Working With Setbacks!

Hi Everyone,

I mentioned in my last blog that there are always ups and downs in life and in the sport of bodybuilding. How a person responds to adversity can really make the biggest difference when it comes to achieving your goals. I have compiled a list of my top three setbacks that I have as a body builder. For each setback I describe what I do to resolve it so that I can keep moving forward towards my goals.

1.Lack of appetite – I require a lot of food to grow and it can be a struggle for me to get my meals down sometimes in the off season.

My solution:
Cardio – this works like a charm. I usually do about 20 - 30 minutes 3 – 4 times a week. I am finding that when I am consistent with my cardio then I seem to have a good appetite. When I slack on my cardio my appetite suffers.

Increase my fruit and vegetable intake – I find that eating some fruit and some green vegetables with most of my meals really helps my appetite. I admit it is hard to eat vegetables when you are not hungry but if you can push through that then it will help. The fruits I eat are blueberries, cherries, raspberries, apples and grapefruits. I will have a serving of fruit with 2 or 3 meals and this does the trick.

2. Feeling weak in the gym or lacking motivation - his has been a hard one for me to tackle over the years because I would get so frustrated with both of these issues. A lot of times feeling weak or not feeling motivated is caused by the same thing.

My solution:
Cycling my training – it is tough to maintain an intense pace for an extended period of time. When I feel weak in the gym it is usually a good sign for me to take the volume (not as many sets) and weight down. Sometimes I will reduce my training days but that depends on how I respond to the reduced volume and weight.

Take a day or two off training – these days I am not afraid to take a day or two off when I need it. I find that this does wonders for my strength and it puts me in a good frame of mind. This is a hard thing for many bodybuilders to understand because they think a rest may hinder their progress. I have seen time and time again with myself and my clients that some rest will recharge you and put you back on course to your goals.

Watch training videos of other pro bodybuilders – this helps motivate me before training sometimes especially before back and leg work outs. Some inspirational pros to watch are: Ronnie Coleman, Branch Warren, Dorian Yates and Jay Culter.

3. Discouragement after not placing as well as I wanted at a show

My solution:
Get back in the gym – no point dwelling on it because I cannot change the outcome of the show but I CAN change the way I look next time and the way I respond to it. If you are unhappy with your placing at a show you have to look at things realistically and put together a new action plan. The only time you fail is when you give up.

Feeling Grateful – I learn something about myself every show and feel grateful to have each experience. I am grateful for the lessons I learn because those lessons are what make me better next time.

Don't Give up – it is the people that keep going after defeats and setbacks that accomplish great things.