In this vlog, Rob Lipsett documents his first men’s‑physique show day after a seven‑year hiatus. He begins with a detailed rundown of his pre‑stage preparation, including a green‑tea‑based diuretic mix, B‑vitamins, vitamin C, dandelion root, minimal water intake, espresso, and a strict tanning schedule (first coat at 8:30 am, second at 10:30 am). He describes the mental battle of returning to competition, recalling the 2020 shutdown and his drive to finish what he started. Throughout the day he checks in with his coach Mike Geary, interacts with friends Blaz and Linda, and notes the supportive atmosphere at the venue. He outlines his carb strategy (Carbo Electro Formula, banana, apple, salted nuts) and quick‑digestive snacks (Haribo) to keep energy up while staying lean. On stage he observes a stacked class, experiences nerves, and ultimately does not place, but expresses pride in his conditioning, vein visibility, and the emotional rush of being back on stage. Post‑show, he reflects on the experience, emphasizing the importance of posing technique, noting that three FaceTime sessions were insufficient and that in‑person, daily practice is needed. He discusses macro tracking, cardio, and a plan to prep for an upcoming Ireland show, while also enjoying a celebratory dinner in Marbella. The vlog ends with a hopeful outlook, gratitude for fan support, and a commitment to continue improving.
Chapters
Double chicken in case we get hungry today. Shake and peanut butter, what a combo. Alright people, so we got a mix of the diuretics we're using. So this is like a green tea mix. We got B vitamins, vitamin C, let's see, some dandelion root. So this makes you go to the bathroom a lot, and they were looking anyways, right? So you gotta put the classic ab veins. And then the plan is keep drying out a little bit. It is now 7 AM, first coat of tan at 8:30, second coat of tan at 10:30, and then stage roughly around 2 PM. So we're going to take these now, very minimal water, just a double espresso, sip on that, uh, throughout the day, and then maybe we'll add in some water around 11. Show day! I can't believe it. We got Blaz here. We got unfinished business. 2020, that was when we were competing last, and we didn't get to do it because everything shut down. But with me, right, okay, I've never— right, I've failed on a lot of things, I've put a lot of things on hold, but I can't not finish something. It's not in my mind. I don't have it. I'm not able to do it. It will itch and claw at me until I go and get that done. So a few years later, we're getting it done today. Let's go back on stage. Don't know until you like pump up. Yeah, that's just like when everything just, just kicks in, everything just comes together. So hopefully they've got a, like, a good pump-up section as well. I can smell the fake tan, something I haven't smelt in a while. Amazing. Muchas gracias, señor. First coat of tan on and I've got the itch again. Like, I kind of just saw competitors, you know, we checked in, the hotel's actually amazing. It's right on the coast and like I'm pumped. And I woke up today kind of doubting myself. I was like, oh my God, I'm looking watery, I'm not looking good. It's crazy how the mind plays tricks on you. Like, so I got my tan on, I like propped up my phone, you know, did a little check-in with Mike and I'm like, yeah, I'm feeling myself. I'm like, Okay, shit, yeah, I'm on point. I came in on point. And it's mad how, like, your confidence can just switch when you see that good angle. So we're gonna register Linda and Blaz now so they can come into the show, spectate, and come backstage. And then second coat of tan on, and then it's party time. Rob Lipsett. So you're waiting at the show? Yes. Yeah, he's Irish, actually. Yeah, yeah, yeah, me too. Perfect. Alright, so we got our number, unlucky 13, maybe in bingo. I kind of love that number. And then we got a little like kind of fun pack, little party pack. So here we got some carb source, so this is Carbo Electro Formula. They gave us a banana. This is like really nice, like they make you feel like really welcome at home. Everyone's really nice checking in. We've got an apple. Little plastic cup, few shots in that afterwards. What the hell is this? Oh my God, they literally give you like salted nuts. This is unbelievable. I don't know, trying to throw me off the competition. But, uh, so now I'm gonna chill out for a little bit. Second tan is in about an hour and a half, and then we chill, watch the show. Got some VIP passes, and then we go on stage. This is fun. I was actually really worried this morning. I actually was. I was like nervous, like, have been out of the game for so long and I'm feeling good now. And it's like the main thing is enjoy the day. That like literally makes your stress go down and everything. So that's what I'm going to do. All right, so first meal of the day. We got some Haribo, fast, easy digestive carbs. They're not going to fill you up too much. Pretty hungry, to be honest, and I think I got about 2.5 hours until I hit the stage. But second coat done. What a mado sport this is. All right guys, so looks like we're on very, very soon. The shorts are on, the oil is on, the tan is on. Starting to see people pumping up. The nerves are building. I'm pretty sure, as is