IFBB PRO - Garrett Downing

I could almost just leave you with these photos and it would tell everyone exactly the GREAT place that I am in right now. Obviously the sorry looking photo is of my leg 2 months after surgery. This photos are a pretty stark contrast to my current condition. Ironically, after the nightmare of an injury, reconstructive surgery and some ensuing complications, my legs are better and strong than before.

12 weeks out from the NOC!! Hard to believe that is the SAME leg that was injured, operated on and took 9 months of rehab....Call me crazy, but I think my legs are better than before I got injured!!!

Quite the nasty hole in my leg!

2 months after surgery. First 2 days of walking without crutches

HEALTH IS #1 and I HAVE A LOT OF IT!! Spending a year on the sidelines gave me a really good perspective on the sport and my role in it. It's no fun being injured but it helped me realize what is important in life - health!!! And, I am happy to report that I have that in spades. The recovery I made, especially from having gotten a staph infection during the surgery, was a testament to my being a strong, healthy, driven athlete. It was a new appreciation for my body, which has never failed me before in anything physical, and in this case, once again it didn't fail me - it healed up and then some. I anticipate this will all be pretty clear when I step on stage in a few short weeks.

PRO IRONMAN THOUGHTS - I attended the IFBB Pro Ironman in Pasadena, February 28 - a nice kick off to the 2004 pro season. Dexter Jackson and Lee Priest looked great. Lee is always a pleasure to watch on stage. It was nice to see Gustavo Badell get his just due. The guy was peeled to the bone, very muscular and had it all put together. At first, the judges overlooked him and he was seventh in the first round. But, after several call outs with named bodybuilders, he got worked into the top five, which is encouraging, evidence of solid judging, as his being overlooked, didn't carry through the rounds.

Another person who caught my eye was David Henry - a little small but very nicely conditioned. Hey, everyone can't be Markus Ruhl. And, watching Johnnie Jackson on stage, his physique reminds me of mine. It illustrated what I've learned over the years - extremely round muscle bellied athletes have got to be peeled to the bone, maybe even a tad flat, or we run the risk of appearing smooth. He has all the shape in the world and gobs of muscle, and even though in good condition, when you have round muscle bellies in your abs (as I do), the eye mistakes roundness for fat/water. Overall, I enjoyed the show; saw lots of friends and fans and the whole day further fueled my drive for my own time on stage....

THE ARNOLD CLASSIC - I will be appearing Friday through Sunday at the Arnold Classic at the Weider Publications Booth, March 6-8 in Columbus, OH. I am pleased to say I re-signed my endorsement contract with the best magazines in the business for another year! The Arnold Classic is definitely one the best parts of the year for our sport. Arnold's role in the sport is beyond iconic. It has been a pretty amazing time in California to watch him rise to become Governor. Clearly, he epitomizes the kind of goal setting bodybuilding teaches. I personally appreciate how being a bodybuilder and an ex-Marine has shaped me to be a disciplined goal-oriented person. The Arnold Classic will prove to be interesting with all its cast of characters, both on the stage and off. Personally, I'm looking forward to spending time with fans at the booth - so be sure to stop on by!

TEAMED UP WITH THE BEST - With my return to stage just a few short weeks away in May, I am happy to say I have been able to team up with the best. I have been training with IFBB Pro Derik Farnsworth and NPC contender Pete Ciccone through the off-season and now into the hard weeks of pre-contest. They keep me honest in the gym and grill me on posing most every day now.

FIRED UP FOR THE MAY PRO SHOWS!!! So, just let it be known that I am TOTALLY FIRED UP for my entry in the Orlando Pro Show, May 1, and the IFBB Night of Champions, May 22 in New York!! Everything is coming together for these shows and I am really looking forward to being on stage with the guys I've competed against before as well as these new pups who are making their pro debuts….I expect I will be somewhere in the 220's, but I am not worrying about what I will weigh. Let's face it, I am barely more than 5' 6" so weighing anything over 200 at that height is well, pretty thick (didn't we just see David Henry make his pro debut @ the Ironman nicely at well under 200 at the same height?). So, watch out old guys and new - as my training partner, Derik Farnsworth says, "The G-train is rolling on through!"