Dragoncon 2015 Cosplay and Powerbuilding

2015. Gonna be a shitshow.

This year is the last year I ever make a post like CHECK OUT MY PLANS FOR DRAGONCON HUR HUR. Either by choice or by circumstance, the costumes I end up going with are never what I originally intended.

This year, my newest costumes will be Zangief (Street Fighter 2), Shelly (South Park), a chicken (Legend of Zelda), and a motherfucking wizard. I wanted to briefly go into the materials used for each costume, as well as the powerbuilding aspect to get the look for Zangief.

Costume 1. Zangief

Powerbuilding for The Gief Body
Besides needing to look cartoonishly big (which, I don't), the main goals here were to get my back and legs are large as possible for Zangief. Honestly, I more or less took an old Chaos and Pain style routine and put it to work. I'm a huge fan of this style of training, which essentially boils down to an anterior chain and posterior chain split (front of the body, back of the body respectively). If at any time I get all of the prescribed reps, I increase the weight. No guesswork or deloads required.

(Squat/Push1)
Front Squat 1x3, 1x6
Partial Front Squat 1x6
Pause Front Squat 1x6
Dips or BTNP or Floor Press 1x3, 8x3
Press and Quad Accessory 50-100 reps

Note: BTNP = behind the neck strict press

(Squat/Push2)
Front Squat 4x8
BTNPP 1x3, 1x6, 1x10
Press and Quad Accessory 50-100 reps

Note: BTNPP = behind the neck push press

(Pull1/2/3)
Weighted Chinup or Pullup 1x3, 8x3
Powerclean/High Pull/Shrug
Back, Hamstring, and Glute Accessory 50-100 reps

Note: 8x3 sets use 1min rest
Note: for shrugs, work up to a max rack pull before shrugs, the 3 sets amap dropping ~70 lbs/set

Lifting Schedule
Squat/Push1
Pull1
Squat/Push2
Pull2
Squat/Push1
Pull3
Etc...rest as needed between lifting days

Example of accessory
Press: DB Bench, Dips, BTNP
Squat: Reverse Lunges, Back Extension, Leg Extension
Pull: Seated Row, Back Extension, Leg Curl, HIIT kettlebell swing

I've been intermittently using days where I'm not feeling up to lifting heavy as arms days. These typically look like...

Floor Press 1x3
Floor Press 3x5 super set Hammer Curls 3x8
Floor Press 3x12 super set Incline Curls 3x12
Rear Delt Swings 1x60, 1x30, 1x10

Note: Rear delt swings are taken from an old John Meadows tnation article. Do your reps quickly, but force a shoulder contraction with each rep. You'll really test the pain threshold with this. Use straps so you have no excuse to bitch out on your reps.

What you can expect from running this routine...
Massive increases in quad, back, and trap size and strength. You should not feel run down in the least. You can take more rest days in between sessions if need be to no I'll effect.

My traps in particular have been growing like weeds. (which, awesome...that was the plan).

Bicep and tricep size and strength will increase as well, but I suggest still including isolation exercises for arms as a part of your accessory or on a different day.

I've found dropping the deadlift (sumo) from my life has in no way hurt my deadlift strength. Every time I retest it, it seems to be doing fine just fine.

What is missing...
Partially due to my shitty pressing strength, I've seen the least amount of progress with my chest and shoulders. This is pretty fucking annoying, as my Zangief cape is going to cover my entire back which is where I shine. I guess I'll just have to strip.

The Gief Costume

(picture on it's way)

Mohawk
- bought a Mr. T wig off of amazon
- Cut the wig to fit my head
- Profit

Rear view. D ring attachment.

Belt

- Cut the belt of out thick black EVA foam

- Prime with gesso, paint with spray paint, detailed work done with black acrylic paint

- Trim on the top and bottom of the belt was made out if thin yellow EVA foam

- Nodes of the belt are made out of Styrofoam balls (cut in half), primed in gesso, painted with spray paint

- Belt strap is a single latex strap attached to a D ring

Boots

- Actual boots were ordered off of amazon. Shoe laces were stolen from another pair of wrestling boots (yes I have multiple pairs, fuck off)

- Trim was made out of thin yellow EVA foam

Wristbands

- Main strap is thin red EVA foam

- Yellow strap is thin yellow EVA foam

- Both sides are held together with velco pads

Cape

- Found the most gaudy blood red fabric I could find

- Stitched a single thread through the top of the cape (where it would meet my neck), then pulled the stitch tight to scrunch the material. Added another stitch through the same pathway to solidify the shape
- Ran a golden cord through the top of the cape. This is the piece that really holds everything together

Scarring
- Make the general shape of the scar with red makeup
- Paint over the red with rigid collodion (this will cause your skin to bunch up)
- After the collodion dries, apply black and red makeup on and around the scar to achieve the look you want

Costume 2. Shelly
This costume was pretty damn easy. No powerbuilding required.

Pink jeans
- Finding men's pink jeans was not really happening
- I bought some Levis white jeans and used some basic pink dye to get the color I was looking for.

Wig
- Borrowed from my zoolander costume last year
- Donezo.

Shirt
- Grey button up
- Donezo X2

Headgear
- Wire hanger bent around my ears
- Donezo X3

Eyebrows
- Sushi wraps attached via double sided tape
- Donezo X4

Costume 3. Zelda Chicken

This idea was birthed years ago. My friends and I are dressing up like chickens, stalking people dressed like Link, and slowly ganging up and scaring the crap out of them.

Costume 4. A Motherfucking Wizard
Not game or show specific. This is nothing more than a drinking game wrapped in a group costume. The plan is for a gang of wizards to each create their own wizard staff out of beer cans (drinking out of the can at the end of the staff). Every can equals another level of wizardry. At certain levels, the game master will hand out spells the wizard may use for remainder of the day. Since I already have the derka derka beard, I'm going to be the blackest black mage I can be.

Robe
Picking up a 'death' costume and cutting off the mask.

Makeup
Dark eyeshadow, drawing a blood rune (a la Fullmetal Alchemist) on my forehead.