On Episode 289 of The Menace Podcast, Dennis James was joined by Jose Raymond and Milos Sarcev, and the host shared what he tells people when asked if he would change anything about his career.
Competing across three decades, Dennis James became a Mr. Universe in the 90s, a Europa Super Show winner in the 2000s, and a Masters Mr Olympia contender in 2012. The Menace competed in an astonishing ten Mr Olympia events during his career, and cracked the top five, flexing his way to fourth place in 2003. But despite his immense success with muscle, James believes that a greater focus on the finer details could have brought him even more trophies.
Why Dennis James Believes Posing Is More Important Than Most Athletes Realize
During the show, James explained that he would put less emphasis into chasing his rivals for size. “I would pay all the attention on posing,” he told his fellow panel of how he could have achieved even more success. “If I could change, if I could turn back the time I would f*****g pose.”
The Menace also reflected on an adjustment that he could have made to his training in order to prioritize his routines. “The two hours of cardio that I did, I would just do one hour, and one hour posing” he explained.
James recalled that back in the day, when training with Milos Sarcev, he would be reluctant to practice his posing after a lifting session, because he felt that his muscles were too depleted. Now, The Menace says he would peel his shirt off when asked to practice his posing, if given that time back. “Melvin Anthony was one of them guys,” he recalled. “He couldn’t keep his shirt on long enough. But you can see, on stage, he held his s**t, and it was always perfect.”
James says that now, whenever he is asked for advice, the legendary bodybuilder always tells contenders to work on their presentation. “No one asks you, when you step on stage, how much you bench or how many reps you do,” he qualified. “They want to see what you look like, and if you don’t practice the posing, how are you going to get on stage?”
Milos Sarcev agreed, noting that posing is a way to develop control, and reduce the size of the stomach. “And for posing, the biggest thing is keeping that midsection,” he explained. “From every angle, that’s it.”
To watch episode 289 of The Menace Podcast in full, and catch up on all the latest bodybuilding news, see below.
