Road to the 2026 Vancouver Fall Classic - 3 Weeks Out

We are officially exactly three weeks out from the 2026 Vancouver Fall Classic, and doing the update right on schedule this Saturday! Things are progressing right on track, conditioning is tightening up, and the details are starting to show through.

Here is a look at where the numbers stand, how the conditioning is coming along, and what’s dialed in heading into the final three weeks.

Current Weight & Body Fat Stats

• Body Weight: Holding steady just under 190 lbs (often sitting just a bit under depending on the time of day).

• Body Fat: Down to 6.7%—a full 1% drop from last week’s test, while managing to hold solid body weight.

• Target: Continue stripping down toward that 5% range over these final three weeks to step on stage completely peeled.

Conditioning & Stubborn Fat Distribution

At three weeks out, cuts, striations, and muscle separation are becoming more visible in the mirror and during training sessions. When you get down to this level of leanness, it’s all about monitoring where the body holds onto those final last stubborn pounds:

• Trouble Spots vs. Leaning Out: My arms, legs, and shoulders tend to strip down first, and the upper chest gets very lean early on. The last places I release fat, especially as an older competitor, are typically the lower back, a little bit right under the chest, and the lower midsection.

• The Last 2 Pounds: Because fat is no longer evenly distributed across my entire body as an older guy, dropping even just 1 to 2 more pounds makes a dramatic visual difference right where it counts.

• The "Death Face": Leanness is starting to creep into the face, which is always one of the final indicators that conditioning is improving. I’ll likely be shaving the beard down for next week’s update so we can actually see the jawline and overall facial conditioning.

Posing Routine & Mandatories

Posing practice ramps up heavily at the three-week mark. Motivation is high, the shape is dialed, and muscle control is critical:

• Men’s Physique: Running through the front and back stances, dialing in the arm positioning, back flare, and footwork transitions.

• Classic Physique: Running through the classic mandatories, including front double bicep, side chest, back double bicep, and hitting the vacuum poses.

• Real-World Lighting: Just like last week, this check-in is shot under standard, honest overhead non-gym lighting, no single overhead spotlight or flattering "anabolic" stage lighting, just a true benchmark of where the conditioning sits.

We're hitting the home stretch now. Expect another check-in next week as we close in on two weeks out. Check out the video above to see the full physique update and posing routine!

Road to the 2026 Vancouver Fall Classic - 4 Weeks Out

We’re officially hovering right around the 4-week mark out from the 2026 Vancouver Fall Classic! Technically, I’m a couple of days past the exact four-week point after getting tied up over the weekend, but we’re right on schedule and making steady progress.

Here is a quick look at where things stand, current numbers, and what’s dialed in for the final stretch.

Current Weight & Body Fat Stats

• Body Weight: Hovering right near 190 lbs (often sitting just a pound or so under depending on the time of day).

• Body Fat: Recent testing on the gym’s body composition machine put me in the mid-to-high 7% range (around 7.7%).

• Target: Looking to bring that down into the 5% range over these next four weeks, which means shedding another 2.5% to 3% body fat.

The Plan for the Next 4 Weeks

Dropping into the 5% range in a month is totally doable with the routine dialed in:

• Cardio & Activity: Keeping daily steps high with plenty of walking (4-5 miles per day).

• Training & Diet: Dialing in the nutrition with zero guesswork, prioritizing high protein, keeping calories in check, and cutting out alcohol completely. When the nutrition is that clean, bringing down body fat becomes straightforward.

Posing Routine & Divisions

In the video update, I ran through some initial posing practice for both Men's Physique and Classic Physique:

• Physique & Classic Mandatories: Starting posing practice in earnest now to clean up transitions, foot placement, and holds (front poses, side chest, back double bicep).

• Stomach Vacuum: Working on bringing back the vacuum pose for Classic Physique. It’s an area that takes consistent practice, but it's already showing noticeable improvement compared to previous runs.

• Real-World Lighting: The lighting in this check-in is straightforward, top-down multiple sources, and not very flattering, no dramatic "anabolic" stage lighting here, just an honest benchmark to see exactly what needs refining.

I’ll be dropping weekly video updates right up until show day to track the changes as conditioning tightens up. Check out the full video above to see how the physique is looking at four weeks out!

Road to the 2026 Vancouver Fall Classic - 5 Weeks Out

A quick update on my prep for the upcoming Vancouver Fall Classic. We are officially just under five weeks out from show day, and I am feeling pretty good about where things are at.

