Stephen Benotti

I started lifting young but didn't really know what I was doing and it was pre-internet so resources were scarce. The goal at the time was always to accomplish the next feat of strength; just hoist the weight and eat without mercy. I Thought about competing but had a very flawed perception on what bodybuilding was. My only real resources were Flex Mag and Muscle and Fitness back in the 80's. Never really took it to the next level and the idea of competing sort of drifted out of range.

I hit my late 20's and 30's and the laziness of professional life got its claws in me. Some of you know the drill: no breakfast, fatty sodium and sugar ridden lunch, afternoon starvation and then beers and fast food for dinner; all this superimposed over a foundation of stress! No amount of cardio/workouts can outrun that lifestyle. It took about 14 years but I finally did it! I managed to become a very fat 275 lbs. by the fall of 2006.

I Decided in 2007 to give the goal of competing a go since the fear of going on stage would force discipline. Sully basically helped me to loose almost 100 lbs. and positioned me to get reasonably stage ready for the 2008 Yankee Classic where I placed 8 of 10 in the Novice Tall.
Probably the only thing that saved me was that I did workout even when I was fat and I never really gave it up completely. But, with all that weight loss I was very depleted and felt weak. I've spent the last 5 months eating well and lifting very hard. Ken Arsenault told me to come back a little thicker and that's my goal. I'm a little fat right now but stronger than I've ever been and dieting slowly. My goal is to come back in the summer 2009 and place higher.

I love this sport! It is hard to articulate how rewarding it is to make a positive change to your body, one beyond what you thought was possible. It is also very motivating because that reward of exceeding goals along with the power of visualization is synergistic. It really motivates me to stay disciplined, work out when I really don't feel like it, diet when I would rather indulge, etc. My goal is to be thicker and leaner, with better posing, each time I compete. The way I see it, that's "blocking and tackling" of bodybuilding. You can't do this sport if on some level you don't think you can win. We all have that ego.

However, with that goal, comes a grounding in the premise that winning also means being the best "me" possible, with improvements, each time I walk out there. If I do that, I'll feel good about it and, as a perk, I'll be in better shape than 99% of guys my age!

I'm 40 years old, From Bourne MA.
Married, Wife Susanne, two kids - Tyler 13 years old and Katelyn 8 years old.