San Francisco Bodybuilding Championships 2004

San Francisco Bodybuilding Championships 2004: 2nd place heavyweight

The 2004 NPC San Francisco Bodybuilding Championships was a warm-up for me for the upcoming 2004 Mr. America in Santa Clara, CA. I also wanted to qualify to compete in the NPC USA within the next two years. My second place was arguable according to two judges whom felt I should have placed first. Nevertheless, the national qualification goes to the top two placings. So mission accomplished!

I weighed in at 204 backstage for this show. Measured my bodyfat with calipers at 2.4%. 2 weeks before my gym weight was about 230.

We went to Krispy Creme after this show – I had 4 donuts! Back on the diet the next day though.

In my spring training for this year’s shows my training partners were Chris Cormier and Mike O’ Hearn.

This was the year that Chris got 2nd to Jay Cutler at the 2004 Arnold Classic. Many people there felt Chris should have won. I certainly did. On one of our chest workouts Chris did incline presses with the 170 lb dumbbells. I chose not to go above the 160s. Of course Mike had to do the 170s too.

However, I was doing side laterals with the 100s at this time while Chris stuck with the 40s. Chris had some shoulder issues. Training with me, Mike brought his side laterals up from 30 to the 75s. Mike’s very competitive.

I trained for both the spring and fall shows. For the fall shows I was on my own.

This show was in October. In April I was massively rear ended in my car. It was totaled. I did not get adequate diagnosis or physical therapy for this accident. I injured my chest the first chest day back to the gym with a small pec tear. This was the first of many of those.

In the spring, early in my diet and before the accident I was training with my highest weights ever with Chris and Mike:

Incline dumbbell press 160 x 5

Pull ups with 45-90 lbs on a chain belt: 5-10 reps or 34 reps (first set) without additional weight

Leg press: 1500 x 5, 1100 x 20

Hack Squat: 900 x 10

Stiff leg deadlift: 315 x 10

Smith Overhead Shoulder Press: 405 x 5

Side Lateral Raise: 100 x 10

Dumbbell Curls: 100 x 10

Triceps Kickbacks: 100 x 10

Barbell Curl: 185 x 10

Standing Double Dumbbell Rows: 140 x 10

Incline dumbbell Flye: 100 x 10

After the accident, I had to start pulling back on weights to avoid hurting myself..

I was knocked off kilter by that accident and I was training a little “crooked” after that. I didn’t realize it for a few years but problems started adding up. I eventually ended up having to get hip replacement in 2008 due to uneven pressure on my joints. A story for later…