THE FLEX REPORT: 2008 NPC Jr Nationals
MICHAEL LIBERATORE
2008
Junior Nationals Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships
Men: Heavyweight (First)
2007
North American
Men: Heavyweight (Third)
Arnold Amateur
Men: Heavyweight (Second)
Last year's MD Cyber Classic winner! Michael brought a phenomenal package. He was the hardest and driest. Personally, I had him pegged for the overall. I thought he was the most complete athlete onstage. He had polish, down to his color and presentation.
Conditioning
Mike was bone-dry and crisp, with striated glutes and individual fibers jumping out everywhere. A key factor in his victory.
Mass
He's got decent size, but will need to add mass to his torso to compete at the higher levels.
Symmetry
Excellent symmetry and shape.
Proportion
Nothing is missing on this guy. A very complete, polished physique.
Chest & Back
These are body parts he will have to work on as he climbs the competitive ladder. He needs overall thickness and fullness to his chest and more meat and width to his back.
Delts
Booming! Obviously a strong point. Fully capped and striated with excellent front-to-back thickness.
Guns
Mike has good guns with full biceps and triceps. He could use a bit more peak, though.
Quads
Excellent teardrops with deep separation and cuts. A little more flare to his outer quads wouldn't hurt.
Hamstrings
He needs more thickness for that hang, but his detail is impeccable.
Calves
Good long calves, with a deep split.
Front Lat Spread
Very impressive in this shot, with huge delts and shredded wheels attached to a tight waist. His lats are actually more prominent from the front.
Side Triceps
Shows off good thickness and proportions.
Side Chest
Super serratus, but chest needs more size. Good separation between quads and hams.
Back Double Biceps
Delts are fantastic. Upper back shows great separation and detail with a crisp lower back. Stripped glutes complete the picture.
Rear Lat Spread
Taper is good, but he'll need more outer thickness and width.
Abs & Thigh
Tremendous intercostals and quad striations.
Most-Muscular
I prefer the traditional crab for Michael, because his chest looks more powerful. In the hands clasped in front version, it looks a bit flat. However, both poses highlight his intricate details nicely.
SEAN ALLAN
2008
Junior Nationals Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships
Men: Overall
Men: Super-Heavyweight (First)
Atlantic State Championships
Men's Bodybuilding: Overall
Men's Bodybuilding: Super-Heavyweight (First)
2006
PDI Night of Champions
Men: Men (Seventh)
2005
National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships
Men: Super-Heavyweight (11th)
North American Championships
Men: Super-Heavyweight (12th)
2004
National Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships
Men: Super-Heavyweight (15th)
2003
National Bodybuilding Championship- NPC
Men: Super-Heavyweight (8th)
USA Bodybuilding Championships- NPC
Men: Super-Heavyweight (16th)
2002
National Bodybuilding Championships- NPC
Men: Super-Heavyweight
Junior National Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships
Men: Super-Heavyweight (First)
2001
IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championships
Men: Super-Heavyweight (Eighth)
2000
National Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships
Men: Super-Heavyweight (13th)
Junior USA Bodybuilding Championships
Men: Super-Heavyweight (Third)
1999
National Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships
Men: Super-Heavyweight (10th)
Junior USA Bodybuilding Championships
Men: Super-Heavyweight (First)
Big Sean Allan. 285 pounds! There's no doubt that this is one big boy. Sean's been at it for a few years, competing at the Nationals and USA since 1999. However, he went over to the now-defunct PDI in 2006, so he's had to work his way back up to the national level. He's got an ultra-wide structure with plenty of beef on top.
Symmetry
Good symmetry for a big man. No weaknesses or deficiencies.
Proportion
Needs to bring his legs up to match that enormous upper body.
Shape
Round and full muscle bellies.
Condition
We haven't seen Sean nail that extreme conditioning judges seem to favor at the big shows. He'll have to be careful during the off-season and not get up too high so he can come in tight. I'd like to see him drier.
Guns
Locked and loaded with beautiful shape.
Chest
Thick and wide. The centerpiece of his physique.
Back
High lats but they have nice width. He will need to work extra hard to bring up his thickness and etch in those crucial details.
Delts
Wide, capped melons.
Quads, Hams, Calves
Sean's a tall man and historically they've had problems with their lower limbs. He's no exception. He'll need to add considerable mass to keep them in line with his clavicle width and upper body size.
Front Double Biceps
Big shot for Sean- and I mean big. Torso spreads out wide, contrasting with that tiny waist. Guns are immense. Legs will need work, but that's the case overall.
Front Lat Spread
Spreads out wide due to his structure, but I get the sense that he's not hitting the shot correctly. He needs to open up and flex those pecs, too.
Side Triceps
Good horseshoe, delts and chest with a flat waist.
Rear Lat Spread
Good width, but needs to work that lower back. Getting drier would really help in the detail department.
Back Double Biceps
He needs to hammer his back. This will be a liability until he adds adequate thickness and gets hard enough to show the separation and definition.
Abs & Thigh
Good shot for a big man. He has a tight waist and nice abdominal region. It could be tighter, but that may be the result of shedding too much weight over a short time span.
Most-Muscular
Sean's forte. With those pecs, delts and arms, you can't lose. Once he brings up his legs, he'll be even more impressive.
Sean and Michael stole the show in a contest where the precontest favorites failed to deliver the goods. Sean easily captured the super-heavies and Michael edged out a very good Jeff Long in the heavies. Now, like countless bodybuilders before them, they'll attempt to use this show as a springboard to bigger and better things. Both will go onto the USAs and try their hand at the much sought-after pro card. They'll have to deal with stiffer competition, but I have no doubt that they'll be in the hunt. We'll see you in Vegas!