#6: A Comeback – at 51!

Q: Hello Guy,

For the last four years, I have been training heavy again after a 12-year layoff and I now find myself at the point where the itch to compete has come back. At 51 years of age, if I don't do it now it is not going to get any easier.

I won and placed in a couple of shows back in the early ‘80s – ‘83, ‘84 and ‘85 and then got out, because at the Central Ontarios I took second due to a guy 20 pounds heavier and on the juice. That is when the "mind war" started with me asking myself, Do I or Don't I? The latter won, and I walked away.

Now I find myself wanting to step onto the stage again and lack direction, as so many things have changed. Can you help me?

...George

A: Hi George,

First of all, congratulations on coming back from your 12-year layoff! At 51 years of age, you are an example to all of us that you are never too old to rebuild your body.

With respect to your question, having first competed myself back in 1987, I can agree with you that many things have changed. Several organizations are running competitions these days with different rules and regulations depending on the organization.

I have always entered the Ontario Physique Association (OPA) and Canadian Bodybuilding Federation (CBBF) competitions, which are both directly affiliated with the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB).   I personally feel that these are still the most well-respected and recognized organizations in the sport. With all the time and effort required to get ready for competition, you certainly want your competitive accomplishment to mean something, as opposed to winning the equivalent of the ACME bodybuilding title.

Under the CBBF, you have two competitive streams. One leads you to the IFBB World Bodybuilding Championships; the other leads you to the professional ranks. The major difference between the two is that the World Championships stream is drug-tested, with urine sampling being conducted on a random basis. Urine sampling will catch most steroid use over the past year, but is ineffective on the latest designer steroids and human growth hormone (HGH). In Canadian competitions, most active drug users do not participate in the World Championships stream, but, unfortunately, the majority of the participants at the World Championships are on some form of HGH.

In order to address this issue, the IFBB debuted the Classic Bodybuilding category at the 2006 Men's World Championships. The divisions restrict weight by height.  If you can make this category based on the weight/height requirements, I would strongly recommend it. The complete regulations and formula for determining your maximum allowable weight by your height can be found at IFBB.com in their "Rules" section.  If you are unable to make the Classic restrictions, there is also the Masters (over 50) category in the Worlds, but there you will be dealing with the HGH again.

The other most notable change in competitions since the '80s is the vastly superior level of conditioning among the athletes. It is no longer enough to come into a competition in a cut condition. By the time you reach the national level, you need to be shredded.  This will require a strict cardio and dietary regimen for a minimum of four months out from the competition, similar to that previously described in my December article. Posing trunks have also gotten smaller and fake tans darker, with Dream Tan being the choice most favored by competitors at the Worlds.

The competition itself has not changed dramatically since the '80s, with the four relaxed poses (front, rear and both sides) and the seven mandatory poses (front double biceps, front lat spread, side chest, side tricep, back double biceps, back lat spread, and abdominal and thigh) still being the basis of the competition.   A recent change has seen the posing routine scored at all levels, which means preparing and practicing a well-choreographed routine for at least a month before the competition.

For competitors in Ontario following the World Championships stream, you would do the OPA National Qualifier (Natural Ontarios), followed by the CBBF National World Qualifier, and then the IFBB World Championships – which is an experience of a lifetime! To find out more about the venues and dates of 2007 Canadian competitions, please refer to the OPA site, BodyBuildingOntario.com, and the CBBF site, CBBF.ca. If you are successful in your qualifying competitions, it is quite feasible to go from obscurity to competing at the international level within a six-month period.

Good luck with your training and competition preparation, and I hope to see you on the competitive stage in the near future.

...Guy Bourgon, Canadian Champion 2006

If you would like to ask Guy a question, please e-mail: askguy@seriousaboutmuscle.com.

SeriousAboutMuscle.com contributor Guy Bourgon is from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and is the winner of the Tall class in the Classic Bodybuilding division at the 2006 CBBF National World Qualifier. Guy also competed at the 2006 IFBB World Bodybuilding Championships held in Ostrava, Czech Republic, where he placed fifth in the Tall class of the Classic Bodybuilding division.