Are You Made of Champion Stuff?

Happy Saturday!

        So I get SUPER irritated when I hear competitors whine. It sends a chill up my spine when they ask "why are you _______?!", and they're not asking for the scientific reasoning for what I'm altering in their diet or training, but why I surely must hate them so much for cutting their calories [even when their weight has stalled], or why they're not as big as someone who's been training 10+ years longer.  Seriously people, you knew coming into this it would be one of the hardest things you'll ever do in your life. Nothing worth having comes easy. And yet, inevitably about 12 weeks out so many competitors go through a mental breaking point that really decides the success of the rest of their season. It's the decisions you make, and the advice you take around this time that will really make or break your success.


        By this point most competitors are lean, but they are not shredded. While their limbs are likely pretty cut, they most likely still carry enough fat on their glutes and stomach to blur the striations and cuts they'll need on show day to be on top.  Especially for my male clients, I know through no fault of their own, this is where they start to feel skinny, and really worry about their overall size.  Pants are baggier, XL's and L's turn to mediums, and for everyone, the condescending comments from family and friends start in.  I don't think I've had a client yet that didn't have a spouse, mother, grandmother or coworker comment in the last weeks that they were 'too skinny', and all but hold an intervention for their supposed starvation.  And it gets really exhausting explaining yourself time after time - eventually it can make you bitter and snappy, especially given your low energy levels. My fellow Team Wilson member, and IFPA Pro Corynne Pero talked a bit about the sacrifices we make, and the endless explaining we're made to do for ourselves in a recent blog post.

        For every client that's ever hired us, there's one more out there that never called back once they received word from us at that 210lbs they insist on maintaining, they'll not be near lean enough to be taken seriously.  Stop being obsessed with scale weight and take a look in the damn mirror. If you're 5'8" and totally ripped at 210lbs, then you are either A) A freak of nature who's genetics need studying, or B) Taking every steroid you can get your hands on. Who are these dudes that cannot get it through their head that the judges could give a crap what you weigh.  At the amateur level classes are determined by height and can vary 20-30lbs between competitors. And it's not always the biggest dude on stage that's walking away with the win - If that were the case, then fill me up with pizza, cos the fatter I get, the bigger I get, and then I'm certain to win - right!? WRONG!  Guys get off your pedestal, remove your ego and really take a look at yourself.  I respect the fact that 12 weeks out you're likely leaner than you've ever been - but here's the follow up question you need to ask yourself - are you lean enough?

      Like I said, it's the decisions and the sacrifices we make in the last 12 weeks that will decide our fate. Anyone can get lean.  But are you willing to change yourself, change your life, and tolerate those comments from friends and family? Or will you give in, let the paranoia about scale weight get to you, and let progress stop there? If you do I can assure you you may as well never step on stage, because out there your competition IS sacrificing, ISN'T giving in to their friends dragging them to the bar, and WON'T give anything but their best up until the moment they step offstage. If you don't win, it shouldn't be because you couldn't go without pizza the last 3 months, or because you weren't willing to do two more cardio sessions. Don't let your competition outwork you.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself. ;)