Things That Hold You Back....Part 1

Hi everyone,

It has been a few weeks since I last posted a blog and to be honest I have been struggling in my mind about what to blog about. Finally, I was able to formulate into words something that I have given a lot of thought to lately and in the past.

I am sure everyone is familiar with two very strong and very negative emotions; Jealousy and Envy...

I will hold my hand up and say that I have gone though the sport of bodybuilding having many moments of jealousy and envy towards others.

Some of the things I would say and feel as an example are: "I am better than that person so I deserve it more than him..." or "Why does so and so get all the good luck, exposure and benefits...he is not even that good....." I think you know what I am getting at.

I have learned a lot about myself and how jealousy and envy affects me. The things I have learned are:

Jealousy is being afraid of losing something that you do not have. That tells me that it is a rather pointless emotion.

When you get like this you just keep pushing away the things you want in life.

It is important to be truly grateful (key word) for the things you have achieved in life whatever it may be. It is the gratitude that brings more good things.

It is important to be as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.

That I should be focusing so much of my attention on improving myself that I have no time to be jealous or envious of others.

Jealously can be eliminated through right thinking and looking at the cause of it.

So, if you are going though the same thing as I did then I can say without doubt that your life will improve once your eliminate these negative feelings. If you see someone doing well be happy for them and know that you have the ability to achieve your goals too. Stay focused on your goals and on improving yourself because those are the only things you can control.

Have a great week! Thanks for reading! Time for my next meal!

Troy :-)

Stop Procrastination

Hi everyone,

In my last blog I talked about setbacks and then suggested some ways to get around them to keep pushing towards your goals. Today I am going to talk about Procrastination.

What is Procrastination?
Well plain and simple it is a behavior that is characterized by the deferment of actions or task to a later time. So in a nut shell it is putting things off!

Now you might be wondering what this has to do with bodybuilding. Well a lot actually. I must confess that procrastination has been a weakness of mine in the past and even today I am mindful of this behavior. I do not want anything holding me back.

Some examples of procrastination in the gym are:

1. I should be stretching more but I can’t be bothered.
2. I should be doing some type of squatting in my leg workouts but I do not feel like it so I will do more sets of leg extensions.
3. I should be training in a proper environment where there are good athletes to learn from instead of the local health spa gym. I keep saying I should but have not actually done anything about it.
4. I should be eating cleaner but I cannot be bothered to cook.
5. I should be asking questions in the gym on how to be a better bodybuilder but I am too shy to ask.
6. I should do some cardio but I can't be bothered but maybe I will do it tomorrow.
7. The list can go on and I am sure many of you are familiar with some of these…

Here is what I would suggest you do to overcome Procrastination:

Take action:
The easiest way to overcome procrastination is to get up and do it. Change “should” to “will” or “did” – you can say you should do this or you should do that but that is not going to make you a better bodybuilder. You become a better bodybuilder by pushing yourself past your comfort zone and doing things that may not be fun. Squats are not always fun but they sure do give you great results if they are done consistently.

Set goals and then take steps towards your goals:
What do you want to accomplish?

What needs to be done in order to accomplish your goals? Break your goals down into tasks or steps so that you are always moving forward. Each task you complete takes you one step closer to your goal. It is easier to get things done when they are broken down into smaller achievable tasks!

Change your way of thinking to positive, realistic thinking. Below are some popular sayings related to procrastination that hold a lot of meaning:

- Time waits for no man.
- Strike while the iron is hot.
- He who hesitates is lost.
- He who hesitates is last

Remember, you can't wait until you're in the mood to finish important tasks; you must use positive self-talk to get yourself motivated.

Follow your bliss!

Troy Brown :)

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.

The Six Characteristics of a Champion Bodybuilder

By Troy Tuff Enuff Brown

1. Persistence - In life, there are going to be ups and downs and the sport of bodybuilding is no different. Having a never give up attitude is crucial. I think that persistence and patience go hand in hand in order to be the best you can be.

2. Vision - Have a clear plan of where you want to go in the sport. Then work on steps on how to get you there. Start to visualize your end result. Visualize winning or achieving your goal at night before you sleep and when you wake up in the morning.

