2020 Progress Pics

 I realized I never posted these, they're from mid-October.  As I noted somewhere in this blog recently, I don't think I'm topping this anytime.  Maybe if I was 20 and at this level, but I turned 39 shortly before these pictures.  Honestly, even I was 20 I don't know if I'd really want to get past this point.  I'm about 192 in these pictures.  Cutting down to that weight I was pretty much as low as I can get without completely losing my strength, and honestly it wears you down over time.  I got to the level in these pics earlier in the summer, then kind of relaxed a bit for a few weeks to "regenerate" and then leaned out again in the few weeks preceding these pictures.  The leaning out was only about 2 lbs, but still.  

It took a lot of work to get to this point; consistent workouts, no real days off, incline walking four days per week in the mornings, not a lot of pizza, caffeine pretty much every day.  My health was not compromised; I had a physical during this period and my bloodwork was fine.  But I just found it somewhat of a grind, and frankly, I feel like shit when I use caffeine every day.  

I do wonder what my genetic potential is; I'm 39 so it's obviously lower than when I was 19 or 29.  The thing is though, I never really hit that potential at those ages.  So there was always a gap above where I was, like extra I could have achieved.  Now at 39, there still may be a gap above this level, but it's probably narrower since it descends as you get older.   Then again, maybe I'll be 40 this coming year and posting similar photos to these....

I don't know if I ever included a relaxed pose in any of my progress posts before....

All the weighted pullups apparently paid off, not sure I've ever had that much definition in my lower back.

front double-bi...

I have no idea what this is called...although I've never been this cut before in my life. I've gotten close, but there's abs and connecting muscles and veins I've never seen before in this one.

Same for this one too....My legs look slightly smaller than past pics, but I think it's because that's where I carry any excess fat, and the couple pounds lower I am this year is straight fat from those areas...

The lower weight and preservation of lower body strength helped propel me in sprinting and setting a ton of broad-jump records this year. 

I've never come close to this for calf definition before.  I've never really had large calves, and this is about as obvious as I've ever seen them. 

I...I have no idea what this is.  Shoulder pose? Biceps? No idea.