Over the last couple years we've had clients that dove head first into the sport, and not only wanted to compete, but were very interested in the science behind their diets, supplementation and training. Others simply nod as we give them instruction, do the work, and leave the wondering and researching for us. So long as they follow their program, there's no difference in results between those that ask a lot of questions and those that don't. Besides, that's why they're paying us to coach them- because they realize that the service we're providing them will yield better results than they could attain on their own without a great deal of work, research, and/or luck. But for those of you working on your own, and those of you doing your own prep, you cannot get away with not asking this question.
WHY Are You Taking What You're Taking? -
You know what supplements you're taking, but WHY? Don't tell me it's because the guy behind the counter at GNC recommended it so strongly, because let's remember that most supplement store employees work on commission. Not to mention there's no prerequisites for some employers at these types of stores so unless they also do the work to research these supplements, there's no reason for them to know much more than you do. And don't tell me it's because of a friend's recommendation, TV or magazine ad you've seen. Make the decision for yourself whether something is worth the money. Take anything your friends and lifting partners tell you with a grain of salt, as most likely the only science involved with most casual lifters' supplementation is heresay and "gymscience". What does each supplement do for you metabolically, physiologically, biochemically? Considering your goals and the make up of your diet- are you using supplements as a crutch to make up for what your diet and training lacks, or are they bringing out the best of you? Yes many supplements will work for you, but do not even waste the money, or your time in the store until you can assure yourself your diet is impeccable. WHY Are You Eating What You're Eating?-
And while we're on the subject of your diet, what exactly is the situation there? How did you decide on your calorie and macronutrient numbers - and please don't tell me you've just opened a new tab and had to Google 'macronutrient'. I can't tell you how many people think I can just look at them and tell them what calories to eat to reach their goal - it is not that simple. And for yourself, don't think you can just use a diet you've found online or anywhere else - I don't care how similar your weight, height and measurements may be to that person. While you may be lucky enough to lose initially from that plan, I can guarantee you it's not enough to take you all the way to show day conditioning. And inevitably without doing the necessary research to know what to change when you do plateau, you will make the mistake so many diets and dieters are guilty of: Deprivation without education. Each person's bodytype and genetics are different. As a coach and even with our own diets, we have to take into consideration how people react to different carbohydrate and fat ratios. And it's not as simple as just cutting, cutting, cutting, because in that case you run the risk of taking your calories too low and unintentionally taking your body to starvation level calories. Do the work, do the research, or come show day you will find yourself nowhere near the conditioning you should have attained.
The instant you walk into the weight room, it's hard not to feel self conscious. Whether it's how you look, or what you lift, it's to be expected that you're aware that everyone's eyes are constantly on each other, even in the most friendly environments. It's just the nature of the gym. But regardless of if you're the biggest guy or girl in the gym, unlike everyone else who may casually refer to themselves as a bodybuilder, you actually are one. You're not there to talk, you're not even there to listen, and you certainly shouldn't put any care into what anyone else in the room thinks. I've seen so many guys with amazing potential waste their training because they're more worried about their ego than their program. But here's the thing - if the people you're trying to impress we really worth impressing, they'd know what to look for, and they'd know an impressive lifter when they saw one.
And don't tell me you just go in there a lift whatever whenever. I don't care if you even at least have a certain day for a certain bodypart. You can train as hard as you want, but if there's not method to your madness, you just simply won't make the best possible size and strength gains. While when it comes to diet and supplementation I recommend a fair amount of research, you can be a little bit more lax when it comes to your training. But here's the rule - some programs are better than others, but having one at all is still going to get you a lot farther than just simply winging it. All rep ranges have a purpose in muscle building, and if you're wasting your time always trying to hit your one or three rep max on some compound movements, you'll be seriously missing out on some potential size.
So you tell me "I look great right now! You can't tell me I'm wrong!" Well to that I say: Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. While plenty of people end up lucking into finding a good enough, if not much more difficult, route to getting the winning physique, there are many more who quit because they think they've already peaked in the middle of the pack. If you're going to do this sport, if you've become okay with the fact that you'll be on stage with and in front of a bunch of strangers in your underwear (or less) and that you want to be in the kind of shape only 1% of the population ever reaches, then you cannot listen to people and get your advice from that other 99%. Why not bite the bullet, admit that you are not the world's leading expert on all things bodybuilding, and do a little reading. No one should ever be closed off to advice or improving upon their methods. Although the methods Cliff and I use for our athletes already do work consistently, we're still always looking for ways to simply or make them even better. There's a lot of information out there that you are closing yourself off to, and no matter what your competition history is, no matter what your physique looks like, there's always ways you can improve.
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