Life lessons from bodybuilders

‘Getting comfortable with discomfort helps you grow as a person. It teaches you grace under pressure and toughens you up against adversity and problems in life.’

Bodybuilding, which has evolved into a modern-day fitness regimen, is getting more and more popular.

Considered an extreme sport, bodybuilding requires rigorous daily training, a strict diet, and depleting to insanely low body fat and water percentages. It really isn’t for everyone. 

Whether you plan to get into bodybuilding or not, there’s no denying its immense impact on modern-day fitness and culture. Bodybuilding helped shape the fitness movement, and, from gyms being rare finds decades ago, you can now find a gym in almost every condominium, hotel and mall. 

Bodybuilders are among the most disciplined athletes there are. There is so much we can learn from them that we can apply to training and everyday life.

Here are life lessons from bodybuilders:?

• Do not fear failure. In life, especially in the gym, failure happens almost every day. Many programs require “until failure” reps, which means you exhaust your muscle to help it grow. This teaches us that failure isn’t really failure. It is progress and growth. In today’s achievement- and reward-based society, this is an important thing to keep in mind.

• Plan your diet well. If you plan your schedule, route to work and workout program, you should also plan your diet well. Whether or not you are preparing for a show, measuring and planning your food will deliver immense benefits for your body. It isn’t only what you eat, but also how much you eat that matters. Bodybuilders have this down to a science, measuring their daily calories and macronutrients. Get a food scale and learn to measure your food. A good place to start is at 40 percent carbs, 40 percent protein and 30 percent fat. This is a moderately low-carb diet that will help any beginner see fat-loss progress.

• Develop your mind-muscle connection. When bodybuilders train, they focus their mind on the body part that they want to grow. This immense focus actually helps the muscle reach its full potential. Just like your body, your mind also needs to be trained. Your mind is powerful and has a big impact on overall health and fitness. Developing the connection between your mind and muscle will help maximize your growth and gains.

• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. In this age of comfort and convenience, it’s rare for anyone to willingly put themselves in uncomfortable situations. That’s what bodybuilders do almost daily. Their training isn’t for the weak of heart. It leaves you sweaty and sore from the high reps or heavy weights. Well, bodybuilders enjoy it. They enjoy the discomfort in the gym because they know it’s making them better. It confirms that their workout is good for that day. Getting comfortable with discomfort helps any person grow. It teaches you grace under pressure and toughens you up against adversity and problems in life.

• Be patient. Developing mass and balanced muscle takes years. Getting shredded, cutting down body fat and water to show off that physique on stage takes months of unforgiving preparation. No one is born stage-ready. It takes so much hard work, discipline and consistency. As you develop your physique, the gains get slower and slower. It can take a whole year to gain one to two pounds of muscle mass or months just to lose an inch of fat. Patience is a key trait of bodybuilders because this sport isn’t won on stage but during the preparation for months — even years — before.

• Take progress photos. More than a weighing scale, progress photos can help you measure how your body is changing and whether you’re getting closer to your goals. Bodybuilders take progress photos once a week to check if their program is effective and what they need to work on next. This is a great practice to borrow, even for non-athletes, as it helps you understand your body and how it responds to food and training. It also gives you something to look back on and celebrate the small wins on your fitness journey.

• Progress never stops. There’s no bodybuilder that thinks that he or she doesn’t have room for improvement. That’s why they consistently train and continue to seek to improve on their previous performance. If Mr. Olympia believes he has room for improvement, we should, too. Human bodies have limitless potential. It’s up to us if we seek to put in the work to achieve it. ?

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Get even more inspired at Musclecontest Philippines 2019, the first IFBB pro qualifying bodybuilding show this year, which is slated for Sept. 28 at Acacia Estates. Seven IFBB Pro cards will be awarded. ??

Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.