Mike Dura's pics (4-5 weeks from peaking?)

[Mike Dura]

I'm starting to get lean up. I'm thinking I have about 4-5 weeks to get into peak shape. Unfortunately, I lost alot of quad, in part because I injured my knees off season and I had to lay off for a few months. Even with that, I could have done better with quads but I did a bit too much cardio too and now I'm left with bird legs. It's ashame because quads are potentially my best body part.

Calves I don't do because of the enormous time it takes - at least for me, to get them in proportion. Definately less than ideal results this year but I'm working with what I got given the constraints I was faced with. At this point, I'm just gonna go for maximum conditioning and cut my losses. Feel free to flame me over my bird legs - a true bodybuilder has fully developed quads, hams, calves....although the bodybuilding purists will rightfully fault me, the beach babes won't hold it against me as much!

[NaturalMass]

no flaming should be done... you look better than 90% of men out there... are you competeing in 4-5 weeks? Or are you just trying to reach a personal goal?... You're looking shredded and striated as hell too bro, keep it up!

[Mike Dura]

Here's a before pic that's representative of how I typically look offseason. Another member recently dug it up and made fun of me. As you can see, I don't spare the ice cream and beer off season. This time, I'll keep my diet tighter (I say that every time but I never seem to do it). I want to do it this time though...we'll see. Oink!

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=224806

[Mike Dura]

Thanks but I don't think I look striated or shredded at all. I will in a few weeks though. Vascularity comes and goes in hide and seek fashion. Based on the past though, I know I'll get shredded and vascular and that's all I can hope for at this point becaus my legs this year are a lost cause. That kills me because I've loved my leg development in the past. I'll post pics in a few weeks and I'll look much better and hopefully with a tan too. It's hard to squeeze it all into the day. I wish I had the luxary of time - then again, my time managment could improve too. Thanks for the compliments.

no flaming should be done... you look better than 90% of men out there... are you competeing in 4-5 weeks? Or are you just trying to reach a personal goal?... You're looking shredded and striated as hell too bro, keep it up!

[Mike Dura]

Oh to answer your question (lost myself in a tangent last post), I've never competed. Competitive bodybuilding seems so subjective to me that it holds little meaning. I mean, to some degree comparisons can be made but, for example, I don't get how Cutler beat Coleman last year. Sure Coleman wasn't at his best and Jay improved but I still think Coleman was superior. Maybe I lack discerning eyes. Than again, I think there's more to choosing a "winner" than just the physique. Politics, marketing, etc, probably bears an influence. I get alot of attention in the gym or if I venture out with a tank and it's flattering. Luckily it doesn't inflate my ego.........LOL.

no flaming should be done... you look better than 90% of men out there... are you competeing in 4-5 weeks? Or are you just trying to reach a personal goal?... You're looking shredded and striated as hell too bro, keep it up!

[jbarkley]

You look good Mike, and the quads will definitely come back up after your injuries have healed. And if right now your main goal is to look good for the summer, you have obviously achieved that!
Livestrong!

[Mike Dura]

Thanks bro. I had this tentative plan to switch my priorities and focus on learning Spanish after this season (I want to teach ESL and mastery of another language is required. Plus my girl is Peruvian and her father knows little English. I want to be able to talk to him one day). I've been a gym rat but eventually you have to grow up and I'm 39 years old. I just may stick with it but I'll take on more of a pumping style because it's time-efficient.

I'm not happy doing what I do now. I work as a salesperson and I basically hustle people into losing thousands of dollars every day. Nothing noble about that but it pays the bills and the hours are flexible so I can focus on bodybuilding. I love to train and I'm incredibly focused in the gym. I don't even talk to anyone and I think people interpret that as arrogance. I've made it a solitary thing and I love my solitude and I feel entitled to it. I don't let anyone distract me because in the gym it's all about me! No matter what I do, I'll always put aside some "me" time. There's so much petty bullshit in the people world that I need to put aside time for self-absorption just for my sanity and sense of balance. I'm sure I'm not the only misanthrope out there.

You look good Mike, and the quads will definitely come back up after your injuries have healed. And if right now your main goal is to look good for the summer, you have obviously achieved that!
Livestrong!

[Columbus]

YOU LOOK GREAT....! dO YOU HAVE A POST OR can you post your off vs on season stack/ diet..............also, what's your training like?

[Dangerdan]

YOU LOOK GREAT....! dO YOU HAVE A POST OR can you post your off vs on season stack/ diet..............also, what's your training like?

OH NOs!

[Mike Dura]

Although I'm flattered that you ask, you're probably better off asking Carlos E or Nark (where you can find him) because those guys are real bodybuilders. My style is probably more low maintenance. Off and on season training is very similar except that on season I'll do more excersizes, flexing and cardio. Diet offseason, 6 meals and I eat whatever I want (that's why I get so fat).

On season, ketogenic diet, calorie cycling, occasional moderate carb days (nothing systematic about it - I do it on a whim). I don't count calories but I make sure I get at least 200gms of protein ED. I take flax seeds with each meal and I eat about 1 or 2 jars of natural peanut butter a week. I also get atleast a serving of veggies once a day and I'll take a few hits of v8 during the day with one or two meals. I take fiber supplements, fibersure and metamucil. If I'm taking oral supps (clen , nolva, etc) I'll take fibersure over metamucil because the latter can bind with oral meds. My protein sources are chicken breast (canned for convenience), eggs (which I pack in a cooler), and whey. Fat supps, I take clen, caffeine (probably not a good idea to take with caffein but I do), green tea, aspirin.....Right before cardio I take a little cocunut oil for MCTs (which is controversial). I do empty stomach cardio in the mornings for 45mins to 1.5 hours. I take a multimineral vitamins, vit E (800 IU), selenium, calcium, vit C (1000mgs ED), magnesium. I take vitamin doses split over twice a day (morning and night).

