Federation: NPC

The 2020 -2021 contest season opened up 1 hour from my hometown, Columbia Maryland.  I stayed at the Hilton Hotel, just minutes from the venue.  The neighborhood was residential and the check in process smooth.  Social distancing was in order in this hotel, of course, so everyone was wearing their masks.  I checked in on a Friday evening.

The competition was held the following day at the Shop Gym in Ashburn, Va. This was by far one of the better venues I've competed in since the stage at the Musclemania World Championships many years ago in Redondo Beach, California.  The lighting, audio, and set up was clearly executed by a professional company.  I competed in the Master's and Open Classic Physique (C class).  Competitors in each category ranged in age, build, and experience level. 

If I had a complaint, it would be that the music was a bit too loud when I was on stage (more on that later) and that's about it.  From a competitor perspective, this is as good as a venue gets.  The show was held at a gym that was clearly designed for future competitions so I expect to return there in the future.  The pump up area was a competitor's dream-mirrors everywhere!  The stage lighting was amazing.  The swag bag had so much in it, ranging from energy drinks, protein bars.  I felt valued as a competitor (see video below).

A SHORT CLIP OF THE AMAZING STAGE AND LIGHTING

Check in photos and videos courtesy of my sister Rachael

The Competition

After getting my height and weight verified (weighed in at 202.5 and just a shade under 6'0) I returned back to the hotel room to carb up, put on another coat of color, and relax. 

Master's and Open classes were relatively small but the competition was good.  I was very impressed with the caliber of competition in the men's physique divisions and all the women's divisions were packed. I expect so see some of the ladies in the IFBB in the future as many brought their A games with them.

The peak factor

I reached my peak for this show.  The way my body works, I can only peak once so each additional show I compete in won't display my usual crispness and details.   On the bright side, I will do some experimentation with my diet to see what works and what doesn't without consequence.

and....the music was so loud we couldn't hear who won the overall, but it was all good..

Final feedback

Class and overall winners took a urinalysis test afterwards, and qualified to compete in any NPC national level show for the 2020-21 contest season. I was so relieved to see that natural shows in the NPC are in fact drug tested. If you are new to competing I always recommend competing in the NPC because the athletes there (especially non-tested shows) will push you to the limits and make you better as a competitor. 

The caliber of athletes is incredible and the shows are generally run very smoothly.  The judges were highly qualified and provided me with awesome feedback.  Overall, they said my presentation, posing, routine, and conditioning were good and to continue to compete so I can come in harder and harder and to also consider competing on the national level.

Below is the final stage shot of all the overall winners in the show: