Is Muscle Symmetry More Important Than Mass for Judges

Preach. It's a 'bodybuilding' show, not a 'who can move the scale most' show. If you're in Toronto, the standard is usually quite high on the aesthetic side.

Did you feel like the lighting in the venue made the quad difference worse? Sometimes those overhead stage lights create shadows that exaggerate imbalances.

Actually, yes! The shadows were brutal. In the gym mirror I thought I was fine, but in the stage photos, it looks like two different people's legs were glued onto me.

That's a classic rookie mistake. You have to pose for the stage lights, not the gym lights. Practice with a single bright light directly above you to see what the judges see.

Proper advice that. I use a building site floodlight in my garage for posing practice. If you look good under that, you'll look great on stage.

Haha, the floodlight method! It works though. Maple, don't get discouraged. Fourth place in a big Toronto show is still a massive achievement.

Totally agree with the encouragement. Use this as fuel to bring a balanced package next time. Just don't lose that size—it's your biggest weapon if you can just guide it right.

Are you planning on doing any other shows this season or is it back to the drawing board?

I’m thinking of doing a local show in Ottawa in 6 weeks. Hopefully, I can tighten up the conditioning and fix the posing by then.

Six weeks is plenty of time to refine. Focus on that unilateral work every single session. You got this!

Good luck in Ottawa! We'll be looking for the 'balanced' update.