BODYBUILDING & LIFE, MY BALANCING ACT. . .
I guess it’s safe to say that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade right? Well, what about when bodybuilding BECOMES your life? Speaking from my own experiences thus far, as I have gotten deeper and deeper into this phenomenal building lifestyle, I have begun to crave it. Bodybuilding is at the forefront of my brain each and every day and night and is a huge part of my being. It keeps me sane. It is such a driving force in my mind. My weekends don’t start until I have hit the gym and my weekdays do not end until I have hit the gym. It’s just a given that I am going to the gym. Well, sometimes, life has a way of creeping in and causing a disturbance, especially when the gym becomes your “significant other”. Then, my friend, things can get pretty hairy. For those who don’t seem to understand the bodybuilder’s mindset, I’m sure it can be pretty frustrating. People see you as this one track, single-minded person whose is shallow, extremely vane and whose only focus is “self”. However, in order to be dedicated to your bodybuilding passion, or any passion, you have to portray some of those beliefs in order to accomplish your goals. Negatives can break you if you give into them, so you don’t because . . . well, that’s just the way you’re wired.
You actually need to have someone in your life with the same concept of training in order to ensure cohesiveness, because as you build, you find similar attractions to physiques who build as well. The mind seems to gravitate toward what’s attractive to the naked eye and if bodybuilding is your world, then you want that world to be filled with like-minded people who can live in your world because they truly understand it.
What about when life throws you a curve ball and all hell breaks loose? For some, it would put the brakes on progress and place the focus on the problems. It would be understandable to feel helpless and fearful in the beginning, and would be even more expected to want to climb into a shell and hide, while burying all of that discomfort in hopes of it passing. But bodybuilding is not just a mechanism for developing muscles it is also a great teacher for developing strength through adversity. You train your body, but you also train your mind; therefore, the deeper the pain, the harder you train. In doing so, you not only work through some of the curves thrown at you, but you also start to see the fruits of your labor because of it. There is absolutely no motivation to push for a great workout when discomfort in life has come to your door. However, the key is breaking through the clouds and remembering the ultimate goal and how it feels when you move toward it.
November 2, 2009 at 11:02 am
excellent blog! Well written and I agree with everything you said. I hope life’s current adversities will end up being HUGE gains in the gym. Channel the stress and BUILD the mass!
You rock!!
November 10, 2009 at 3:19 pm
I can’t agree with you more. You already know what the gym has been for me. I could never put my finger on it, but maybe what you blogged about is it–the pain. I’m sick like that (lol). Yes, there are days when I really don’t want to go for whatever reason. There are days when my whole body feels like lead or a piece of battered meat. But something about pushing through those days when I really make some progress mentally and physically. Kinda like that one exercise or machine everyone has that they hate doing b/c it’s so hard. While I hate it, I am determined to conquer it. If I can only do 1 rep, then I push for 2. Eventually, I push for 3, and so on. I think it takes a certain type of person to want to take the gym experience to another level. As far as builders being vain and looking in the mirror, mirrors aren’t in the gym for decor. I like to look myself in the eye while I’m working out. Motivates me to push myself. Weird, but true.
I will admit, when major adversity TKO’s me from time to time, I’m the type to lay on my back for a minute waiting for the stars to clear. But I eventually get up and press the "play" button and resume with life. The gym has been helping me through this rough time just like you said it would. I’ve learned things about my mind and my body and I don’t think I would learn doing other things. Luckily, my boyfriend is very supportive of my commitment to fitness. He’s seen how it’s helped me emotionally mainly. AnyWHO–great blog!
November 11, 2009 at 9:14 pm
my sentiments exactly. sometimes i find myself waiting to see what i can do to workout when im not in the gym.i think the word or definition for one would be called a gym rat whatever it is i love it!!!