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The NOC

I really want to thank all my fans that came to the show to cheer me on. All of you made me feel like I was the winner. I truly appreciate your support!! All the thunderous cheers during my posing routine made my 9th place finish not so bad. I came out into the lobby after the show because of your loud vocal support. I’m glad I got to meet a lot of you and hope all the pictures we took turn out well! Email them to me if you get a chance: artatwood@hotmail.com.

For those who didn’t make it to the show, I placed 9th out of 53 competitors. It was a ridiculously huge lineup! I was really surprised that I didn’t get called out earlier. My condition was harder than at the Orlando show and I weighed in at about 268lbs. The judges went for the smaller streamlined look, again! I was truly disappointed that Branch Warren or myself didn’t make the top 5.

WE NEED A TWO-DIVISION SYSTEM!

For shows with this many competitors, how can ANYONE get a fair judging? 53 athletes ranging from 280lbs down to below 200lbs and from 6 foot 4 inches tall to barley 5 feet high---HOW CAN JUDGES RANK THAT MUCH DIVERSITY? I saw a comparison with Eddie Abbew , Jonnie Jackson, and one more competitor that looked like a joke! The one competitor (I forgot his name) didn’t even come up to Eddie’s armpit!! Maybe it’s just me, but I had a real hard time comparing their physiques. It was like comparing a tree to a plant! They both looked great but there was just way too much variation between them.

I think the IFBB should seriously reconsider bringing back the two-division system, especially for shows with more than 20 competitors. Divide the competitors by either weight or height. I feel a 240lb plus category would be an excellent choice. I think it would be more fair for all the competitors. It’s very discouraging to spend 16 weeks dieting and look incredible just to get left out on the sideline. The fans come to bodybuilding shows to see MUSCLE and their favorite bodybuilders. I think having two classes would make the shows more interesting. More bodybuilders would compete because they feel they have a better chance at placing, therefore more fans would show up to see them. Some people enjoy the classic, symmetrical athletes while other fans pay to see freaky, colossus monsters battle it out on stage. At the end of the show, have each class winner pose down for the overall title. This new class separation could breathe some new life into bodybuilding shows. Overall, I think it would bring increased revenue into these shows, be more fair to the athletes and be a lot more entertaining for everyone!

PHOTO SHOOT FOR MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT

I at least got an excellent photo shoot with Muscular Development on Sunday. Master photographer, Per Bernal, shot these pics at Victor’s Gym. Victor is looking quite impressive as he is preparing to destroy some people at the GNC show this fall. I want to thank Per, his wife, and Steve Blechman for all their encouragement and support!

Well, I’m off to Hungary this week and on a mission. I’m striving to drop a couple more pounds and pick up an Olympia qualification. I qualified last year in Hungary and the judges seemed to like my look over there. Let’s make it happen!!

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, my local newspaper, did an article on me and my career as a bodybuilder. Gary D’Amato did an excellent job trying to capture the whole bodybuilding lifestyle. He admitted he usually writes about the Masters in golf and this was quite a different experience for him. It was well written and very respectful, which I really appreciate. Some things were taken a little out of context but pretty accurate overall. For example; I’m worried about my liver and kidneys not because of supplements but from all the high protein intake. 600 grams of protein is not the healthiest thing to be consuming but is required to maintain my 325lbs of off-season muscle. These meats have things in them that are not the healthiest for the body (a very good friend of mine just got mercury poisoning from eating too much tuna fish over the years!!!). Your liver and kidneys filter almost EVERYTHING you eat so it does tax them a bit. You just got too make sure you drink plenty of clean water and have a variety of foods in your diet.

Here is the article if you didn’t get a chance to read it.

I am proud to announce that I just re-signed for another year with Optimum Nutrition/American Body Building!! They truly are the BEST Supplement Company in the industry. They deliver top quality products at very affordable prices. I’ve been taking Optimum products since 1992! I see Optimum/ABB as the fastest growing company in the market while maintaining their high standards of integrity. This is definitely the corporation I want MY NAME associated with!!

From OptimumNutriton.com: Optimum Nutrition, Inc. Re-signs IFBB Pro Art Atwood

Aurora, IL (April 22, 2004) – Joined by fellow IFBB Pro Bodybuilder George Farah and IFBB Fitness Competitor Jenny Worth, Art Atwood signs-on as an official Optimum Nutrition fitness model and exclusive company spokesperson for the third consecutive year. Art’s valuable, first-hand experience has helped guide individuals from all walks of life in finding the right high-quality supplements to fit their personal needs, and his ardent support of the Optimum Nutrition brands helped pave the way to his official endorsement in February of 2002. Since then, Art has become a very recognizable face for Optimum Nutrition, appearing in national newsstand advertisements and at some of the most prestigious events in bodybuilding around the world. At 30, Art continues to steer himself by the same ideals of hard work and determination that has made Optimum Nutrition such a success. These qualities, coupled with his affable personality, make Art a fan favorite and a great “fit” within the Optimum Nutrition organization. “It’s great to be working with Optimum Nutrition,” says Art. “I can’t imagine working for any other company, because I am, essentially, a product of the products.” Watch for Art at the upcoming IFBB Florida Xtreme Pro Challenge on May 1 and the IFBB Night of Champions on May 22. Art will also defend his title at the IFBB Canadian Pro Invitational on June 12, where he’s sure to be stronger than ever – with the full support of Optimum Nutrition behind him all the way.