The Final Chapter — Back-to-Back Shows
After winning my Men's Physique class and finishing second overall the weekend before, I was feeling pretty good going into my second show.
I was still excited from the first competition, but I also knew doing another show just six days later wasn't going to be easy.
This time I was also competing in Classic Physique.
I'd been preparing for both divisions throughout prep, but Men's Physique was always my main focus. I wanted to give Classic a shot and see how I compared.
My biggest concerns going into the week were making the 202 lb Classic Physique cutoff and holding onto as much size as possible while hopefully getting a little leaner.
I'd already gotten pretty lean for the first show, and I didn't want to end up looking smaller or flatter by pushing the diet too hard for another week.
At the same time, I was pretty motivated to come away with another win.
Current Status
Divisions
- Men's Physique
- Classic Physique
Competition
Second Show — October 10, 2026
Morning Weight Before Weigh-In
196.4 lbs
Official Weigh-In
198.2 lbs
Classic Physique Weight Limit
202 lbs
Starting Prep Weight
216.4 lbs
Phase
Competition
Another Peak Week
I knew going into this week that it was going to be tough.
Doing back-to-back shows sounds great when you're feeling good after the first one, but it also means extending the hardest part of prep for another week.
I had just finished depleting carbs, loaded back up for the first show, and now I was about to do the whole thing again.
I basically treated the two weeks like one long carb cycle.
Deplete, load, deplete again, and load again.
Mentally, that was probably the hardest part.
I'd already spent months dieting, and now I was going through another week of very low carbs while also traveling for the show.
I did get to enjoy a little more food after the first competition though.
I actually went out to eat for the first time in over a month, which was pretty nice.
Between that and the extra carbs from the previous show, my energy was surprisingly high going into the week.
I wanted to take advantage of that while I could.
Training Between Shows
Sunday was leg day.
I felt amazing in the gym.
After having more food and carbs in me, my energy was probably the best it had been in weeks.
Since I was going to be competing in Classic Physique this time, I wanted to get a good leg workout in while I still had the energy.
I pushed pretty hard and honestly enjoyed being able to train like that again.
Monday I went back in for back.
After seeing the comparisons from the previous show, I already knew my back was one of the areas I needed to improve.
Obviously I wasn't going to build a bigger back in six days, but I was motivated to come back and try to get another win.
I was starting to deplete carbs again, but my energy was still pretty high.
Tuesday was chest and arms.
I could tell my energy was starting to drop a little, but I still felt good enough to get a hard workout in.
Wednesday was a completely different story.
I was back in zombie mode.
By that point I felt fully depleted again and was pretty much running on fumes.
Just like the previous week, getting myself moving was the hardest part.
I still made it into the gym for one last full-body workout before starting to bring carbs and calories back up for the show.
I knew it was only temporary, but going through that feeling for a second week in a row definitely wasn't fun.
Making Weight for Classic Physique
One thing I was probably more worried about than I needed to be was making weight.
The Classic Physique cutoff for me was 202 lbs.
I woke up Friday morning at 196.4 lbs, so realistically I had plenty of room.
But I also knew my weight could come back up pretty quickly once I started loading carbs again.
My weigh-in wasn't until late Friday night, which made it a little more stressful.
I was so concerned about accidentally going over that I barely drank any water throughout the day.
Looking back, I was probably being overly cautious considering how far under the limit I was that morning.
When I finally weighed in, I was right around 198.2 lbs.
Comfortably under.
That was a relief because I could finally stop thinking about the scale and focus on the competition.
Classic Physique — Trying Something Different
Going into Classic Physique, I already had a feeling I was going to be a little undersized.
Once I saw the other competitors, that became pretty obvious.
Classic is a different look than Men's Physique, and I haven't spent nearly as much time building my physique specifically for that division.
At that point I just decided to have some fun with it and see where I ended up.
There were four competitors in my class.
I felt like I held my own, but I could definitely tell my posing wasn't where it needed to be.
Everything felt a lot less natural than Men's Physique.
Instead of just getting into my poses automatically, I was thinking about where my feet needed to be, what I should be flexing, and whether I was presenting everything correctly.
I also really wish I'd spent more time practicing my vacuum.
I think having a better vacuum pose could've helped my presentation enough to potentially move me up a spot.
During comparisons I was eventually moved toward the side, so I had a pretty good idea I wasn't going to be in the top two.
I ended up finishing third out of four.
