Muscle sightings

[ottomun6]

Ok, Brent I'm on pins and needles hoping that it is a real pic
I recently had a guy send me a fake one and I guess it still bugs me. (we e-mailed back and forth for a week. After I recognized the pic as someone else's, he disappeared)

[Notbigenuff]

I agree with Brent that the reflection in the window looks like it's the back of the guy in the booth.

Sure don't see many guys like him at my local Denny's! I love the way he seems to be admiring himself. I wonder if this is a "capture" from a video of some kind?

Not saying that it is or isn't a fake photo. However, It doesn't take much morphing at all to give a much more massive look. Sometimes just changing the distance between two shadows on an arm can make an apparent increase in diameter.

The guy had good arms to begin with and was showing them off. It's still a hot picture.

[claygrant]

now that you mention it, I think it IS a video capture. See the jagged line on the bottom of the image? Looks like in-between frame-age to me. This video is somewhere on the net... damn!

[vlad]

the guy in the picture is from this site

http://groups.msn.com/TheMuscleGalle...berphotos.msnw

first post >)

[Notbigenuff]

Well, it looks like Vlad has found another piece of the puzzle. Still don't know where the pics are from originally, but at least there are a couple more to look at--perhaps there is a clue in one of them...

Nice job for your first post guy!

[ottomun6]

Nice work detectives , we'll have to put you up for a promotion

[Notbigenuff]

Had kind of a fun sighting this past Friday. Due to some water pressure issues at home, I had to go tot he local laundrymat to wash my clothes this week. I had the day off work as I was going out of town and went in the morning. Well, right outside the laundry is a city park across the street and the lawn care crew was there. The laundry has windows looking out onto this park.

Most were relatively thin guys--college age I would say--but one guy clearly worked out. He wore a sleeveless tank and his arms would bulge as he used the weedwacker. He also had a way of wiping the sweat from his forehead by pulling his shirt up and using that --revealing his abs!

As nice as that was, I was more impressed when they crew took a break and headed over to the laundry's vending machines. All of them were lean, but the one guy was just a clear cut above the rest.

So, not much of a sighting but I thought I would try to get the ball rolling on this forum again!

[ottomun6]

Last year, there was a seminar at work. I was not involved in it but, I soon wished I was. As I was walking down the hallway, up in the distance the group let out out for a break. Most went to the bathroom, and then I spotted HIM! A genuine beefcake on the hoof. I wasn't close enough to see his face, but judging the others as being average height he literally stood out. My guess is he had to be about 6'3" and packing about 235 lbs of very thick muscle. I could easily make out his thick pecs, arms and lats as he was wearing a white polo type of shirt against a dark wall as a background. It was really interesting to see how most of the smaller guys focused their attention on him like a bull in a herd of cattle.

Oh man, it would have been a dream come true if I could have bumped into this stud.

Talking with old friends a little while ago about my days in Washington DC. We got to talking about things to do there, and I remembered a spotting.

This may take a paragraph or two but bear with me.

1996, A little over a year after my lover died, I kept up our tradition and attended the Kennedy Center several times a season for the next couple of years (less expensive than Redskin's football games and you could get tickets!). We had no problem going to a concert or to the opera hall in flamboyant clothes. It got us noticed and the ticket and vending staff came to know us pretty well. Usually by the time we got across the grand hall to the bartender he would have our champagne ready for us. We did stick out a bit (I've got another story about wearing full leather in the Sydney Opera House but that's for another time)

This particular year I had again pre-purchased box seats for six performances during the season at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Great seats! First row box just in front of the stage on the left (so I could look over the shoulder of the pianist).

This particular night I had on black velvet pants, shined my motorcycle boots, put on a bloussy white long sleeve V-neck silk shirt, and a dark ornately embossed leather vest. I also wore a dressy black leather trench coat and a black leather cowboy hat.

Lights go down and the conductor walks on stage. Short little, thin, old man, then behind him comes a giant, the piano soloist. Now remember, I'm only 10 or 15 feet from him so I know what I saw. This guy was big, over 6 foot, about my age, he was wearing black velvet pants, white bloussy long sleeve V-neck silk shirt, and the loose shirt did nothing to hide the massive body under it. You could see the shape of the arms, delts, lats, traps, pecs... The shirt draped beautifully from his body. So he gets to the piano and plays wonderfully the Grieg Piano Concerto, one of the few pieces I've been able to play in my life so I really appreciated hearing him do it and being able to watch his hands. If you've been to my web site you know I'm a "frustrated amateur classical pianist", I learned a lot that night.

