My Way of Coping

[Twisted Lifter]

My girlfriend took some photos to help me learn to pose better. Looking at the photos I found it kind of upsetting to see the curve again. I have attached one of the shots of me doing "rear double bicep" pose.
It almost made me quit to see it.
Didn't quit, but ahh man I need to put on a shirt.
Down to 172.
P.S Girlfriend's support has been amazing and invaluable

[Confusedmom]

Wow. You are truly amazing. To have scoliosis and to have still persisted and developed that type of muscle tone. You are very inspirational. Thank you for attaching your photo! Let us know how the competition goes.

Evelyn

[Back-out]

More proof that symmetry is dull dull dull. Speaking as a former sculptor (specializing in the human figure). Your body is WAY more interesting this way than if you were the same R/L.

We need a scoliosis fund-raising calendar and you can be Mr. July!
Much impressed. You make scoliosis look appealing - as long as there's no pain. I like! ( NO SHIRT! )

[golfnut]

You look awesome! I'm impressed. No one is looking at your curve, but at your muscles. I doubt that anyone would even notice. You've obviously worked extremely hard to achieve that body. No shirt for you!

[hikerchick]

You look so good! Congratulations on your progress! I am so impressed. Please don't put on a shirt.

I have been working out and lifting weights for about 15 years and love to lift! I love that feeling of knowing my body is strong and something I can be proud of, rather than embarrassed by. I just turned 40 and am working on building some muscle myself this year. Being physically active has saved my sanity and let me focus on what my body CAN do, not how it may or may not have failed me.

[crooked]

Hey Twisted,

Looking good mate. Atleast youre body is nice and strong even in its current state.

Check out Lamar Gant, he may give you some inspiration power lifter with scoliosis. He was a gun.

[Back-out]

Hey Twisted,

Looking good mate. Atleast youre body is nice and strong even in its current state.

Check out Lamar Gant, he may give you some inspiration power lifter with scoliosis. He was a gun.

Curious, I looked him up. Kind of hard to reference the key picture but it's on page 46, zooming in. Gant's curve was said to be about 90 degrees at this time (assume they mean Cobb angle).

He was 5'1" , though who knows what his height would have been? They speculate that his shortened torso gave him extra power in lifting with his 'extra long arms" (I figure this description doesn't figure in that his arms were only extra long , relative to his artificially shortened torso).
Note, he was able to lift more than five times his body weight!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...e=reader_vault

[rohrer01]

There were baseball players on pg 46....

[rohrer01]

Twisted,
You look as if you really stand a chance at winning!

[Back-out]

There were baseball players on pg 46....

First, off I haven't been able to get the blankety blank thing to scroll properly today.

However, even getting to the table of contents, I see p. 46 lists the article "He Bends But He Doesn't Break" which is about him. The key pic is on the first page of the article.

[Twisted Lifter]

Thank you all for your very kind and encouraging words. I appreciate it very much.
The Sports Illustrated article is on pg 76. I read what I could, but it is true. It does not seem to scroll well.
Nonetheless, thank you to Crooked for the very interesting and inspiring article.
I am looking forward to the contest and will let everyone know how it goes.

[Twisted Lifter]

Saturday was contest day.
First, let me once again thank all of you who took the time to post such encouraging notes. They all truly helped.
I entered the novice division at 170.5 lbs. I began the contest diet at the beginning of April at about 198 lbs. By contest day, I was at about 5% body fat. For whatever reason, I was put into the heavyweight division. Probably just as well as the middleweight looked much more competitve.
I was the oldest in my class, but by no means the oldest in the show. I did not enter the Masters (Over 40) Division because my brother was in it, but that is another story.
I did not place in the top five. There were nine in the class and the rest of the placings were not announced that night (that I know of).
I cannot attribute my placing to the scoliosis entirely. I think I looked crooked; others did not think it so obvious. The judging throughout the show displayed a distinct youth bias also.
No matter. I had fun. I enjoyed the process. I enjoyed the experience. I haven't decided if I will try again. That is a contemplation I am deliberately putting off for a while. I am taking this week off the gym and eating what I want for a week. That is so good after the long diet!!!!
I am going to try to attach a photo, but the files may be larger than the system will allow. If they are, I will compress tham and post them in a later posting. In the one I am trying, I am the dark (due to all the posing tanning products one uses!) in the back (number 93). I can post a couple others if people are that interested.
But I did it. Stood nearly naked in front of a theatre full of people. All of whom were enthusiastic and supportive as well.
I want to include thanks to my girlfriend for her unwavering support and to my brother for his (sometimes overly) brotherly advice.

[Back-out]

WOW!

You look fabulousissimo! Yes, please - post more!!

Truly, I never enjoyed "beefcake" before - not even when a boyfriend went in for it big-time (led indirectly to the end of our relationship, but that's another story).

However, the crowd of you are absolutely (no other word) beautiful!

Weight-lifters usually strike me as bulky and muscle-bound - uncomfortably "dissected" as if they were skinless. I love the human figure and struggled when studying anatomy and figure work, to find suitable male models so I didn't get unbalanced in my knowledge and skills (there's an enormous bias toward the female form). I have NEVER wanted to draw or model a weightlifter - going strictly by pictures in magazines I've seen.

This crowd look like Greek statues, though - yourself very much included. I'm dazzled. Any one of you would make an interesting subject, and as I wrote earlier, I'd give you precedence (at least from the rear) because I'm bored by symmetry. No, your scoliosis doesn't show here. In fact, I had to read your post more than once to be sure you were pictured (thought it must be the winners).

I do NOT know why they put you in the HWT division, to be sure. You look distinctly slenderer compared to the others. Having dieted to get to that weight and body fat ratio - OMG - it must have been a bummer, competitiveness or not.

Your weight loss alone - what a lot from April, and to have done it the "right way" - is awe inspiring. I love to read about people setting and meeting goals - feeling new joy and pride in themselves. Whoever does in, in whatever area, it lifts me up just a little bit for being a fellow human being.

I only wish I could see at least one "before" pic to know what you were dealing with to start. Could you describe to us, in terms of weight and fitness level, what you were like "before" ? Then we'll have a sense of what you achieved and in what time frame? How athletic were you and what got you going? Were you in pain? How about now?

BRAVO to you, Twisted! What a stunning achievement!

[golfnut]

Twisted,
Thanks for including the picture. You look fantastic. I can't imagine the hard work it took to achieve the weight loss and the beautiful body. Enjoy your week of eating!

[Confusedmom]

Unbelievable! To have scoliosis and to be able to obtain a body like that...wow.

Evelyn