Honestly, I wasn't unhappy with that.
I beat one competitor, got some experience in a different division, and had fun doing it.
If I decide to compete in Classic Physique again, I'll definitely need to spend more time practicing the mandatory poses and building the size needed for the division.
The judges also gave me some feedback afterward.
I needed to fill out my frame more.
That's something I already suspected, but hearing it from the judges confirmed it.
Men's Physique — Going for Another Win
Men's Physique was a different experience.
The competition was quite a bit smaller than the previous weekend, and I felt much more comfortable with my posing.
I ended up winning my class again.
This time the comparisons weren't nearly as exhausting as the week before.
I didn't have to stand out there holding poses until I felt like I was about to pass out, which was definitely nice after another difficult peak week.
It felt great getting another first-place finish, especially after all the work I'd put into the last several months.
That also meant I was going back out for another overall comparison.
Two shows in two weeks, and I got to compete for the overall both times.
I was pretty happy about that.
Another Shot at the Overall
When we went back out for the overall, I was moved into the middle again.
Just like the previous weekend, I felt like I had a chance.
But it didn't take long for the judges to move me into the second position.
And honestly, I could see why.
Once again, the competitor who beat me had a noticeably better back.
I also felt like my abs were a little behind compared to what I'd want to bring to a national-level competition.
Those are probably the two biggest things I took away from these shows.
My front pose seems to hold up pretty well.
But from the back, I still need more size and width.
And while I got lean enough to do well at both shows, I think I could bring better abdominal detail next time.
I ended up finishing second overall again.
I would've loved to win one of them, but I also can't really complain about taking first in my class at back-to-back shows.
Final Results
Classic Physique
3rd Place — Class (4 Competitors)
Men's Physique
1st Place — Class Winner
2nd Place — Overall
Two-Show Summary
Men's Physique Class Wins: 2
Overall Finishes: 2nd place at both shows
Nationals Qualification: Earned at the first show
Classic Physique: 3rd place
Competition Photos
Men's Physique
Front Pose
Back Pose
Side Pose
Comparisons
Classic Physique
Front Pose
Back Pose
Awards
StageLab — Transitioning Out of Prep
Now that both competitions are over, StageLab is moving me into the transition phase out of prep.
I'm looking forward to that.
After months of dieting and spending so much time in the gym, it'll be nice to get back to a more normal routine.
I don't want to immediately gain back everything I worked so hard to lose though.
One thing I'd like to do differently this time is stay relatively lean during the offseason.
I've spent plenty of time in the past eating whatever I wanted and not worrying too much about body fat.
Then when I decide to compete again, I end up having to spend months getting all that fat back off.
I'd rather avoid doing quite so much of that next time.
I still want to eat more, recover, and focus on building muscle, but I'd like to keep my body fat under better control while doing it.
StageLab will help me transition calories and activity back toward a more sustainable level, and I'll see how things go from there.
Final Thoughts
I'm really happy with how this prep turned out.
I started at 216.4 lbs and ended up getting down to around 198 lbs on stage.
I won my Men's Physique class at both shows, finished second overall twice, and qualified for Nationals. I also got to try Classic Physique and see how I compared in a different division.
Obviously I would've liked to win an overall, but after looking at the comparisons I agree with the results.
My back needs more size, I need to fill out my frame, and I'd like to bring better abdominal definition next time.
At least now I have a pretty good idea of what I need to work on.
For now, I'm looking forward to taking a break from competing and getting back to a more normal routine.
StageLab is moving me into the post-show transition phase, and I'm planning to stay relatively lean while focusing on building more muscle. I'd rather not have to spend quite so much time dieting the next time I decide to compete.
Nationals is definitely something I'm thinking about, but I'm not in a rush to start another prep just yet.
I want to enjoy being in shape for a while, eat more, recover, and eventually get back to pushing for more size in the gym.
Overall, I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do.
It's been a long prep, and there were definitely weeks where I questioned whether I'd be ready.
But I got there, and I'm happy with how everything turned out.
Final Prep Snapshot
Starting Weight: 216.4 lbs
Show Weight: Approximately 198 lbs
Total Weight Lost: Approximately 18–20 lbs
Men's Physique: Two 1st-place class finishes
Overall: Two 2nd-place finishes
Classic Physique: 3rd place
Nationals Qualification: Earned
Biggest Areas to Improve: Back size, frame fullness, and abdominal definition
Final Status: Prep Complete