Mr. Runner Up - Series on Male Body Image.3.

"Mr. Runner Up" is a series of images and short essays about male body image and male pageantry.

Image and Words By Alejandro Betancourt

In the year 2007, I became a bachelor again and I decided to get real lean. I wanted to look like a Greyhound. I thought of the lean build of a Doberman Pincher.

I thought of those dogs in my mind every morning and woke up to a running course that included a track on the top of a hill. To get to the top I ran 150 uneven brick steps. At the track, I ran 5 laps and did 100 crunches. When I returned to the bottom of the hill I did it all over again.

It didn’t take long to change my body shape and not only look lean, but also feel mentally and physically faster. My diet consisted mostly of beer and bachelor snacks. My attitude became overly aggressive and careless of others.

I wanted to show myself off, like some show dog. I shaved my head and wore muscle shirts when I went out. My dates were young and cute. I got laid all the time.

In 2008, I modeled for Syracuse University’s art department and gained access to one of the best gyms I have ever been privileged to use. I began lifting weights and eating a lot. I became meaner looking and thought of Rottweilers. My arms got huge and I stopped messing with little dates.

Soon I set a goal to leave Syracuse and return to LA. That is where I am now.