Robert Cheeke's Journal - 3 contests in 4 weeks!

[ralst]

Congrats on the bodybuilding.com stuff, and good luck for your comp this weekend!

[robert]

Thanks!

2 days out!

I had a posing session today, photo shoot and worked out whole upper body again and did a few sets of lunges...about a 1 hour workout just keeping things pumped...on stage on Saturday.

www.oregonbodybuilding.com

My biggest contest ever as far as # of participants...we'll see what happens...shall be fun!

[robert]

I was a poser tonight for 45 minutes....practicing with the biggest guy in our gym.

Looked crappy under some lights and under others looked my best ever

I think I'm in pretty good shape.....we'll see what I look like 36 hours from now......

[hsorlando]

Robert, you're such a poser! Rofl.
Anyway I know you'll do great at your next comp.

[robert]

Thanks!

I wake up in 6 hours to get ready

A vid today of me posing....I am a poser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v8Q7kSfyOo

[aluck]

Looking good, do well. Proud of you.

[lobsteriffic]

Good luck today!!

[xveganjoshx]

Good luck today brah!

[robert]

Thanks...I appreciate the support...it was rough. Not placing in top 5...home now to eat and rest and back to finals in about 90 minutes....it's only 10 min from my house which is nice

Humbling experience to get crushed so hard today...but it happens. I had some success this year placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd (as well as 5th) but this show I'm down in 7th.

Still had fun....I always do. Just need to improve.

[DCNINJA]

No worries about where you placed. You did a lot of shows back to back, which I think is interesting. Take a few days and get some rest. Recuperate and think about where you are taking your physique next. Proud of you bro, that many shows back to back is damn tough. Send me some photos, I am curious to see how you looked.

[robert]

Thanks everyone for the pre-contest encouragement. I tried really hard but it just wasn't good enough for the top 5. I worked my ass off this year, more than any other year and I'm really pleased with how the year went. But now it's time to take a break.

I was planning on competing August 8th near Seattle but I just got an offer from VEGA to go to Chicago to run the booth for Chicago VegFest that same weekend and I need $ and my body needs a break so it's a beautiful combo.

On a side note....I haven't had much gas for the past couple of months (I know I did during the filming of Vegan Brothers in Iron...sorry to those who had to be around me then)...but really not much gas at all lately....eating cleanly, great pre-contest diet, stuck to it, got ripped, etc.....ate like crazy yesterday and today and can't stop farting!

Dammit!

As the season ends I reflect back...and even reflect back over the years. It looks like I'm improving.

Here I am winning my division in 2005:



And here I am about to get my ass kicked 3 days later in 2009:



I'll just keep on improving....that is the fun part! I'm up to about a 315-pound decline bench and should be using 120's soon for chest press and I'm getting stronger and bigger and with increased rest and food I should be able to return much stronger in 2010.

[robert]

For fun:

2005 when I won a natural show:




2009 when I won a natural show:




2009 when I didn't make the top 5 in a non-natural show (photo 3 days before competition)



It's a whole other ball game than what I'm used to...so now I just have to go back and work harder and make improvements so I can keep winning natural shows but also place well in non-natural shows. That will be a lot of fun

Time for another meal!

[DCNINJA]

Compared to the video, these photos are much better. I still think it might have been the lighting. I think you look great. A buddy of mine just got creamed in NJ when alot of us thought he should have had much higher placing. That is the way it goes sometimes. Anxious to see what another year does for your physique as you pack on some more size.

Now go eat, take a few days off, then start hitting it again.

[robert]

Yeah, the video lighting was bad...I was in the shadows, as you suggested....but was just lighting in the tanning place....on stage is another story.......

I feel good about the detail in the leg, especially from a side view....for fun I got on bodybuilding websites to compare with IFBB pros just for fun.

Darrem Charles from his last show for example. His leg Detail:




And mine



I'm not trying to compare myself to IFBB pros who are twice my size....I was just really pumped to see the legs looking really good lately!

Eating and resting now....could barely get out of bed...so many nights up til 4AM and some with only a few hours of sleep....working on fixing that....I just have a hard time sleeping.

[robert]

Yeah, the video lighting was bad...I was in the shadows, as you suggested....but was just lighting in the tanning place....on stage is another story.......

I feel good about the detail in the leg, especially from a side view....for fun I got on bodybuilding websites to compare with IFBB pros just for fun.

Darrem Charles from his last show for example. His leg Detail:




And mine from my last show







I'm not trying to compare myself to IFBB pros who are twice my size....I was just really pumped to see the legs looking really good lately!

Eating and resting now....could barely get out of bed...so many nights up til 4AM and some with only a few hours of sleep....working on fixing that....I just have a hard time sleeping.