The importance of being yourself involving your body transformation
I felt a little compelled to write this blog after reading an article in Muscle and Fitness mag about the guide to basic nutrition and I must admit it brought up some interesting points about postive thinking yielding postive results, pre an postworkout meals and most importantly in my opinion being yourself. Often times we follow diet trends workout patterns and even start to take the same supplements as our favorites in the bodybuilding industry, friends at the gym, etc. which can be fine I guess if it yields successful results but the article in Muscle and fitness mag stated that this info can be helpful but it shouldnt be copied and also it stressed the importance of creating your own diet. And its so funny to me because when I read the article I had a buddy of mine the night before tell me that he couldn’t afford this supplement and that supplement, and his diet was crazy in my opinion but I was thinking as he was telling me this that he lost the one true component in this whole body transformation and that was being himself. I say that because it seemed as if he was following the strategies and techniques of others in the industry that werent novices by any means to the point that he began to view himself as being subliminal to pro bodybuilders and I kept thinking that this is a recipe for failure.
Now some may agree with me and some may not because i’m not a pro at this thing but I do know that through doing research and even looking at alot of the profiles on bb.com that many of the competitors have trained for yrs in their craft, have played sports in the past and some just have great genes in order to become the pros that they are. And also with that said you have some people like me that weren’t so very active when there metabolism slowed down or either you never played a sport whatever the case may be they had to start from ground zero to build up to the level that they are currently at when it comes to their fitness goals.
When it all boils down to it weightloss and bodybuilding takes hard work in and out of the gym I know the importance of eating at least 6x to 8x a day and I also know that its not something that you can just throw in a blender and voila im a bodybuilder! it takes preparing those meals when you dont feel like it pushing yourself to the gym when your hurting and feeling bloated from all of the whey its constant and its something I think you have to pace yourself for. I’ve had friends that put themselves on these crash diets for 13 weeks and they become psychos because there too scared to eat a piece of wheat bread and shun at the fact that I drank a glass of orange juice before bed and at the end of their diet they still end up with the same results as me. I am approaching my one yr anniversary for my transformation and I will say I tried the crash diet and it failed badly for me because it wasnt something I could stay consistent with and plus after the "diet" was over I gained more weight that’s why this yr I said im not going to listen to just the one’s that were genetically inclined with these bodies but to the individuals who were once fat like myself and fell of the wagon a few times but eventually got it completely together and most importantly I decided to listen to my own body. If I want a candybar im gonna eat it because if I dont I know that im gonna eat around and nibble more for trash then just eating the chocolate and I do it in moderation and I set small goals for myself that way I dont get to bombarded with my progress. I never wanted to be a bodybuilder persay but my goal has been to be healthy and now that I am healthier I may want to get on stage one day but I recognize and have a great respect for bodybuilders because its not an overnight process some of these guys have taken yrs to bulk and gain mass but it bothers me when novices think that they are bodybuilders because they take the same supplements as them. Its just like saying im on the same level as Michael Jordan because I bought some J’s or (Jordans) from foot locker it takes time to cultivate talent and even the best have bad days not because their lazy or tired but because their human. I know im not the best at this because im still new to this journey but I do know that its imporatant to be yourself in your transformation!
May 16, 2009 at 2:22 pm
There are legions of marketers out there right now thinking of how to get this post removed. Of COURSE theuy want everyone to think like you describe your friend. If you pay attention to the pros, however, they do exactly what you describe. They custom tailor every aspect of training to THEM. Many have studied their bodies and the result of various exercise routines and nutrition plans in detail for years! So I would say that it is OK to copy the approach of a professional - this will NOT result in you lifting Jay Cutler’s weights or eating his calories - you would lift your weights and your calories knowing exactly why you are doing it and what yuou expect to see as a result. GREAT post!
May 18, 2009 at 10:36 am
Thanks bro, and thanks again for reading my blog!
May 18, 2009 at 10:45 am
That’s so true. In fact I talk to people all of the time that try and try all of these other people’s strategies, not that they’re bad strategies but maybe it’s not what that person really needs. And then they get so caught up in wanting to look like a specific person when what they really should be doing is wanting to be their own person, and crafting their own style. When I forst started training, I wanted my legs to be smaller, mainly my thighs, but my legs just seemed to be big. So I said the hell with it. If I’m going to have big legs, then they’re going to be big with muscles. I realized I wouldn’t be that small small girl that I USED to want to be and that my legs had more build to them. Now I embrace my legs and am happy for all the muscle that they hold.
May 18, 2009 at 10:52 am
Great post bro! I wholeheartedly agree. I have always thought it best to do what works for you. You can take other people’s routines/diets as guidelines but everyone is different in at least small ways. I think it also goes back to "listening" to your body and being paitent. Awesome post man!