Current Stats & Physique Update Right now, I am sitting at about 190 pounds and estimating my body fat to be roughly 7% to 8%. To hit my peak stage condition, I need to drop another 3% body fat, which equates to losing about five or six more pounds. I’m going to be doing my posing for physique updates as I get closer ot the show, here in my C-can studio because the lighting is consistent and truthful. There is no overly flattering direct overhead lighting to hide behind, which gives me an honest look at where my definition is at when running through my poses, like the double bicep.

Training & Nutrition For the past couple of weeks, my diet has been fairly strict. I have not cut out alcohol completely, just a lot less for sure, saving drinks for a nice dinner, or outing and I've dropped my intake to a steady 2,000 calories a day to ensure I hit my weight goal on show day and avoiding getting stressed at the end. To keep the fat burning without overtaxing my body, I’ve ramped up my daily walking to roughly three miles a day, split between walking the dogs and heading out on my own. My weight training is locked in at six days a week for an hour per session, utilizing a three-day split. I find keeping workouts to a tight hour is optimal for recovery at my age while still putting in the necessary work.

Supplement Protocol As for the supplement side of things, I've temporarily bumped up my testosterone from my standard TRT base of 100mg per week to 400mg, alongside adding in 200mg of Masteron, strictly to peak for this event as it helps manage estrogen, increases free testosterone and lowers SHBG. I'll be cutting the testosterone entirely a month out from the show to drop water retention, and I've incorporated a very low dose of retatrutide (2mg per week) simply to help curb my appetite, manage insulin, and keep water retention low during these final weeks.

Mindset Going Into the Show Because I am on TRT, I cannot compete in the natural divisions, meaning I have to step on stage in the Open category. I am fully aware that I will likely be stepping next to guys running significantly heavier, more complex protocols, but I am not letting that get to me. My goal isn't necessarily to be the biggest guy on stage; my goal is to be the tightest, leanest, and most conditioned competitor in the lineup. This prep is all about having fun with the process, pushing my own limits, and seeing the best package I can bring right at the peak of show day without causing harm to my body.

Keep an eye on the channel and getfitover40.com as I’ll be posting more updates leading up to the competition. Stay focused and keep putting in the work!

Road to the Vancouver Open Regionals - Show Day

All the work is over and the day has come to stand on the stage and be judged side by side with my peers. At least that's what most people believe. I know going into these shows that I am kind of at a disadvantage to some degree, as much of the judging criteria is going to be based on size and muscle mass, which makes sense being that this is a bodybuilding show. Keeping it real, I am competing in non-tested bodybuilding, which means contestants can use whatever performance enhancing drugs they want to, and even in amateur shows most guys use a lot of gear and they can get pretty big. I can not do the same as it would be extremely careless for me with my heart history to stress my heart and body to that degree, yet being that I am on TRT I can not compete in any natural shows. This means I will be one of the smaller guys on stage as I am not willing to do what it takes in terms of PED's to be competitive with guys on a lot more testosterone and many other compounds. I am not complaining but it is the reality of my situation.

I always hope that the judges will favor conditioning and aesthetic over size, but from what I have seen at this years show and last years show, this is not the case, size for sure trumps conditioning and aesthetic. That's really OK with me as my expectations for this show where not what kind of placement I was going to get, but that I was able to bring something better than last year and I did just that. I was up at least 5 pounds over last year with at least the same level of conditioning. I even got a shout out from the DJ where he mentioned how much I had improved over last year so mission accomplished!

I have no plans for any future shows as I am just not what the judges are looking for and unless I somehow magically put on 10 pounds of extra lean muscle, there is no way I can be competitive in an Open Bodybuilding Show. So for now I will continue to train and enjoy bodybuilding for myself and for my health.

Road to the Vancouver Open Regionals - 1 Day Out Lots to Still Do

Just one more day to go now till the Vancouver Open Regionals, if I'm not ready, well that's on me now. I feel I have done everything to plan and I feel like I have achieved a look I am happy to bring to the stage. Last year I was about 5 pounds lighter at weigh in (182, this year I was 187). I feel like I am close in terms of similar body fat percentages, that hopefully means I have an additional 5 pounds of muscle which may not seem like a lot, but for me it does make a big difference when put on in the right places.

Today was all about getting my carbs in, making sure to get some walking in, do a full shave down and exfoliation so the tan will stick, and I also did my at home spray tan to get me a few shades darker so the actual show spray tan will hit hard.

I had to make an appearance at the show location for the athletes check in where I also made a few changes to the categories I will be competing in to make sure I was not standing on the stage alone. I am now competing in Men's Physique Open with I believe 4 or 6 guys? I also entered Classic Physique Open with 14 guys total on stage (Big Class!), and I also signed up for Men's Physique 55+ joining 2 other guys. Not sure if I will place in all these categories, obviously my best shot will be in the Men's Physique 55+.