Bodybuilding means many things to different people, and the goals of those who participate in this activity and call themselves bodybuilders vary tremendously. You may merely want to build a stronger and more defined body so that you can look good at the beach, or you may take great satisfaction in what you’ve achieved and see no reason to flaunt it every chance you get. Or, you could be someone who is interested in this thing we do as a competitive sport and wants to or has already competed against others under the lights on a bodybuilding stage.
If you fall into the latter category, I applaud you for putting yourself through the rigors of a true bodybuilding competition prep, and chances are you can relate to one or more of the following struggles that are commonly associated with going through one of the most difficult processes one can go through for a sporting event. Competitive bodybuilding is not for everyone, and if it’s something you’re thinking about doing for the first time, here’s a list (in no particular order) of everything you can anticipate to go through during your prep and up until the day of the show.
Counting hours Until the Next Meal
Once you’ve established your diet, you’ll notice that you appear to be eating a lot and frequently because you are. Your appetite may not be as strong as it once was, and your metabolism may still be ramping up. After a few weeks of planning and your body begins to adapt to the food and frequency of your meals, you’ll find yourself wanting to eat more frequently and counting down the minutes until your next meal. Deep into the preparation, you’ll begin to feel as if time is not on your side, and the minutes will seem like hours, and you’d give anything to be able to speed up time.
Insane Bodybuilding Hunger
The extreme hunger that you will experience will be at times terrible, which is strongly tied to the initial struggle. You will practically devour your dinner and then be hungry 10 minutes later. This is due to your higher metabolism, decreased caloric intake, and greater caloric output as a result of your overall exercise. The only method to deal with this is to drink enough of fluids and distract yourself from food, which will be difficult. If you want to try and avoid hunger, then you can eat enough that you feel full well before your workout. You will be very tired after exercise. It is not unusual to be so tired that you cannot function for hours afterward.
No Pump after Working Out
The pump you get from churning out set after set and rep after rep is one of the most euphoric emotions in the gym; when your muscles are fully engorged with blood and you feel larger than life, everything just gets that much better. During prep, though, the pumps begin to fade rapidly, to the point where it can feel as if you don’t really have muscles and are just going through the motions. This is a full mental breakdown and also quite demoralizing. All you can do here is remember that the end result is all that matters and that everything else is just part of the process.
Trouble Sleeping after Workouts
Because everything is so heightened during competition preparation, with all aspects contributing to your final objective being exceedingly exact, disciplined, and brutally taxing, you’d think sleeping would be easy; it’s not. Keeping yourself pumped up during the day to exercise and perform cardio has a long-lasting effect at the end of the day, and getting yourself to quiet down and relax can be difficult. As crucial as sleep is for recuperation, most people will struggle to obtain enough sleep at night and will have to settle for a few hours here and there. If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night, you might as well put your time to good use and go online to Heyday Footwear and order yourself a pair of the new Mission Trainer Warhawk that just dropped; you won’t be disappointed!
Will You be Ready for Bodybuilding Competitions?
The final issue is the internal fight of worrying if you’ll be 100% ready for game day and how you’ll compare to your fellow rivals. You may actually drive yourself mad thinking about it, and a lot of second-guessing yourself can come in. You must try your best to ignore it, stick to your game plan, surround yourself with positive people, resist temptation to cheat on your diet, and stay the course. Trust those who are directing your path. Trust yourself if you’re doing it yourself. A successful preparation is one in which you do better than the last time you participated, and where you place is determined by the judges. You’ve done everything you can if you do that.
Competitive bodybuilding isn’t for everyone, and finishing a prep requires a lot of mental and physical strength. Let me be the first to congratulate you if you make it to the stages of a bodybuilding event. Everyone would be flexing under the lights if it were easy, but it isn’t. If you’ve suffered with anything I’ve said above, you’re not alone, and despite the difficulties, it’s always worth it in the end.
Conclusion
The struggles we’ve listed above are only 5 of the many struggles of being a bodybuilder. There are a lot more, just in case you are an aspiring bodybuilder. But don’t let the struggles hold you back, all of them will only come to pass. The struggle is always a part of getting better and stronger. In the world of bodybuilding, each individual goes through many struggles, and as a result, each individual is stronger. Some of the other struggles that bodybuilders go through often include having a difficult time in the gym and getting a hard time from the public. One of the struggles that often come along with being a bodybuilder is having a tough time in the gym. It is not uncommon for people to question why you are doing what you are doing, especially when your gains aren’t coming as fast as they would like them to.
The training that you put yourself through is grueling and the sacrifices you make are many. Some people choose to simply not make the sacrifices that a bodybuilder makes, which is why some people might feel less than a bodybuilder. The struggles of being a bodybuilder are long, tough, and rough but they do come with an end result. So if you feel like quitting because of one struggle, remember that you CAN make it through. The one thing that people don’t realize is it doesn’t end with the bodybuilding competition. After the show, there are years of hard work and dedication to put into your physique so if you haven’t been very disciplined in your training up until now then try getting started somewhere!