On season drugs, test Prop/masterone, 100mgs ED. Off season, Test E, Deca 500 and 400 mgs a week, respectively. I might frontload with test prop or dbol . I'm definately low maintenance and some of what I do isn't ideal but that's what I do. What about you? You look pretty ripped in the avatar what's your game?

YOU LOOK GREAT....! dO YOU HAVE A POST OR can you post your off vs on season stack/ diet..............also, what's your training like?

[Mike Dura]

LoL. Yeah, I'm pretty long-winded.

TE=Dangerdan]OH NOs![/QUOTE]

[Dangerdan]

Actually that was directed at Columbus. Pics look good Mike and I like your outlook on bodybuilding. Have you kept about the same weight/muscle over the past 10-20 years? I know you recently posted about the bodybuilding/gym lifestyle in the 80s.

LoL. Yeah, I'm pretty long-winded.

OH NOs!

[BigLittleTim]

no flaming should be done... you look better than 90% of men out there...

90%??? 99.9%!

Body-builders are to be commended for their complete dedication and drive to shape their body through working-out, diet, and anabolics... but there's still a lot to be said for the guy who can build an awesome body (at age 39 what's more!) while living a "normal" life as well.

Great job!

-BigLittleTim

[Mike Dura]

Thanks bro. No. I did it between 86-90 and I dropped out with a knee injury and resumed in 2002 after a divorce and the death of a good friend (my ex-girl who was an events manager for Risk waters in the North Tower on 9/11) had me KO'd ***ressed and alcoholic. I started training again as a way of feeling better. As far as size goes, I'm bigger now upper body but my legs back then were 3" bigger and my calves were 1.5" larger.

Actually that was directed at Columbus. Pics look good Mike and I like your outlook on bodybuilding. Have you kept about the same weight/muscle over the past 10-20 years? I know you recently posted about the bodybuilding/gym lifestyle in the 80s.

[Mike Dura]

Thanks! You guys have been so kind. I'd probably shed a tear if I wasn't on so much androgens but all I'm feeling is drive, aggression, and irritabilty. I'm loving the process though and I feel like this may be my last shot at doing something radical with this. Normal life? I don't think that applies to me but I'm having fun and I'm happy for the first time in years. Thanks again for the encouraging words.

90%??? 99.9%!

Body-builders are to be commended for their complete dedication and drive to shape their body through working-out, diet, and anabolics... but there's still a lot to be said for the guy who can build an awesome body (at age 39 what's more!) while living a "normal" life as well.

Great job!

-BigLittleTim

[bpm1]

lookin awesome mike u really maintain ur muscle when u cut. keep going w/the spanish my girl is from mexico and no one in her family speaks english.ive been at it for 6+ yrs and im basically fluent so it can happen if u use everyday, GL bro

[Mike Dura]

Thanks bro. Mastering a new language is a much more respectworthy achievement than getting buff IMO. Props to you! I can't wait to start studying spanish and I agree that using it in real time dialogue is the best way to learn language. Complete immersion is key and luckily for me I've got my spanish-speaking girl.

lookin awesome mike u really maintain ur muscle when u cut. keep going w/the spanish my girl is from mexico and no one in her family speaks english.ive been at it for 6+ yrs and im basically fluent so it can happen if u use everyday, GL bro

[Lexed]

thats six pack is tight

[goalseeker]

lookin decent.. nice work...

[thetank]

nice abs man..4-5 weeks and you can be f'in shredded
good luck with the continued diet,
peace
tank

[perfectbeast2001]

looking great mate, more heavy squatting is needed though!!!

[Mike Dura]

My leg training is perfect and usually my legs are my standout bodypart - borderline eclipsing my upper body (look in the avatar). Unfortunatly, I injured my right knee and I had to lay off for 4 months off season. To "add insult to injury" I overtrained on cardio and my legs were continuously sore and I chose to push through rather than take a day or two off following legs day. That was dumb and I should have used common sense. It's a bummer because just prior to my off season injury, my legs were really taking off mass wise. Legs are were my "bread and butter" but now stupidity rendered them bird legs!!! It's embarrasing.

looking great mate, more heavy squatting is needed though!!!

[rocksta]

You look great Mike.......whats ur height / weight?

[Mike Dura]

5'8, 185 pounds. I'm thinking I'll need to get down to 175 pounds at a rate of 2 pounds per week to get freaky ripped and I'll some lifts in my shoes to stand tall.

You look great Mike.......whats ur height / weight?

[Mike Dura]

Thanks. I'll definately shred by then. Funny thing is I've never done abs in my life. I've always had a natural six pack but most the year it's covered by a layer of fat (a rather large layer of fat). I have a lot of fat cells in the mid section so sizing it down takes extreme measures. I wish my calves were naturally huge. My grandmother had calves like Platz but I inhereted my grandfathers bird legs and grandma's grey hair. Damn!

nice abs man..4-5 weeks and you can be f'in shredded
good luck with the continued diet,
peace
tank

[perfectbeast2001]

My leg training is perfect and usually my legs are my standout bodypart - borderline eclipsing my upper body (look in the avatar). Unfortunatly, I injured my right knee and I had to lay off for 4 months off season. To "add insult to injury" I overtrained on cardio and my legs were continuously sore and I chose to push through rather than take a day or two off following legs day. That was dumb and I should have used common sense. It's a bummer because just prior to my off season injury, my legs were really taking off mass wise. Legs are were my "bread and butter" but now stupidity rendered them bird legs!!! It's embarrasing.

AH sorry to hear mate, still looking great though buddy including legs!!

[Mike Dura]

Thanks bro.

AH sorry to hear mate, still looking great though buddy including legs!!