3. Belief - This point is very important to achieving great success in this sport. I have seen many amazing athletes just come and go because they did not believe in themselves. Believe you can do it and believe that you are good enough.

4. Focus - Focus on where you want to go in the sport. What are the things you need to do in order to be a champion?

5. Discipline - I cannot enforce enough how important discipline is. You cannot let any other distractions get in your way. If your friends are going out for a night on the town and you have to train the next day then this is where you discipline comes in. Should you go out? Probably not because you have big goals! Having the discipline to do the same things everyday is so important to be a champion bodybuilder. Find out what other champions have done to be the best they can be. All of them will tell you that they had to sacrifice a lot and have tremendous discipline in order to be the best.

6. Support - A support group is very important to succeed as a champion. You have to be around positive people all the time to achieve your goals. If you hang out with negative people then you become very negative. Be around successful people, people who have won titles and continue to be great ambassadors for the sport of bodybuilding. Another thing I have learned that is so important in this sport is having a very positive and understanding significant other. This person can be a key weapon to your arsenal in order to be a champion.

This game is all about duration and longevity. Get out of your head that you want it all now because you must be patient. Try to enjoy the journey and do not be hard on yourself when things do not go the way you want them to (like not placing well at a show). Learn from your disappointments and come up with a better plan next time.

Stay healthy!!
Troy Tuff Enuff Brown :)

Sitting this one out!

Hello everyone,
I hope life is treating you well. I just thought I would write a quick update on how things are going with me…
I have decided to not compete this year. I feel that I need to make some improvements in order to hang with the top boys in the sport so taking this year off from competing will allow me to do so. It was a tough decision but I truly think this is the right decision for me at this time. I am still doing my guest spots I have booked in June and I really looking forward to them.

Thank you so much for all the encouraging emails I have been receiving lately. I am still giving it 110% in the gym and I am hoping for my next show to be early 2010.

Until next time,

Troy Tuff Enuff Brown :)

Allmax Nutrition new signing!!

Greetings everyone,

Well it is about that time to put together another blog on how things are going.

First of all, I want to announce that I have just signed with Allmax Nutrition. Meghan and I are so happy and grateful for the Universe bringing this to us. I am extremely proud to be part of such a great team.

It was a huge honor to be a part of the Allmax Nutrition team at the 2009 Arnold Classic Expo in Columbus, Ohio. I really enjoyed meeting fans and many wonderful people in the fitness industry. It was our first time at the Arnold and I must say it took a while for Meghan and I to recover from the whole event. One of the highlights of the trip was being a part of the UFC pre-fight VIP party which Allmax was sponsoring. I had the luxury of rubbing shoulders with some great UFC fighters. I was so amazed at how friendly and down to earth they are.

It was so refreshing to hear that two of my friends from the UK did so well in the Arnold Amateur this year. Shaun Joseph-Tavernier and Alvin Small both put UK bodybuilding on the map. Awesome job guys!!!!

After the trip I jumped on the scale and saw to my amazement that I dropped 7lbs.
Luckily, I am now right back at the weight I was before I left for Columbus.

I recently brought a new MP3 player and it has helped me to raise my intensity in the gym. I have my UK House and Garage music playing so loud to really pump me up for the heavy sets. I love it!!

Well that's it for me off to eat some fish and rice.

God bless everyone

Troy tuff enuff Brown
IFBB PRO

PS Follow your bliss!!

What's up everyone?

I just thought I would touch base with you and let you know about how things are going with me....

I am still working hard in the gym and blasting the FST-7 training. I have been doing this training now for about six months and I must say it never gets any easier.

My life in general is great although I do wish there where more hours in the day to take naps.

My body is feeling good and I have been getting Active Release Therapy on my hip and can feel it is getting better. There was a point where I could not even squat on the free bar but now I am back squatting every week again. I just love the feeling of squats and there is no substitute for them. It is the king of leg exercises.

My diet is going well and I am constantly trying to get all the food I need to grow and recuperate.

Meghan and I are absolutely thrilled to be going to the Arnold this year. It is our first time going and we cannot wait to soak up the atmosphere. So, if anyone is going to the show it would be nice to meet you all in person.

Until next time keep training and go for your goals......as one of my favorite authors would say: Feel it, See it, Believe it!!!

God bless all