So all during the piece I'm saying to myself I've got to talk to this guy. During intermission I got down to the grand hall, grabbed my 2nd drink (which the bartender had ready for me (*grin*), and wandered outside to the main plaza overlooking the river and continued down around the corner to the south end of the building where I figured the stage door would be.

Sure enough, the musicians were milling around outside having cigarettes. I talked with a couple of them and picked up a little information about the soloist. Then he came out with a beautiful woman on his arm which I took to be his date for the night. Well that sort of mellowed my hopes a bit. Bummer! However, I did end up talking with him for a couple of minutes and asked about his big size and how it affected his playing. He said it wasn't a problem but "I do get a bit dynamic" he said with a grin.

Now here's the kicker! I go back in, take my seat for the rest of the concert and I read the notes about the performance and the performers again. I noticed that the notes said he had lived in Winter Park Florida for a while and had recorded a lot of Gershwin piano pieces in the early 80's.

I lived in Winter Park Florida in the early 80's in a posh section of town in a house provided by our realtor for a few weeks while our house was being gotten ready for us to move in. Right next to us just on the other side of the driveway our neighbor could be heard practicing Gershwin on the piano beautifully, I'd open the windows and just listen for hours and he went from piece to piece. We moved out of that temporary house and into our own place before I ever met the pianist next door. Another opportunity missed. Then 14 years later I blow an opportunity to verify that we probably lived next to each other at one time... Double bummer!

I looked him up on the web, none of his professional photos show him being as large as he was that night. His name? Tsimon Barto http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/festivals

[Notbigenuff]

LeatherGryphon, your experience is a bummer--but on the other hand life does seem to be funny that way. I'm always surprised at how small the world seems and am always running into people that I either know when I don't expect to see them or how close I've come to meeting people before I actually met them (does that make sense?).

Must have to do with running in the same circles with those of similar interests--sooner or later you will actually meet. So, maybe another opportunity to get to know this guy better will somehow come up! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

OK, sorry for dragging on but I KNEW I was right about the bodybuilding thing. It's only taken me 10 years to prove it to someone.

His photo:
http://www.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/trends/04/04/barto/

Here's a quote about his bodybuilding:
"When I told my dad I wanted to take ballet, he nearly hit me. Whenever I wanted to do a play in the community theater, he'd make a deal with me that I'd have to do one sport for every play. I'd hold out and end up in crummy baseball. The other kids hated me -- I was fat, kept to myself, didn't do sports unless I had to. Now, I go back to Eustis and look at my friends. They're fat, eating barbecue, and I'm the one doing the bodybuilding."

Barto, his wife Gesa and their 10-year-old son live on a ranch some 30 miles north of Orlando.

-- LG --
"

[Notbigenuff]

Too bad the photos didn't show more of him--clearly he is a bodybuilder though and from what I can see a fairly good one!

Yeah, Notbignuff I'd love a better photo but that's the best one I've ever found. Also I guess from reading the article that he's younger than I thought but he does aparently have an adult son.

It's amazing how memory works. I'm reliving the event. Thinking and writing about this for the last hour, I remember now that when questioned about his size vs his playing, this is closer to what was actually said: "I get that question a lot and most people believe that it would be a problem,... you know, the "musclebound" thing... Actually though it helps give me great control, but I can get a bit dynamic once in a while",he said smiling broadly.

[Notbigenuff]

And he probably goes through keyboards a little quicker than the average concert pianist!

But what a forearm workout!

[CelticMuscle]

Originally Posted by CelticMuscle

I am posting this purely out of interest not out of personal preference

I'm involved with a party of the centre in the United Kingdom and have often been asked to canvass opinion in various parts of the country.

During a special election (what we call a by-election) I was asled to canvass a tralier park (what we call a static caravan park) and knocked on doors asking people if they would support us.

I knocked on one door and the person who opened it was clearly very muscled (that fact that it was a warm day and he was only wearing trousers gave that fact away) and I thought, "Oh dear, all muscle no brains", so I just said "Sorry to trouble you, just asking for your support on Thursday" and was about to turn away when he asked "And what is your party's position on fitness?"