often the case, I've got one of the biggest classes, so so there's quite a few people in it. So I'm just hoping we get something, you know, we get some piece of silverware. We'll see, but pray to God. Got so much support coming in at the moment, so let's go up there and have some fun. And that did not go as planned. Guys, no placing today, unfortunately. One thing I can genuinely say is the class was stacked. Everyone on that stage had an aesthetic physique and had put in the work, and it is what it is. It was an absolute rush to be up on stage again. Like, it was a crazy feeling. Like, I haven't felt that feeling in half a decade, in years. And like, I know this sounds crazy, but I'm actually kind of buzzing. Like, I'm like, oh my God, I put in the work. It's all done now, and I'm gonna really enjoy my Sunday. But look, guys, no placing today. We're still going. We're gonna chill out today, reassess the game plan, and decide what to do going forward. But thank you so much for the support on this prep. Of course, it's bittersweet at the end, but look, it is what it is. So I'm gonna chill out today, enjoy, and I'll catch you guys later. Peace. All right, so I gotta say, Doing something extremely difficult, jumping in the sea, you walk out of sea, you grab a drink, your food's here. I feel like a beast. Honestly, I feel like a tank. I feel really good. I feel really rewarded. It's unbelievable. And we're in one of my favorite spots, El Chiringuito. We just got some grilled calamari, pretty lean, because we are going out for dinner tonight in a place called Cipriani, new place in Marbella, Italian. I'm gonna go all out. But today, like, I just washed the tan off me. Vibes are right. I'm feeling amazing. I didn't get— and I just saw the pictures like from the stage and I'm so happy with my condition. You should be very proud. I'm very proud. I'm actually feeling so good. I couldn't recommend that whole thing enough. And like, I still got to do it again. And I'm actually— I feel so good. I feel so proud. Like, that was like the hardest thing I've done in so long. And it's like, that's what life's about, is doing hard shit. It's like focusing on something, doing the hard thing, and just the feeling afterwards is like nothing else. All right, let's take a bite. Look at that. So healthy as well. Fresh. Usually we'd go fried. We went— yeah, also another, another thing It's like in the past, the first time I competed, okay, binge afterwards. I'm just like junk, and I'm so past that now. So past that. All right guys, so it is the following day. We went out, we had some pizza, we blew off some steam, relaxed, and I've had time to like gather my thoughts and give some feedback on the competition and how I'm feeling and what I need to do. So when I came off stage, of course I was disappointed, I was sad. But as I kind of saw, you know, I look back at the videos, the photos, and I actually got really happy. Like, I actually got happier as time went on and the more I had to reflect on it. I actually think I looked really good on stage, like, compared to the last time I competed years ago. I'm like, I've actually managed to make improvements. And even just getting up on that stage, it's a very hard thing to do. Like, it's an amazing feeling to have set myself a goal and to have done it. And of course, I'd be lying if I said the feedback on social media from you guys wasn't amazing as well. That made me feel awesome. And so as I've had more time to think on it, I'm actually really happy with how it went. And I also won't lie, When I came off the stage yesterday, I was like, ah, you know, will I even bother with the Ireland show? And now that I've had some time to think about it, of course, of course we're gonna do it. So we're back on prep as of today, tracking my macros. Things I need to work on, which I think could get me a placing, I really do, is my posing. My posing, I did like 3 sessions just kind of on FaceTime online, which is not enough. I need to probably get some in-person ones. I need to be doing it daily. I need to slow down. I need to be less boxy and more fluid. And I was talking to, you know, my coach Mike Geary. He was saying how that can really take you from not placing to placing. So posing is my main focus. I came in extremely dry. There's not much more I can do there. Had veins running from my waist up to my chest. And maybe I could pump up a little bit better, like time the kind of, you know, to look a bit more full on stage. I could do that a little bit better. But, um, overall I think my condition I was pretty happy with, and posing stage presence is something I need to work on. So we're now, I think, 17, 18 days out. Um, I am going to set my macros again, probably something quite low, as you We don't have that much time. Of course, I ate a lot of pizza and pasta after the comp, so we need to get back on our cardio grind, backtracking macros, back on my program, and just straight back to it. And then when that's done, we can go and enjoy our summer. But I'm super happy with how things went. Honestly, it was an amazing feeling getting back up on stage again, and I'm ready to keep going. So hope you enjoyed today's video. I hope it was nostalgic, brought back some good memories, and see you in the next one. Keep it real. Peace.
