question is are his hams and glutes ripped enough for the judges ...
4- Dennis Wolf - Spectacular frame ... narrow waist, long body ... needs to fill in in a few places ... great front lat spread ... reeks of potential ... maybe not as sharp as he can be and has been ... probably a result of going back across the Atlantic the last couple of weeks ... wow, back double biceps is great ... needs to be a bit darker ... very thick across the shoulders, arms, traps ... great most muscular
5 - Melvin Anthony - looks bigger than he's ever looked , but is he in condition? ... fabulous front biceps shot ... bringing in the showmanship now with fancy transition from pose to pose ... he's bigger than ever, looks harder than he has for two or three years ... nice and full ... everybody's in shape so far ... back double biceps almost Flex Wheeler-ish ... Melvin told me backstage he wasn't messing around anymore and he's keeping his word ... This is the best we've ever seen Melvin ... finishes off with the splits
6 - Gustavo Badell - looks really hard ... gained size in the last year but his obliques still look a bit too thick ... Doesn't do the side chest shot very well, see more of his arm than his chest ... Looking just a bit blocky ... Big, wide back ... thighs lacking the deepness and seperation that he probably needs ... massive most muscular ... Not as crisp as he has been but Gustavo is always more competitive when he stands next to people
7 - Rodney St. Cloud - needs more thickness and density overall, especially in the upper body ... could be a tad sharper ...
8 - Johnnie Jackson - looks big and full ... upper body overpowering his lower structure ... maybe the thickest chest among the pros ... his upper back is thick and detailed but fades a bit through the lower back ... nice serratus ... Johnnie is full and conditioned but he's probably going to fall a bit behind in the area of balance
9 - Gunter Schlierkamp - absolutely massive ... heavier than last year ... more detailed, he's improved his teres major ... Christmas tree from Gunter ... his back has improved a lot since last year ... abs and thighs not his most aesthetic shot ... could be a bit sharper
10 - Tony Freeman - looking big and full ... nice front double biceps including tensed abs ... impressive back shots ... nice abs and thighs ... good seperation in the thighs and a really narrow waist for a big guy ... impressive Olympia debut ... made great strides this past year
11 - Dexter Jackson - First impression ... just doesn't look as sharp as the Dexter who won the last two Arnold Classics ... with Dexter every bodypart except for calves is there, it just comes down to conditioning .. and he's actually getting harder as he poses ... best serratus so far ...
12 - Branch Warren - tan a bit too light ... he's big but not as sharp as he was at the Arnold, when he was second ... his hamstrings are just hanging ... hamstrings shredded from the back ... looks to be holding a bit of water ... Branch a crowd favorite but he has been in better condition
13 - Ronnie Rockel - looks hard and full ... he's got rid of that crazy tan that he used to have .. not as impressive from the back as he is from the front ... good midsection ... ripped to shreds from the front from head to toe... fades from the back
14 - Mustafa Mohammad - not in condition ... although it does look like he's got a couple of bantamweights hanging on his thighs ... very soft in the glutes and hams ... Mustafa not doing himself justice here ... could have probably been 10 pounds lighter
15 - Darrem Charles - probably same condition as Atlantic City, which was his best of the season ... maybe a bit more shredded than he was in AC ... classic poser, peaked biceps, razor triceps ... maybe just looking a bit shallow in the legs at this point ... thighs striated but not as full as they have been ... very crisp and conditioned but probably lacks the fullness to make an impact at the top of this lineup
16 - Dennis James - big and thick across the shoulders .. obviously changed his gamplan from earlier in the year coming in heavy ... in good condition,seems to be saying the hell with streamlining the midsection ... Dennis just lacking that deep separation that really catches the eye ... massive most muscular ... Dennis has gone for size and we'll see if the gamble pays off
17 - David Henry - in shape, but what else is new ... looking crazy from the back ... back is striated and full .. hams and glutes good ... apart from Troy Alves maybe the most detailed back we've seen so far ... like Darrem Charles he looks a bit shallow in the thigs that's the only real drawback .. David Henry really in shape but is he going to be big enough?
18 - Jay Cutler - Crowd goes crazy for Jay ... Jay first impressions conditioning shades of 2001 but a lot bigger ... thighs shredded ... glutes shredded ... back wider than ever and hard ... Victor may be better on this night ... somehow that Wow factor wasn't there tonight ... have to wait and see how he compares next to Victor and Ronnie to get full impression
19 - Bill Wilmore - great trunk ... maybe better than when he qualified .. it'll be tough to make the top 15 here
20 - Markus Ruhl - Wow ... Markus Ruhl, back to the old Markus Ruhl, not the one we saw last year ... looks like he's torn his right pec ... seems to be general imbalane, that his left side is a bit biger than right side ... good back double bi, maybe the best he's ever had .. glutes are a bit smooth ... really noticeable the difference between left and right though, upper body ... seems to have his waist really under control ... has been in better condition at a lighter bodyweight but very impressive
