Written by Flex Wheeler
02 July 2008
layout_1-1.jpgOver the past few years, the Junior Nationals has proven to be the hot spot for getting a first glimpse of the best new talent on the amateur scene. Last year, it was Michael Lockett and Branden Ray. In 2006, it was Evan "National Hero" Centopani and Ben "The Greatest" White. 2005 saw the unwrapping of Phil "The Gift" Heath. This year it was the steppingstone for Sean Allan and Michael Liberatore. With all due respect, while neither of these men are household names (yet), they brought their very best and emerged victorious. Let's take a closer look at these two athletes, who I'm sure will become very familiar in the not too distant future.

 

 

 

MICHAEL LIBERATORE

 

2008

Junior Nationals Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships

Men: Heavyweight (First)

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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.

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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

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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)

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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.

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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!