Bodybuilding - Mentally and Physically Prepare for Competition
MENTAL TOUGHNESS
The mental aspect of prepping for a show is probably the most important aspect of prepping for a show. Some may argue differently but based on real life experience, your mind will make or break you. In order to be in the right mindset to prepare for a show, you must be free of a lot of distractions and stress. So if you're taking 18 hrs at a university while working 30 hrs per week, you might as well forget about it. Sure, it could be done but chances are very good that you'd burn out within weeks. Prepping for a show is an all day commitment every day for as long as you plan on dieting. You have to plan your meals, plan your training, plan your rest time and plan the rest of your daily activities. And the most important part of this is to see it through.
You're probably saying to yourself: I think I'm mentally tough, I can do it. Let me just say this: you think you know, but you have no idea! Sure, following a strict diet and training regime is easy if you do it for a few days, maybe even a week or two. However, try doing it for 10 weeks or dare I say 16 weeks? Some even go as long as six months. Now that's mental toughness. So think about it for a moment.
PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS
I know this is one of the extreme cases but it all boils down to how much you really want what you want. I'm not going to lie to you and say that you don't get much of a physical beating when you diet down. The truth of the matter is, when you diet down, your body takes more punishment than normal. When you combine a restrictive calorie diet with an intense weight program and daily bouts of cardio, your body becomes more susceptible to injury and/or illness. You should know that your body will take a physical beating and you must endure through every agonizing moment of it. If you steer clear of testing your body's physical limits when prepping for a contest, it will definitely show on stage.
If you've ever been to a bodybuilding show you've seen guys up there with sub par physiques, you know what I'm talking about. For you to look your best on stage, everything has to fire on all cylinders: your training, your diet, your supplementation and most importantly, your mind. If even one of these things is missing in any part, then chances are very good that you will not come in at your best.
The mental aspect of prepping for a show is probably the most important aspect of prepping for a show. Some may argue differently but based on real life experience, your mind will make or break you. In order to be in the right mindset to prepare for a show, you must be free of a lot of distractions and stress. So if you're taking 18 hrs at a university while working 30 hrs per week, you might as well forget about it. Sure, it could be done but chances are very good that you'd burn out within weeks. Prepping for a show is an all day commitment every day for as long as you plan on dieting. You have to plan your meals, plan your training, plan your rest time and plan the rest of your daily activities. And the most important part of this is to see it through.
You're probably saying to yourself: I think I'm mentally tough, I can do it. Let me just say this: you think you know, but you have no idea! Sure, following a strict diet and training regime is easy if you do it for a few days, maybe even a week or two. However, try doing it for 10 weeks or dare I say 16 weeks? Some even go as long as six months. Now that's mental toughness. So think about it for a moment.
PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS
I know this is one of the extreme cases but it all boils down to how much you really want what you want. I'm not going to lie to you and say that you don't get much of a physical beating when you diet down. The truth of the matter is, when you diet down, your body takes more punishment than normal. When you combine a restrictive calorie diet with an intense weight program and daily bouts of cardio, your body becomes more susceptible to injury and/or illness. You should know that your body will take a physical beating and you must endure through every agonizing moment of it. If you steer clear of testing your body's physical limits when prepping for a contest, it will definitely show on stage.
If you've ever been to a bodybuilding show you've seen guys up there with sub par physiques, you know what I'm talking about. For you to look your best on stage, everything has to fire on all cylinders: your training, your diet, your supplementation and most importantly, your mind. If even one of these things is missing in any part, then chances are very good that you will not come in at your best.
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