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!

Vancouver Fall Classic 2022 Post Show Thoughts and Future Plans

So now that the Vancouver Fall Classic has come and gone, what are my final thoughts and what is next for this 53 year old body bodybuilder wannabe. Was I happy with how I looked for the show and in the show? Was I happy with how I placed in the show? Did I do everything I wanted to do? Could I have done more or made any changes in my contest prep? How is everything going now after the show, is my body bouncing back OK since post show stress can be even worse then pre show body stress? And what are my future plans moving forward now that the show is over and I have to go back to my regular mundane life ;)

I answer all of these questions and more for you in this video so grab a drink and bag of popcorn and sit back and watch the video...

53 Year Old Vancouver Fall Classic 2022 Show Day

So we made it to the Vancouver Fall Classic stage and for the most part everything went as planned. I stuck to my program and came in what I thought would be very close to my best condition in several years. If I am honest I don't think I was in my best condition? I have my doubts but really need to see my stage photos to know for sure. They really tell the truth, not that friend and family don't but they will always be rooting for you and have a bias that may not give you 100% accurate feedback.

As I have been talking about leading into this show I struggled with a bit of water retention in my face and to some degree that also showed up a little bit with stomach bloat, not so much in my skin but more under my skin and in my abdomen. I managed this fairly well in the morning show by using an over the counter diabetic called Watertight along with very limited water intake the night before and day of the show. I know I was not holding a lot of water for the morning show because I weight pretty much the same as I had weighed leading up to the show, in my weigh in and in the morning and right up to the day show which was right around 193 to 194 pounds.

Between the mornign Prejudging Show and the evening Awards Show I did have a reasonable sized lunch and I took a bit of fluids, this increased my weight from 193 to around 198 pounds so I went up a good 5 pounds but it was all water and it went a bit into my mid section and face, not really anywhere else and not too much into the skin but maybe a little bit. So I did feel. Little bit bloated on stage which was not exactly what I wanted for the evening show.

It could of been worse for sure but I feel I could have been tighter on stage if I did not have this water retentions issue going on, that said I did OK and placed 1st in Master's Classic Physique which was not a surprise as I was the only one in that class. I placed 1st in Masters Physique out of three competitors one of which I felt was a strong contender for sure so happy with that placing. In the open categories I placed 3rd in Tall Physique out of 5 guys all of which where half my age so again very happy with that placing and in Tall Classic Physique which is probably my weakest category I placed 7th out of 11 guys all of which where young other than me and another Master competitor.

So am I happy with the results? Yes and no, I feel like things fell apart the last week or two of my prep. It's like I strolled a bit, my body fat seemed to drop but I didn't see changes in my body as much as I should of and I believe it was a water retention problem because my weight did not change much even though my body fat did and I was having problem with my face holding onto water any time I changed my diet even a little bit when adding any carbs in.

I am posting this on the Monday after the show and right now I am 205 pounds so 12 pounds overweight in and stage weight and I did not go crazy with the food. I had to shut down the eating and drinking a lot because it was literally putting me into a coma every time I ate anything significant. The interesting things is I am not holding virtually any water anywhere other than my face and abdomen, my ankles and feet are fine, my skin in general is fairly thin everywhere other than my face. I do have a lot of bloat in my stomach which puts pressure on the organs and makes you feel lethargic.

So I guess it is in my best interest and health to go back to a much cleaner and low carb eating style which I am more use to but I was hoping to be able to enjoy a few meals and treats before getting back to more regulated eating. Maybe this is good in a way since I am less likely to put on unwanted weight and can stay leaner this time post show. I will keep you all updated on my health and how my post show recovery goes...