A lot of bodybuilding, weight loss and fitness websites or blogs talk about exterior factors that influence changes to our body - diet, training, supplements, recovery and maybe even steroids. But the "secrets" that I'm going to explain below will not involve any training, dieting or supplementing. It's about the underlying reasons that make the real difference between a champion and a wannabe. They don't apply just to bodybuilders, but anyone who wants be the top dog of their sport.
Let's get on with the secrets.
#1 Consistency
This week - 6 meals everyday, 5 workouts per week. Next week, same. Following week, same. Next month, same. Next year, same. It might be easy to read the words, but following them is another thing. After months or even years have passed, the difference between the consistent trainer and inconsistent one will show, big time. Three-time Mr Olympia, Jay Cutler contributed his success to consistency, saying that not everybody should do it, not everybody could do it, but he does. And that's why he is Mr Olympia (as of now).
As for most of us, bodybuilding or training isn't our number one priority. We have our work, family or studies to take care of. Once one of these priorities needs attention, we skip meals and workouts and become inconsistent. Yet, there are ways to work around it. When I was working as a sales executive for a broadband company in Kuala Lumpur, I used to keep a tub of mass gainer and a shaker so I can use it to replace my meals if I have to rush to meet a customer, a bag with a change of clothes and a pair of shoes so I can go straight to the gym right after work.
#2 Pain Threshold
When do you stop during a set of exercise? When it starts to feel challenging? When the pain sets in? Or when every fibre in your target muscle has no more strength to twitch anymore? The ability to forgo comfort during those last reps in a set everytime you hit the gym will determine your progress in the long term. But everyone is scared of the pain, especially the gruel of squatting and the sense of helplessness when the weights are crushing your every joint and muscle. The secret is to convince yourself before a set, that the pain you'll feel is just temporary and it's a prerequisite to a better body. Feel the torture for an hour a day, and you'll appreciate the comfort you feel for the rest of the day. :)
#3 Resistance to Temptation
Unfortunately, to build a great body, the effort doesn't just stop in the gym. Almost 24/7 we must watch what we do, what we eat and how much we rest. And while doing that, we're tempted by many things around us, especially the strongest temptation of all... food! Well, here's the thing - no one is immune to temptations, but the one who can resist it the longest will benefit the most. So if you want to get that body of your dreams, it's eat clean and nutritious food, sleep early, train to your limit, repeat.
#4 Love What You're Doing
It's no secret, but an ignored fact that when one loves what he/she does, that person does it better than if he/she is forced to do so. So when you eat, sleep, train, try to always have some company with you (ok, maybe not always for the sleeping part). And joke lightly about what you're doing, be proud of the fact that you've made the decision to transform your body into something greater and wear appropriate clothes that will allow you to flaunt your hard work!
So you see, these secrets are not shortcuts to success. Instead, they are deep changes that one has to make in himself to morph his body into the body that he has hoped for. And yes, they apply to the ladies too.
Train hard!
Let's get on with the secrets.
#1 Consistency
This week - 6 meals everyday, 5 workouts per week. Next week, same. Following week, same. Next month, same. Next year, same. It might be easy to read the words, but following them is another thing. After months or even years have passed, the difference between the consistent trainer and inconsistent one will show, big time. Three-time Mr Olympia, Jay Cutler contributed his success to consistency, saying that not everybody should do it, not everybody could do it, but he does. And that's why he is Mr Olympia (as of now).
As for most of us, bodybuilding or training isn't our number one priority. We have our work, family or studies to take care of. Once one of these priorities needs attention, we skip meals and workouts and become inconsistent. Yet, there are ways to work around it. When I was working as a sales executive for a broadband company in Kuala Lumpur, I used to keep a tub of mass gainer and a shaker so I can use it to replace my meals if I have to rush to meet a customer, a bag with a change of clothes and a pair of shoes so I can go straight to the gym right after work.
#2 Pain Threshold
When do you stop during a set of exercise? When it starts to feel challenging? When the pain sets in? Or when every fibre in your target muscle has no more strength to twitch anymore? The ability to forgo comfort during those last reps in a set everytime you hit the gym will determine your progress in the long term. But everyone is scared of the pain, especially the gruel of squatting and the sense of helplessness when the weights are crushing your every joint and muscle. The secret is to convince yourself before a set, that the pain you'll feel is just temporary and it's a prerequisite to a better body. Feel the torture for an hour a day, and you'll appreciate the comfort you feel for the rest of the day. :)
#3 Resistance to Temptation
Unfortunately, to build a great body, the effort doesn't just stop in the gym. Almost 24/7 we must watch what we do, what we eat and how much we rest. And while doing that, we're tempted by many things around us, especially the strongest temptation of all... food! Well, here's the thing - no one is immune to temptations, but the one who can resist it the longest will benefit the most. So if you want to get that body of your dreams, it's eat clean and nutritious food, sleep early, train to your limit, repeat.
#4 Love What You're Doing
It's no secret, but an ignored fact that when one loves what he/she does, that person does it better than if he/she is forced to do so. So when you eat, sleep, train, try to always have some company with you (ok, maybe not always for the sleeping part). And joke lightly about what you're doing, be proud of the fact that you've made the decision to transform your body into something greater and wear appropriate clothes that will allow you to flaunt your hard work!
So you see, these secrets are not shortcuts to success. Instead, they are deep changes that one has to make in himself to morph his body into the body that he has hoped for. And yes, they apply to the ladies too.
Train hard!
