# COMPETITIVE BODYBUILDING - POWERLIFTING - ATHLETICS & SPORTS > COMPETITIVE BODYBUILDING Q & A >  Men's Physique Competitors

## Back In Black

As men's physique appears to have at least as many contestants as bodybuilding at shows nowadays, who here competes? I know we have a few at least.

For those that do can you throw some info out?

How many times have you competed?

Height, weight and bodyfat on stage?

Pre comp cycles? Not dosages necessarily but what compounds, when do you drop them and what do you do with your AI's?

How has the criteria changed in recent years? Too much muscle is marked down in the amateur ranks seemingly but welcomed in the pro ranks?

What feedback have the judges given you?

Any other info you want to share?

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## Livinlean

Ive competed twice so far and my third show will be nationals this year. Im 5'9 205lb but both times got down to the 180lb range around 5% BF.

The cycles are pretty much the same as a BB just at lower dosages... test tren mast winny anavar anadrol halo clen . The orals are rotated of course. I don't remember the AI dose but it was quite high towards the end there something like 1/2 a tab of letro (again, I dont remember the dosage) but before the letro I was running adex. Ran anadrol 4 weeks out and dropped it 2 weeks out at that time switched to halo and ran halo winny anavar up to show day. 

Ive only been competing for 2 years now so I cant comment on how the criteria is changed but I see big dudes winning all the time. I've only ever seen a big guy not do well twice 1. the guy looked bigger than the BBers in the show 2. the guy was way too conditioned 

The feedback I was given at my last show was that I need to grow my glutes lol. I had stopped squatting 6 weeks out from my last show so my lower body shrank due to an injury. I didn't realize judges looked at your legs but according to the head judge they like to see the shorts filled out instead of looking baggy.

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## DHew

Livinlean you do physique? You dont look as skinny as the typical physique competitor.

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## Livinlean

> Livinlean you do physique? You dont look as skinny as the typical physique competitor.


Well at my first show I was bigger than the BBers but this was before bigger guys were getting docked points and at the national qualifier all the top guys are big anyways. I've gained even more size this off season because I was planning on switching to classic physique but after a lot of thought I decided to step on stage at nationals for physique if all goes well and I win my card I can switch to classic at that point and take a couple years off to put on some size but thats easier said then done lol. 

I actually never intended to be in mens physique but after my gyno surgery my chest needed a lot more attention. I stepped on stage just because I wanted to be ripped for the summer (wrong intentions) but now its turned into a lifestyle.

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## DHew

Good for you man, awesome.

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## Back In Black

What were your compound dosages?

Do you work with a prep coach?

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## Livinlean

test around 1200mg both times. Tren and mast was 350 first time and 525 second time. Winny was 100 first time but second time we threw in anavar so winny was 50 and anavar was 60. a few weeks out from the second show anadrol was added at 100mg and dropped 2 weeks out for halo which I think I took at 20mg. 

I worked with a local prep coach for the two shows but this time I think I will handle my own prep and may bring someone in for the final 8 weeks when I throw in my tren a, mast etc.

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## Livinlean

This time around I think I will lower my test to 750 as I feel it was unnecessary to have it over a gram while cutting.

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## DHew

Once I hit around 900mg per week with test I get some acne on my arms that's pretty bad and not worth it. 750ish mg per week is good for me. Diminishing results past that point.

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## Revelations

Did you drop all injectables 2 weeks out?

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## MuscleScience

I've done physique shows three times now I think. May do a forth once I'm fully recovered from my knee surgeries. 

Anyway, I'm 6'1" my first show I was 218-220 ish after water depletion in memory serves. I was way to big for that show and didn't place well. I had transitioned from powerlifting, and was fairly blocky, and not as lean as I should have been. My second show I came in at under 208, I placed much better and scored top five. I was very lean and had great vascularity. One of the comments from the judges was that I was a bit to big. This was before classic physique was a category which I guess is a 210lb weight limit.

I took that advice to heart and slimmed down even further. I came in to my 3rd show at 188 and felt and looked like shit. I was very flat, nothing popped out and generally didn't feel good at all. 

If I do another one I think my target weight will be just over 200lbs. I will have a new coach this time around and think I will go more by look and how I feel Vs a pure weight number. Which is how I should have done it. 

I may try classic physique, im very interested in that. I just don't know with my knee surgeries if I can put on the required leg mass to be competitive at my height. I am not sure if they have height based classes like they do in physique.

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## SOL!D5NAK3

Here too , done 2 preps ,first one was not seriuos just test and oxy i weighed 73-2 kg on stage 174cm 
2nd time was more serious test tren deca win oxy , got a 2nd place And a 4th one , 78 kg on stage
Doing my third prep right now , a tad different from last one , doing tren all the way and added winny 12 weeks out , gonna dose up last weeks, right now 10 weeks out 83kg

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## BG

Last show was 4 years ago.

Ran a bulk cycle 12 weeks before prep then ran a 10 week prep cycle. I messed up and ran tren in my bulk so I dont think it was as effective in my prep as it could have been. If I were to compete again I wouldn't run a bulk, I would just do a 14 week prep cycle while changing out a few of the compounds through out. I would like to do another, Im much smarter and mature now, it probably be more fun  :Smilie: 


If any of you are thinking about doing it........just do it. You will never be big as you want or anything else. Start with small shows and work your way up, but get on stage. You will be happy you did and its a learning lesson every time.

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## BG

> Here too , done 2 preps ,first one was not seriuos just test and oxy i weighed 73-2 kg on stage 174cm 
> 2nd time was more serious test tren deca win oxy , got a 2nd place And a 4th one , 78 kg on stage
> Doing my third prep right now , a tad different from last one , doing tren all the way and added winny 12 weeks out , gonna dose up last weeks, right now 10 weeks out 83kg


winny 12 weeks out? Little long and early dont you think? Are you going to add anything closer to the show?

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## Back In Black

What is the most fat % any of you have lost in the 12-14 weeks of contest prep that you do?

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## BG

> What is the most fat % any of you have lost in the 12-14 weeks of contest prep that you do?


Maybe around 8%........start at 15 and get on stage at around 7.

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## MuscleScience

> What is the most fat % any of you have lost in the 12-14 weeks of contest prep that you do?


Maybe 3-4% I try to lean out over time.

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## Back In Black

> Maybe around 8%........start at 15 and get on stage at around 7.


Did you suffer much lean tissue loss do you think?

How much cardio?

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## MuscleScience

> Did you suffer much lean tissue loss do you think?
> 
> How much cardio?


Not much if any, my lifts were pretty close until the last week which was a deload week. 

Lots of cardio, 4 days a week of HIIT and 2-3 days of steady state in the AM.

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## BG

> Not much if any, my lifts were pretty close until the last week which was a deload week. 
> 
> Lots of cardio, 4 days a week of HIIT and 2-3 days of steady state in the AM.


Agreed. With the gear and enough protein you wont lose muscle. I felt great in the gym, it was outside there I was always hungry, very hard to handle. I ate a lot of rice cakes to keep my mind thinking I was eating. Cardio was 45 mins a day along with posing.

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## MuscleScience

> Agreed. With the gear and enough protein you wont lose muscle. I felt great in the gym, it was outside there I was always hungry, very hard to handle. I ate a lot of rice cakes to keep my mind thinking I was eating. Cardio was 45 mins a day along with posing.


Forgot about posing, I treated that as a workout or cardio. You're spent after a hard session.

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## NACH3

> Forgot about posing, I treated that as a workout or cardio. You're spent after a hard session.


So true and IDK what I'm doing but just flexing is a damn hard workout!

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