Q:  How big is too big? I know that sounds dumb to ask, since Ronnie Coleman is Mr. O and Jay Cutler is #2, but I can’t help but ask, when is size enough? Is there an enough, or should you keep striving for more size? I’m 5′7″ and everyone I know says, “You’re huge!” I just look at myself and see imperfections here and there, and things I could do to change aspects of my physique, etc.  Am I ever going to be satisfied with a certain size or quality?

A:  You’re reaching a point that a lot of advanced bodybuilders reach. They question whether getting bigger is the answer or whether it’s a question of improving upon what they have. The real question is, will your flaws be the same, no matter what size you put on? Or will you lessen or increase the amount of flaws you have, based on adding size and changing the overall dimension of your physique? It’s a tough call and you don’t know until you know, in many ways. However, it’s never a mistake to remain where you are with the size you have and to take stock of what needs to be done. Backing off to improve upon the flaws you currently have, without creating any additional imbalances or obvious glaring weaknesses in other areas is a good idea at any juncture. First of all, continually adding size without creating any quality with what you’ve just added is always a mistake. Some might say that’s not true, but since you asked this staff, I’ll just say that I think it’s always advisable to best what you have first, before moving on. By that, I mean, keep the size-gaining program under wraps for a while and really work on intensity, detail and creating quality with this new size lump of clay you’ve just added. And that’s really the best way to think of it…that it’s like taking an already fairly defined sculpture, and adding clay. That new clay has little detailed and is just mass added to something that was already a work in progress. If you visualize it in that manner, you’ll understand that the new material you just added isn’t equal to what you’ve already tooled. It needs shaping and refining. Is it bad to add size? No. Is it bad to add size before tooling the new stuff you added within the past 6 months to a year? Yes. If you add size, and refine, then it’s okay to add more size, unless you deem that adding size will be uncontrolled and may skew the aesthetics of your physique. Aesthetics are everything where size is concerned. If you forget aesthetics and just add size, it’s not going to amount to anything on stage. Don’t be eager to add size alone…be eager to add size that you can actually mold, tool, and work into something balanced and detailed. And while it’s good to see flaws, you’ve also got to be able to see what is really so about the total package — you must be able to see what is good, what is bad, what can be improved upon and what cannot, as well as what could be if you were to add more size. Take your time and do it right. That’s the right answer!

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