will wonder why they are up on the stage.

This is Darrem’s show. Darrem Charles was full and hard, and looked good. Phil Heath beat Darrem from the side shots, but Darrem got him from the front and back. Phil’s back was detailed, but Darrem was so much more dense and wider. Will give it most likely to Darrem, although watch out for Phil in the future.

Phil Health looked great, was conditioned. He was a little narrow, no girth or depth to his physique. Phil has big arms, pinched shoulders, but overall posed well, and definitely looked well. Second place.

David Henry looked like David Henry. He has conditioned, but really hasn’t changed much more than the other shows that he has been in this year. Definately deserves a top 3-4 placing just because of his conditioning.

Marcus Haley was ready for this show and conditioned. We need to give him credit because he brought his waist down, although he needs a little more back – both in width and detail, but otherwise a pretty good physique.

Bill Wilmore was conditioned, but perhaps lacking in the leg department. Still, Bill is with Vyotech and looks great, so most likely probably 5th or 6th.

Gary Strydom was conditioned, but had no back. He is tall, but wasn’t really big. And he could not pose. Reminds me of Paul Dillett.  Gary had striations in his legs but doesnt flex them to show the judges. 6th or 7th place.

Johny Moya was really, really hard and definately conditioned. He might place in the top 7 or 8th place.

Rodney St. Cloud also looked pretty good, really full, and sweating like crazy, but should place in 8th or 9th place.

Troy Alves, looked ok. Before the contest, Troy felt good, and thought that he could really place in the top 5. Now, many are not sure. In the Muscularity round, he was called out next to Jason Arntz, and others in which he never gets called out with. Just odd. Probably 9th or 10th place.

Regarding the altitude, the altitude does wear down the athlete - it really does affect the athletes when they are working out - especially when you are doing pushups, or getting warmed up.

The venue was really nice, lighting was great, the stage was great, the backstage for the athletes was cool. Shawn Ray has put up a class act contest!  Prejudging didn’t have a lot of people there, about 300-400. The expo, which was much fuller, did not generate the people to get to see the bodybuilding prejudging.

However, for the evening contest, rumors of over 1,000 tickets presold, and expect an audience of 1,500 – 1,800.

[bigdumbbell]

240, don't be jealous, we can ask next time for you to join Rodney and Kai on stage

Anyway, the routines, which we saw a glimpse of it at the 2006 Ironman are entertaining, whereas some can consider it just dancing, others find it amusing.  Both Rodney and Kai know they probably won't place in the top 5, so why not have some fun, and enjoy the show!

because he an immature control freak ron

[FOR REAL]

wow look at shawn in that first pic next to Gary.. no caption necessary LOL :X

[Tre]

Here are my prejudging notes:

1) Oliver Adzievski - not a great rear V-taper, but nice front, tight abs, with well-shaped quads

2) Jason Arntz - sadly, looks 'boxy' compared to the 1st guy, but excellent side chest & rear double bi; delts look odd, abs not deeply etched

3) Thomas Benagli - awesome, period, but not totally shredded up top...quads are nicely defined, but lack outer sweep

4) Eryk Bui - great side chest, but holding a LOT of water, most noticeably in his midsection...smooth abs

5) Darrem Charles - unreal arms and side chest, his upper body is beyond unreal - smallish calves, though, and quads lack outer sweep

6)  Derik Farnsworth - abs not holding up during front poses, very nice lower back, didn't get his quads quite as tight as he wanted, but their shape RULES

7) Miguel Filho - like a bronze statue, but hamstrings look a little smooth - no other weaknesses, lots of strengths from top to bottom - callouts weren't favorable, but he has the package necessary to crack into that top group of IFBB men

  Kai Greene - small guy, but nice bicep peaks...good quads, but has his hair up in a bun

9) Marcus Haley - nice overall aesthetic, but when you look closely, he may need gyno surgery and definitely needs more upper chest thickness

10) Phil Heath - nothing short of excellent throughout...better quads than Darrem Charles, but calves are about the same

11) David Henry - WOW, shredded from the rear, and if his quads had maybe 1-2 more inches, he'd be tops...they wouldn't be able to deny him then

12) Milton Holloway - little guy, but only real weakness is the calves - has a nice, tiny waist

13) Ken Jones - hair issues, but in decent enough shape - nice side tricep, but beginning to show his age a little

