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Victory at last! It’s been six years since I won a bodybuilding competition but I finally achieved victory again at the America’s Cup Natural Bodybuilding Championships held in Highland, Michigan on October 23rd, 2004. I needed to win this contest to qualify for the Natural Olympia and Natural Mr. Universe which will be held in November.

Line-up for the short class of the America's Cup	Front Double Biceps comparison.	Front Lat Spread.

My plan for the America’s Cup was to come in as lean and hard as possible. I wanted to do this for two reasons. The first was to give me the best possible chance to win first place and obtain my pro card so I could move forward to the Natural Olympia and Natural Universe. With bodybuilding competitions being so competitive, I know that there are no easy contests and an “easy win” was a myth that no longer exists in today’s competitive world.

The second reason I wanted to be as lean as possible for this competition was that by losing the majority of my bodyfat three weeks before the first big contest, I would not have to expend a great deal of energy trying to lose fat for the remaining two big competitions. If I was very lean by the time this show arrived, I could spend the next three weeks coasting into the Natural Olympia and Natural Universe without the stress of trying to lose more bodyfat at the last minute.

Most Muscular pose.	Relaxed from the rear.	Beginning my posing routine at night.

My progress the last six weeks before this competition was very good. I lost two pounds a week and a ¼ inch on my waist consistently each week leading up to the show. At six weeks out, I weighed 214 pounds and still had a ways to go before I was contest ready. By the time I stepped onstage at the America’s Cup competition, I was down to 202 pounds and very close to peak condition.

Although I could have been harder, I was still able to win both the short class and the overall title due to my size, shape and proportions. In the short class, I beat out Anthony Moses, a frequent finalist at the Team Universe each year.

The famous Arnold pose!	Winning the short class and my pro card.	Comparisons for the overall title with class winners Rico Browning and Tim Swanson.

In the medium class, incredible 51 year old Tim Swanson pulled off a win over some tough competition. Tim was possibly the hardest competitor in the entire competition which just goes to show that age is not a factor when it comes to developing a great physique.

Front lat spread	Side chest comparison.	Winning the overall title of America's Cup.

The tall class went to Rico Browning who also won the overall title in the Master’s division. Rico displayed a very thick and hard physique in winning his class. His chest and arms, in particular, were very well developed.
In the overall posedown, the judges awarded me the title based on my overall size and proportions. Now, it’s on to Las Vegas on November 13th for the big one – the Natural Olympia competition!