It turned out that he had won a local bodybuilding contest and had thought about running himself (but had spent all his money on the contest). I explained that I personally didn't know, but explained the party's policy on health care and education stating that that schoolchildren should have access to sports equipment and healhy foods. I left a leaflet and suggsted that if he had any more question to ring the candidate.

When I got back to the headquarters, I mentioned this in passing and said that he seemed very interested. When I got home (this by-election was being held when I was on holiday), I was amazed to read "Candidate recieves strong arm support" online and read that this bodybuilder (whose name I forget now) had not only pledged to support the candidate, but had joined the local branch of the party and had agreed in principle to run for local office.

And it's happened again this evening, this time campaigning to oppose a ballot measure for an elected mayor. I spoke to a person who blamed Blair (the British PM) for turning him from a 200lb am bodybuilding champ to a 125lb (in his opinon) wimp. It turns out that he wanted to join the British navy but was rejected and the decision left him with anxiety attacks.

[ottomun6]

LG, I wonder if you mention his name to a bodybuilding magazine, maybe they could do a story on him. Back in the "American Muscle" days, I only dropped a note about the muscle man in Tina Turner's band. The next thing I knew, they called me on the phone to ask if I knew anything about the guy. And a few weeks later, BOOM! there he was as a story on the show.

Tsimon looks handsome but I can't see much of his build in the pics (the editor must have been asleep that day, -why do a story and refer to a guy's build and not show it?)

P-L-E-A-S-E tell me he has a gay brother or cousin or uncle or something !!!

I wouldn't want to presume to "out" him as a bodybuilder. The guy's got a great career as a top classical pianist. I saw in the article that he's performing the Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto, a really difficult piece. I don't think his career needs to be augmented by the extra notoriety of bodybuilding.

Yes it's interesting, and it's nice to have proof that jocks can be sophisticated but if he wanted an interview with a muscle magazine I think he could get one at any time.

[Mdlftr]

Leather Gryphon,
I just read your very enjoyable thread about the bodybuilding pianist you saw at the Kennedy Center.

Let me bring up another musical bodybuilder and "six degrees of separation" and near misses of people, etc.


I live in the greater DC area. I have frequently gone to the Kennedy Center. I have been a Supernumerary (extra) in a number of Washington Opera productions, and (wait for it) I have an attenuated link with your pianist (and you, too, I guess)

The reference to the "White Nights" program in Russia at which Tsimon Barto will play, also mentions Olga Borodina, who is a female opera singer, who specializes in the Opera by Saint-Saens, "Samson and Delila." She will appear along with Barto in this festival. I was a super in "Samson and Delila" when it played at the Kenn Cen in 1998. The star of Samson was Jose Cura, an Argentinean tenor who is quite handsome, thickly built with noticable muscle (especially chest!) and very talented (gorgious voice). He was in a production of Samson with Olga Borodina, [not the one at the Kenn Cen] and they recorded a cast album together. The bodybuiding connection: Before he hit the big time as an opera singer, he taught bodybuilding! [And believe me, it shows!]

During the production, he was very friendly and personable. He posed for pictures with all the chorus, supers and cast. He was widely liked by all the company, and many people, of all persuasions thought he was seriously Hot! He was also tough--during the run of the production, he broke his hand one night, onstage, while being wrestled to the grounds by the Philistine soldiers. Despite the broken bones, he finished the show that night with a bang--literally--by bringing down the Philistine temple on the heads of the Philistines.


I guess Cura and Barto are part of the new trend of athletic classical performers. For years, audiences were supposed to "suspend disbelief" and believe that a seriously spherically overweight tenor was a great warrior/lover/leader. Now, on stage performers have to be more believably in shape.

Just look at what happened to that Russian ballerina who didn't get her contract renewed because she was "too heavy" -- at 130# pounds! [What--the male dancers couldn't pick up a 130# woman? American B'way dancers do that all the time! Don't get me started on wimpy ballet dancers---it's the one classical art form I just do not get. Ballet?!? "Nutcracker" at Christmas is more than enough! Although they DO have good legs......}


Mdlftr

[Notbigenuff]

Next time I'm at the symphony I guess I'll have to take better notice of the musicians! Of course, from where I sit (way up in the cheap seats) it's hard to notice much of anything...

