PAPER WEIGHT LIFTING

I know this is just a matter of opinion, but I beleive there is a definite line between beautiful muscle and freakishness. There are many people who think more is always better; that veiny, dehydrated men with every single muscle bulging out look good.

I'm just not one of them.

I like guys with a nice muscular shape. Broad in the shoulders, narrow in the hip. Arms, legs, and neck in proportion, with just enough body fat to make them look healthy and maybe a little younger. Bigger than the lean, lanky shape currently in favour among fashion models, but not so large that they look more like a pillowcase packed tight with oranges and grapefruit.

And I hate to see a beautiful guy cross over to the dark side.

But it's happened again. Years ago, I saw a photo of Santiago Aragon, a studly Cuban-American with the most beautiful brown eyes (admittedly a weakness of mine) and dreams of becoming a professional body builder. Here's what he looked like back then.

I think he looked great at that point, except maybe for that tattoo: like I've said before, enormous tattoos on a gorgeous body seems like some artist vandalizing their own work of art.

But he evidently didn't agree. He wanted to be bigger, and he no doubt worked his ass off to get that way. Here's a later photo, taken while he was still with All-American Guys and was being shot by Michael A. Downs.

Yesterday at The Slab, I saw a still more recent photograph of Santiago. He's definitely moved from boy to man, and with that his shape has altered, his body fat is reduced, and he's gotten bigger. Definitely oranges and grapefruits. Some of this is just the result of his body maturing a few years, but I still think that he was more beautiful before.

He's still got that killer smile though.