Bodybuilding is a competitive sport, and those who succeed at the highest level do so for many reasons. Therefore, if you aspire to be a top-level athlete yourself, take the time to identify common characteristic traits shared amongst your greatest idols.
Here’s a few successful clues we have recognised:
- Have the patience to allocate more time to building your physique in an improvement season compared to dieting in a comp prep
- Train with purpose, intelligence and intensity, and follow a structured program which allows for progressive overload, recovery, and coincides with your individual physique goals
- Develop a healthy relationship with food and implement sports nutrition practices and nutritious eating behaviours year-round to support performance, recovery, and quality of life
- Work alongside or consult with coaches and mentors to gain different perspectives, discuss strategies, make decisions, and constantly learn from others in the field
- Don’t become complacent with time, training, nutrition or posing, and adhere to a plan
- Don’t dismiss the importance of quality and quantity of sleep. Implement sleep hygiene protocols and have a regular sleep-wake cycle
- Choose to dedicate time, money, and effort into professional development and invest in learning more about evidence-based practice and the sport of bodybuilding. This could include studying degrees/courses, working with or consulting with coaches and educators, reading books, listening to podcasts, attending seminars, attending shows and the like
- Have the ability to “embrace the suck” and stay level-headed with a good attitude and strong mindset when times are testing
- Understand your “why”, don’t compete for external validation, and remember that being a bodybuilder is a choice
- Be deliberate with day-to-day choices, routines, and habits, and recognise that small decisions compound to outcomes that either propel you forward, push you back, or keep you stagnant
- Don’t race toward the finish line. Prepare yourself to be calm, confident, and content knowing that you’ve put in the work and executed the plan to the best of your ability prior to show day