If this "trend" continues I wonder how long it will be until Symphony groupies hang out at the stage door waiting for the musicians and asking the first chairs to flex for them?

[ottomun6]

Mmmm, huge muscle bound musicians... what is the world coming to? (More muscles I hope)
Hey any of you guys in the Greater Detroit Michigan area ever run across a buffed newscaster a couple of years ago? (I should have written his name down)
I remember turning on the news (Channel 50?) while visiting and saw this guy that was definitely packing some muscle under his shirt and jacket. If I had to guess, his chest was probably close to 48" or better (I had no idea of his height)
And his shoulders and biceps kept nudging the confines of his clothes as he moved to change news stories.

[Notbigenuff]

Well, I get all the Detroit stations but sadly don't remember the newscaster you are talking about. I was probably always watching a rerun of "The Simpsons" or something.

However, I do remember a Toledo newscaster who appeared to be quite buff under his coat. I can't quite recall the name--I think it was Bill something--but he reminded me of a blonde Clark Kent. Of course, it's tough to tell on tv and fully clothed.

[ottomun6]

Darn, I was really hoping you would know, Notbigenuff.
Maybe I can ask friends in the area if they remember him. And now I'm curious about this Toledo guy too. Hmm, I wonder if it could be the same guy and he moved?
Anyway, there is a hopeful TV newsguy, Jim Cantore on the Weather Channel.
He really got my attention a couple of years ago while he was wearing a polo shirt and his build was making itself known. Nice shoulders and biceps!! But I think he may have dropped off the muscle wagon, he just dosen't seem quite as beefy lately. But he still looks a bit bigger than the regular guys.

[brent]

I don't think newscasters are incouraged to shou off any size they may have built-up. However, in some promo-shots it seems like NWCN's Paul Silvi has some quality beef under his suits.

[ottomun6]

Originally Posted by brent

I don't think newscasters are incouraged to shou off any size they may have built-up. However, in some promo-shots it seems like NWCN's Paul Silvi has some quality beef under his suits.

Brent, I bet you are right about that not showing off buffed bods on the news.
But I'll tell you, I don't remember any of the names of the other Weather Channel reporters, but I sure remember Jim Cantore and I look for him when I check the weather. I wonder if the station managers who are always looking for ways to increase viewership might consider this?

[Notbigenuff]

Ottomun6,
Okay, I did a quick "google" search today and the Toledo Newscaster I was thinking of is Bill Hormann. Oddly enough, though he was let go by one station a year ago another station in Toledo has just signed him up. It appears from the face shot that he may have added a bit of weight this past year, but I think the shoulders still look solid. Again, it's sometimes tough to tell when the guy is wearing a suit and sitting (he was an anchorman in his last assignment). However, I do recall that one time my brother was over and Bill was on the news and my brother commented that he thought Bill appeared to be well built. And my brother doesn't usually make off handed comments about other guys physiques.

[ottomun6]

....SCRE-E-E-CH!!!! ....Uh, what did you say Notbigenuff? I couldn't hear you because I'm burnin' rubber to find me a muscle anchorman in Toledo!!

[brent]

So half of this city is ripped up for road repairs (there are only a few months here that are warm enough) and I went through this one site where there was a young, cute, beefy, boy (all his coworkers were ugly old men) and I've been keeping my camera in my car for such an event. Only, I had to keep my attention on the road, and didn't have time to reach for my camera. Damn! Then I'm crossing an old bridge that is also being repaired (separate project) and I only see gross old men, until the very end. I saw what looked like the twin of the earlier boy, but he was dangling from the upper supports. If only traffic was moving slower. I need to get better with a camera.

[glammaman2000]

i do requests.hope you don't mind me quoting myself."even at 140lbs.i was considered muscular for a ballet dancer.don't remember growing out of clothes except for a shift from"what i wore"to"what wore out".i got a Broadway show where if i got bigger,my part got bigger.i gained 30lbs.that summer(NO'ROIDS!)i was semi-famous in the NYC dance community as the"dancer who got big!"(at that time,the shift was 160lbs.to 190lbs.)someone related a comment from a ballerina friend,"i think he looks good!";the other girls said,"EEEEEUWWW!!"the guys were fine with it/jealous.p.s.i'm now 210lbs.&have competed with some success.p.p.s.i love you guys.

