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The Toronto Pro took place on June 4, 2016 in Toronto. The lineup was pretty decent. Nathan DeAsha finally got a well deserved #1 spot. The top 5 look really good.

The battle was real. In the end this is what constituted the Top 5 in order:

Nathan DeAsha

Maxx Charles

Fouid Abiad

Ben Pakulski

Jon Delarosa

It appears to me that Ben Pakulski won't ever be in the shape he needs to win an Olympia. All I can think of is his comments in the movie Generation Iron about winning the Olympia. It just isn't going to happen if this is the best he can do.  This is like the third show in a row that Nathan DeAsha has come in shredded and looking like a winner. Congrats to him on his victory!

If you want the complete official scoresheets from the Toronto Pro click the image below to download them!

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May 28, 2016 saw the Arnold Africa show in Johannesburg, South Africa. Once again this was a great lineup of IFFB Professionals. The results were not at all shocking.

		Dexter Jackson took the top spot yet again. He got straight 1's yet again. Dexter is one of those guys who always comes to shows looking great. He manages to nail the conditioning and his dedication to it should be an incentive to every other bodybuilder to just put in the work to get the job done.
		Roelly Winklaar is showing the promise I've always felt he had by taking second here. He looked great. Arguably he could have taken the top spot from Dexter. He has made some amazing changes to his physique and I am looking forward to him at the Olympia in September.
		Lionel Beyeke used to be one of my favorite bodybuilders. I still respect his physique a great deal. He took a deserved third place in this show.
		Viktor Martinez has not been able to recapture the greatness that he once had prior to the immigration problems he experienced. This guy looks amazing, but he isn't as razor sharp as he once was.
		Fred Smalls took fifth in this competition. They guy is huge. His name doesn't fit him at all.
		Michael Kefalianos rounds out the top 6 in this show. This guy has competed in over 25 IFBB shows, placing Top 5 in almost all of them. He has a bright future.

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The IFBB California Pro took place on May 28, 2016 in Culver City, CA. It was presented by Lindsey Productions. The pro competition was fierce. IN the end Steve Kuclo walked away with the victory.

The Top 6

		Steve Kuclo came in looking amazing. He is a fierce competitor who comes to win each and every show. He managed to take first place at this show. Steve looked amazing. He had size and conditioning.
		Nathan De Asha continues to come on strong, taking second in this show. He placed higher than he did at the New York Pro. I would have had him beating Steve in this show. This guy just keeps getting better.
		Essa Obaid took third in this show. He looked amazing. I believe if he could nail his conditioning he would content for most shows.
		Alexis Rivera took fourth. He had the size, but his conditioning was not there.
		Michael Lockett took fifth in this show.
		Paulo Almeida took sixth in this show.

This show took place at the same time as the one in Puerto Rico.

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The Men's Open Bodybuilding division of the New York Pro was the deepest lineup of the year. The level of competition was amazing. The top eight guys were so close. Apparently not everyone agreed with the judges (big surprise), but the results can't be argued. Once again, Dexter Jackson continues to defy logic by beating the top competitors in the world at the age of 46.

This show is the final prestigious show before the Olympia in September. None of the competitors here would give Phil Heath a run for his money.

The Top 8 – Men's Open Bodybuilding

		Dexter Jackson is an amazing competitor. He took the win by coming in conditioned. His legs look a tad bit smaller than past years, but his conditioning is spot on as has come to be expected of Dexter.
		Pulling in the second spot was Roelly Winklaar. He looked the best I have seen him since the 2013 Olympia. This guy probably should have taken the win from Dexter, but he had some problems during pre-judging. This guy can be a huge force in the IFBB if he could bring this type of conditioning to the stage all the time.
		Victor Martinez was in shockingly good shape. He takes third place.
		Maxx Charles was probably the only competitor in this show to be at his absolute best and it was good enough for a fourth place finish. Maxx's legs are awesome, but his hamstrings lack development. He has some amazing abs!
		Steve Kuclo took fifth place. He confuses me. He had such high potential. He needs to continue his conditioning to have a good showing at the Olympia this year.
		Juan Morel took sixth place. He is another one who baffles me. I have seen him look razor sharp and this showing wasn't even close to his best.
		Nathan DeAsha took seventh place. He deserved a much higher placing than this. He is going to be a force in the future. He has amazing structure and will do well at the Olympia in the next year or two. He is just really good!
		Jonathan Delarosa took eighth place.

This competition was stiff. Many people disagree with the order of the finish in a couple of instances, but this is what it is. I am looking forward to the rest of the shows this year!

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The 2015 bodybuilding year in review is one that I had fun thinking through. So many things went on this year that it was hard to pick just a few to focus on. Here are my key events for review from the 2015 bodybuilding season.

1. Arnold demands a change in the way competitions are judged. He said, “We have to make sure we are rewarding the right guys because if you reward the right guys then everyone will start training to have a beautiful physique.” What do you think? Is Arnold correct?
2. Kai Greene doesn't compete at Mr. Olympia. Apparently he didn't sign the contract and thus, was barred from competing. What was going on in Kai's head? I think it was a huge mistake. What is your take on it?
3. Phil Heath wins his 5th consecutive Sandow. Do you think he deserved it this year? He seemed off as compared to previous years, but was his competition also off? This is why #2 above is so huge!
4. Ashley Kaltwasser wins both the Arnold and the Olympia in the bikini division! She seems to have nailed it. She brings in a nice tight package every single time.
5. Dexter Jackson wins the Arnold and places second at the Olympia. This guy is a work horse. He always comes in at his best. What an amazing year for an amazing guy.

Bodybuilding is an exciting sport, but the politics do tend to get in the way of enjoying it. I love how different people can see the same person in different ways. Nobody ever seems to completely agree on who the real winner should be. This is why I love the sport. It is about being the best version of you that you've ever been. 2015 saw some amazing things and 2016 is bound to be just as exciting.

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