UPDATE 1/3/09: So this update is long overdue. First off, my shows. I placed 2nd in the Novice and 3rd in the Open Lightweights at the 07 Indianapolis (and everyone who has seen the comparison pics says I took the novice and should have had 2nd in the open, including the guy who took first in the novice), and to be honest I have no idea how I placed at the '08 other than I was out of the top five. There were 18 competitors in my class at the '08, including one who was a natural pro and so shouldn't have been competing in that show. There were some other things that went wrong at the last minute, but c'est la vie. I have sinced moved out to California, back to my home town, and I plan to be competing in the Contra Costa for my next show. I am confident that this will be my best showing yet, and I intend to compete on a national stage later this year. Also of note is that I got a sponsorship with Muscletech. I know I will be used for Hydroxycut hardcore ads, but I do not know when they will run yet, though I already did my photos. They resigned me for another, and with their support combined with being in a more stable living situation means this will be my best competitive year yet. I'm not sure when I'll start uploading more videos, but I will be making an effort to keep as detailed a log as I can this time around. when i start updating it again in a week or two, you'll be able to follow all of my progress on my bodyspace profile under the name El_Spiko.
Happy new year and best wishes,
Spike Murphy

I'm an amateur bodybuilder currently prepping for my first show, though I may do a few over the summer. I originally started posting videos simply so I could keep a posing practice log on musculardevelopment.com and have others help me critique my posing so I could improve. Apparently I'm develop[ing quite the fan base so i figured people might want a little more info about me. I'm 24 and have been training for about 5 years, though I would say I have only been training seriously as a bodybuilder for a little over two. I am natural, though I have no problems with steroid use or users, I simply feel I have not reached a point with my physique where that would be necessary, and I want to see how far I can make it before I would have to make that decision. I hope to have a career in the fitness industry, whether as a personal trainer (which I have just recently started doing), working for a supplement company, or as a sponsored athlete or model. I intend to compete at a national level at the very least, though I realise that it may take me many years to achieve that. I am more than happy to share advice and receive it, as I feel there is nothing more anabolic than knowledge; the only two things you have any control over in bodybuilding is how hard you work and how smart you work, and I don't ever want to feel that I have fallen short on either of those. I didn't even think about what kind of attention I might garner when I started uploading my practice sessions; I just saw this as a tool to keep myself practicing and improving regularly. That said, for those of you who have commented and sent me messages of support and continue to do so, thank you. Confidence goes a long way in bodybuilding:)