What Does It Mean To Win?
What does it mean to win?
BY SUZANNE GERMANO
We all want to win, to place first but is that really what is means to win? To have a subjective judge tell you whether you prep was a success or failure?
If coming in first is the only way you will view your prep as a success then more times than not you will be disappointed. You can’t determine what the judges will like that day and you can’t determine who will be standing on stage next you. I had a friend on stage with 54 other girls in her class at jr nats one year if coming in first is the only thing that doesn’t suck then 54 of them failed.
I see people post in others journals when they aren’t first “You will do better next time” why dismiss the success they made by saying winning is the only thing that matters?
If you come in with a better look then your previous show.
If you made improvements you wanted. More muscle. Tighter conditioning. Better symmetry.
If you gave it your all. If you NEVER cheated on your diet. NEVER missed a cardio. NEVER missed a workout. IF you gave it all you had each and ever time.
Then you have won and the trophy, if you get one, is icing.
With this mindset you can be a success regardless of the subjectiveness of this sport and enjoy it so much more.
I see so many people stressing in their journals and not enjoying the process and the journey. I see people not enjoying life and avoiding friends and family just because food is around. What does it mean to win a trophy if your life has been miserable for 12, 16 or more weeks?
Believe me I am competitive. I thrive of beating the person next to me in the gym. I WANT to win but I can’t control judges or what type of physique is next to me on stage. I have came in first and won an overall and was miserable the entire prep worried if I would be good enough. Was it worth it? No.
My prep for Nationals was the hardest one ever I made no changes in weight, pictures or measurements for the first 6 weeks. But I stuck with it, I never cheated, I pushed to complete workouts when I was tired. I placed 10th of 12 ;yet I am more proud of that accomplishment of pushing thru and not giving up.
Now my current prep; the most I have ever had to drop about 30lbs. I have never dropped more than 12 in a prep. I have really just let go and enjoyed it. I have complete faith in Jeremy and I know I will be my best ever. Will it be good enough for first maybe, maybe not but I have won because I did make the improvements I wanted, I put on the muscle I need to balance my physique. Taking this mindset the cardio does not bother me. I have had zero problems with diet including going out with friends and family and enjoying time with them while they eat my favorite foods. I haven’t missed a second of cardio or a workout. Do I have hard days – sure as hell do! I have had cardio sessions where I was lightheaded and dizzy, I have had workouts that I felt extremely weak but I pushed through. I know that the reps that are the hardest where you feel you can’t move it are the ones that count. We have discovered things about how my body works and I totally look at the scale as a mere indicator of what is happening but I don’t base my mood on what it is doing.
I can look back on this prep with no regrets.
I am thoroughly enjoying this prep and am a winner regardless of my placing!
May 1, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Thanks for posting this. It was so inspirational.
May 4, 2009 at 7:56 pm
You are so inspiring! Not one complaint and proud the whole trip through! Thank you for sharing and inspiring us all!
May 5, 2009 at 9:17 am
Damn good post.Alot of people talk about winning and like you pointed out they forget about the persnol journey. If you give it all you have and know in your heart that you left it all on the gym floor or in the arena then thats all you can ask for. We dont like to lose but you can accept it if you know you improved. Carl
May 5, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Thanks for posting this - needs to be a "stickie"
May 9, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Thank you for keeping things in perspective. I hope it inspires many more folks to adopt it!
May 14, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Anyone person’s greatest competition should come from themself. The innate desire to excel, to continually improve, should be the driver behind establishing concrete and realistic goals. To toil away in mediocrity, is to establish one’s placing as potentially moot, regardless of whether or not it might be a subjectively decided first place finish. To successfully complete realistic, yet challenging goals, is to finish number one, regardless of whether or not a subjective first place trophy was obtained.
May 16, 2009 at 8:41 am
Your placing will NEVER define you… Your efforts, hard work and dedication define you more than a trophy ever will, and it’s the journey, the path you chose to follow that makes us who we are.
Be proud because you have succeeded far beyond your dreams and you still have a whole lifetime left to achieve and experience more. You are a stellar competitor-
May 20, 2009 at 5:53 am
Nice blog. Definitely a better mindset to have with regards to training and contest prep. Keep it up.
May 24, 2009 at 1:30 am
Great blog…I already feel much like a winner and I’m no where near stage ready ;op
I gotta really take some advice about the scale though…I usually let it dictate my mood…when I check it…6 times a day! lol
Thanks for posting…and being an inspiration!
June 10, 2009 at 7:49 am
Excellent mindset and an excellent blog!
August 26, 2009 at 8:55 pm
ditto.