14) Rod Ketchens - *huge* guy, tough to judge in this field, abdomen looks distended, but there's a ton of muscle on his physique

15) Jeff "Box" Long - other than his abs being a little smooth, it's tough to see a weakness

16) Evgeny Mishin - unbelievable pecs, nice lat width

17) Johnny Moya - ripped to shreds, grainy all over...the crowd really appreciated that

18) JoJo Ntiforo - still among the most symmetrical big guys out there, perfect taper, small joints heighten the illusion, didn't bring the quads/hams quite as tight as he wanted, but will still place solidly

19) Dragan Paunovic - another strong Euro...with calves

20) Manfred Petautschnig - nice quad/hamstring tie-in on the side view...in fact, all his side poses are great, but unfortunately, his waist is a little wide

21) Edson Prado - wowed everyone - never heard of this Brazilian before, but everyone will know him after this show

22) Heinz Senior - has a lot of work to do, starting with getting rid of the pastel lavendar trunks

23) Rodney St. Cloud - ripped, with great delts - he's a solid top-10 placer and could sneak up as high as 6th

24) Gary Strydom - you HAVE to be impressed with his level of conditioning and muscle volume, but there's something going on with that left shoulder...looks like it could be the result of an old injury, but whatever the reason, that shoulder drop destroys his symmetry - he got great callouts just the same, though, and is definitely one of the fan favorites

25) Bill Wilmore - Big B-Dub is darn good this weekend, and just needs calves - everything else is ready...he's every bit as good as was expected when he joined the pro ranks

26) Fabrizio Zittucro - mmm...he missed his peak

27) Troy Alves - this is the guy the PDI should solicit - he has such an aesthetically pleasing physique that flows so well, but I just don't see him being able to consistently place in the top 5 of IFBB events, which is a shame

28) Martin Kjellstrom - the Swede is huge, has good shapes, but is just not defined enough from the rear to really challenge this time around - because of his tremendous size, if he's ever able to completely nail his conditioning, he'll make some noise in future events

29) Vejic Zoran - cool name

I know my feeling isn't the popular one, but I've got Dave Henry 1st, followed by Phil Heath 2nd and Darrem Charles 3rd. 

I'd place Miguel Filho 4th.

[Ron]

Peter McGough, Flex's top guy, see it this way...

Just got back from prejudging and I see it.

1  Phil Heath
2  Darrem Charles
3  David Henry

The top 3 are in fabulous shape, and in a final two man comparison between Phil and Darrem (that brought the house down) I saw Phil as the winner.

Gary Strydom was one of the best conditioned athletes in the contest but was shallow in the legs and back. He'll finish in the top 10, maybe as high as 6th. He really deserves a lot of credit and he was the winner of his own personal contest.

And hey! Phil Heath is something special. 6 contests, 6 wins --  if he takes it tonight. And I'll be astonished if he doesn't!

[Disgusted]

I'm gonna give my honest opinion about the supposed top two. Before I do I want to just say to Lift that I have no prejudice against Phil because you like him. At the end of the day this is a bb board and I take it all lightly.

Darrem has good conditioning, but I would say I have seen him a bit sharper, but he also looks to be about 6 pounds heavier than what I normally see on him. Darrem is always a favorite when it comes to the smaller shows.

Since I have never critiqued Phil before I will give a little more detailed impression. Tonight Phil brought some pretty awesome conditioning. I have always wondered about all the hype with Phil. (yes even before I knew you liked him Lift  ) so I figured I would give see what he brought tonight before I prejudged him. (no pun intended) Phil has great arms, shoulders and forearms. Unfortunatley for him he is narrow thru the clavicles and no amount of delt size will ever give him that width. This would be more apparent when standing up against guys like Ronnie, Jay, Gustavo, Gunter ect. Phil has no back. No outer lat width and no thickness. Maybe this is genetic too? Darrem is not the widest guy either and he pretty much owns him in the lat spread and back double bi. Tonight Phil is ripped and in the side chest he lacked just a tad of thigh detail. Phil is the type of guy who HAS to be ripped to place well or his flaws will be that much more apparent. I would not go as far at all than to call him the second coming of Flex as Kevin has tonight. Phil seems like a nice guy so nothing personal, but I just don't see all the hype.


Tonight it's a toss up. Flip a coin.