Hello Everyone. First and foremost. Great competitors everywhere. All the class winners were awesome! And they all deserved their wins!

I had a hell of a ride to nationals but made huge errors in the end which resulted in me looking like a mess on stage, I have recovered mentally, will learn a huge lesson and move on and forward.

Let me Explain! Some of my errors please

I made Many key errors.. Here they are When I posted my pics. 2.5 weeks out, I weighed 163lbs. I should have continued to make the adjustments in my diet necessary to walk on stage in 2.5 weeks as a welterweight looking like this. instead of coming down, i should have stayed the same weight. Ate, more, not less. etc.

I had made up my mind at that point I would continue to work my diet along to make it down to 154lbs to compete in a successfully weight class for me in the past. This was a huge mistake. I struggled hard to make weight. I got down to 153lbs on Thursday by cutting my food out leading up to the show the last days and cut water back so much that I did not know how to properly get my weight back up. This was a big mistake, but I learned. Way too much weight dropped, it was ridiculous.

Key Error #2 I messed up my tan. Or someone else did. Well, i was the talk of the show! I looked like a black man. I truly did.

Actually I was darker than most black guys. . All the judges were sickened by this, I'm sure. The curtain was black behind me and on stage i blended in with the curtain, my face was so black, it seemed to get blacker as the day went on. I was a wreck. was not paying attention to who was coloring me and didn't even realize this.....sound's crazy! Shit, it was the last thing on my mind! My color, i didnt even think of it to be honest. Way too much oil too, smooths you out.
The combination of too much oil, too much color made me look way smooth and couldn't see nothing on me. Unless you were standing up close to me. Up close i wasn't as bad

Key Error #3 I let the stress get to me. My wife is the one who usually hands this for me, she calms me down, does my color etc. And tells me to eat!

I just kept losing weight it seemed like being alone in my room and in Texas, far from home, it sucked

And along with me not getting my weight situation in order. I was screwed. I tried to recover but...shit! It was too late.

The biggest mistake was.... I should have listened to my wife..... And others including Mark Dugdale. And a bunch of people after seeing me in person, not just pics, I know Mark didn't think I should have lost a pound. Everyone thought I was dry enough at 2 and a half weeks out. But of course, I didn't listen because my mind was set on competing at a weight I was familiar at not at a weight that I looked best at. I should have taken advantage of some of the help offered. One being that of some really really good people. Valerie and Tony Haines.

Valerie is a figure pro and was so supportive on the board leading up to the show and Tony is a competitor himself recovering from a torn pec. A big dude. But hella cool guy. And smart and nice as can be. But heres the thing. He knows his shit too. How was I to know? or trust anyone but my wife. My wife has been with me through thick and thin.

Anyways, Tony did come to my rescue and helped me get the black off and the color on properly, get my head on straight, get some food in me and dial in much better for a killer shoot with MD with Per Bernal on Saturday. He gave me a big hand for the night show too. I should have just talked to him as soon as I got into town.

Tony has helped some figure pros in the past and I think is currently training some now as well and helped Ryan Walters compete in the Welterweight class. by the way, Ryan not only held his own, looked great on stage.

I was able to recover with the color and filled up pretty nicely. I was contacted by Steve Blechmen to get some pics taken by MD's top photographer. An honor in itself. which I did with 3 of the best competitors in the show.

I was lucky to have this shoot with one of, if not the best photographer, who works for the biggest bodybuilding magazine in the business.

Pretty good for an over sized lightweight. I have to stay in shape for some good shoots with some others this week. Many other things came out of this too.
But I want to thank you guys! all this positive support is so cool. Winning is easy, losing sucks but life goes on. Shit, I didn't really lose much here .

Its much harder to stay ripped all year, then get into some crazy ass shape for a long time,( in the end, i screwed up,) but I did get in the best ass shape. I can do it again. I will do it again.

Like i said before, my life doesn't change, win or lose, not at all. Life is not much different, for me. I will always body build. All year long. I will not always do the same things.

This year, I will make the changes my body needs to grow. I will not get fat but I will have to make some changes that my body needs for me to improve as a competitor on stage. That is what bodybuilding is all about.

It is about seeing what you need to do and doing it. Not about pouting, wishing and wanting, hoping and dreaming.

Im a bodybuilder, so I have to live up to what that means. To me its more than just looking good on contest day.

This show was not all about me. My posts got kinda crazy. Me posting all those pics, everyone cheering for me. I loved it and appreciated it. It was cool. I hope i didnt let you down. Its hard as hell to get damn nailed every show.

I want to say, thank you guys for sticking through this journey for me. Nationals was my version of the Olympia, The Olympia for an amateur and it was a great ride! peace everyone.