[brent]

That's so cool to be known as the dancer that got big. Congratulations! I hope you keep growing. It must be totally cool to be big enough for people to talk about you. That's a status I hope to reach one day.

[arpeejay]

Originally Posted by glammaman2000

.p.s.i'm now 210lbs.&have competed with some success.p.p.s.i love you guys.

Pix, dammit, we want pix!

How tall are you? I'm guessing about 5'7-5'8 based on measurements (big) in relationship to weight (210 is on the light side for chest/arms that big.)

rpj

drooling with anticipation!

If not the photos, how about an age? March 13, which decade?

[Notbigenuff]

Sounds like you've made quite a transformation over the years Glammaman2000!
I'm personally always impressed when I hear of someone who has gone from a fairly thin (though apparently fit!) size to a big (also fit) size!

So, now we have big buff dancers, musicians, and newscasters (still haven't figured out the Detroit guy yet Ottomun6--but I am working on it). Any other big artistic types out there?

I may have to swing by a museum or two this weekend to find out!

[glammaman2000]

so am i.first,i'm 5'10",a bit top heavy.for the longest time,i was reluctant to train legs.("i can always go back to dancing!",yeah,right!)never got them past 27".working on it now.also,I'M ANCIENT!!53.read a thread from a guy who thought it was all over because he was 28(!?!)let me tell you,if you got the goods,YOU GOT THE GOODS!i'm still getting hit on!muscle-hungry is muscle-hungry.at this point,photos are out of the question.i can barely turn my service on&off.it's just a webtv hook-up.i will be training for the'06 gay games.my swan song.as to museums;when i arrived in New York,many years ago,one of the cruisiest spots in the city was the Metropolitan Museum of Art!(gay&straight!)

[CelticMuscle]

I posted that I had met a person who had shrunk from a 200lb am bodybuilding champ to a 125lb wimp (in his personal opinion) as part of canvassing asking for the local residents to reject a ballot measure on a directly elected mayor.

The ballot measure was voted on yesterday and the result was announced at 8.00pm EDT (5.00pm PDT) as follows:

[COLOR=YellowGreen]YES, I support the adoption of a directly elected mayor 5,308 (28%)[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Red]NO, I do not support the adoption of a directly elected mayor 14,013 (72%)[/COLOR]

The proposal was therefore rejected

[brent]

Congratulations on defeating the ballot initiative! It always feels good to win in an election & know that you helped make the world a better place.

[arpeejay]

Originally Posted by glammaman2000

so am i.first,i'm 5'10",a bit top heavy.for the longest time,i was reluctant to train legs.("i can always go back to dancing!",yeah,right!)never got them past 27".working on it now.also,I'M ANCIENT!!53.read a thread from a guy who thought it was all over because he was 28(!?!)let me tell you,if you got the goods,YOU GOT THE GOODS!i'm still getting hit on!muscle-hungry is muscle-hungry.at this point,photos are out of the question.i can barely turn my service on&off.it's just a webtv hook-up.i will be training for the'06 gay games.my swan song.as to museums;when i arrived in New York,many years ago,one of the cruisiest spots in the city was the Metropolitan Museum of Art!(gay&straight!)

Bra-Fucking-Vo! What a wonderful story! Now GET yer ass to SE Michigan so I can take some pix and post 'em for you! :-)

SLURP!

rpj

[glammaman2000]

...like i said,i love you guys.mdlftr was kind enough to offer a snail mail option for me to send pictures to post.as i told him;i hate having my picture taken,but this will probably be my last contest.i'd like to show that you can get big&buff without steroids.kids today think they're tic-tacs.i'm glad i found this site&will be using you throughout the process.thanks,muscle-brothers!

[ottomun6]

Welcome Aboard GLAMMAMAN2000
And thanks for letting us know about you (you ex-lurker you) I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures bud.

[glammaman2000]

...exactly.when i first got on the internet,i was horribly paranoid.(identity theft,etc.)once i felt more confident,i found it very hard to edit my profile.without the help of the Mother Theresa-like o'mellissokosmos&the god-like flexodus I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM TODAY!!!(i.e.,able to post)now you won't be able to shut me up.