With three weeks to go until I hit the stage at the NPC Nationals Bodybuilding Championships in Pittsburgh, PA there are so many competing variables that demand attention. Each has it’s own set of things that seem to steal time and energy that deters my best work away from the challenge at hand. Managing these items is a full-time job and it takes tons of concentration to stay on track at a highly motivated level. There a few distractions that need to be discussed and put before you for your analysis so that you can learn to be consummate professional in your quest for world class performance and accomplishment.
Effort:
Under no circumstances will I lower my level of effort in any area as I prepare. This is more than a credo. It is a commitment of my heart to put out whatever energy that is required to prepare to win. If it means getting up earlier to be sure I get to the gym then I do it. If it means staying longer in the gym to insert more training then I do it. if it means turning down food that will add unwanted pounds to my frame, then I turn the food down. Whatever is required —- I must do it.
CONFESSION: My hardest item to control and to adhere to is cardio. I am assigned 2 hours per day of cardio and it seems like the more I do it the more interruptions I encounter. I am averaging 1.5 hours of cardio today but I am getting it done in 30 minute increments. So, each morning my anxiety is to get my 2 hours of cardio done and I perseverate on the cardio task at hand for that day.
Trust:
Each time I go down this path it’s as though I have never done this before. Each trek has it’s own set of difficulties, it’s own direction, it’s own end point along with a multitude of distractions and tributaries. These things keep me from becoming too complacent with the process. I have to “trust” the process and keep my eyes on the road ahead and goal that is chosen. It’s very hard to keep your eyes on the prize and believe with all your heart that the tools you have and plan to win are perfectly in place for you. No matter what, my coach, Justin Dees has designed a plan and has invested in our relationship such that losing will be an anomaly. The process Justin has implemented with me is so good and I’ve made such great gains that I now possess a proverbial “chip on my shoulder” as I approach this competition. This is my time!
Distractions:
Focus: This is a huge distraction. Unless I decide that my goal is worth my effort and that I want it more than anything else in the world, I will not get there. Having a healthy thought life is the bedrock of my success. I have to know my goal better than my own life. I’ve got to place it’s accomplishment at the very center of my being. Nothing else matters!
Food: No matter where you go, food is at the center of nearly all social activities. I love food and I would eat it all if I were allowed (or nobody was looking). To make food a non-player in the distraction category, I must have a plan to eat “MY WAY” or the best way or I will not develop “the look” that is required to compete in bodybuilding. Food is important but it also can be a stumbling block to success —- so plan!
Sleep: I am a chronic insomniac. I sleep less than 3-5 hours per night and that is on a good night. The consequent of being an under sleeper is daytime fatigue, mental sluggishness, and also physical exhaustion that directly impacts the intensity and quality of my training. This state of tiredness is way too hard to carry for very long. My training will not improve unless I can master my sleep. A little hint is that I take something to sleep that is natural (Melatonin, or Benadryl) and thus sleep ensues. Sometimes, my nightly sleep goes to around 7 hours, which is my optimal number of hours of sleep. As my sleep goes up, my training intensity and quality goes up proportionally.
I could go on with distractions but I won’t. We only have to focus on our goal, put in the effort, and trust the process to get me there. This is the path and these are the distractions that keep us from getting the goal.
This “IS OUR TIME” and we dare not squander the opportunities that are presented to us.
Until next time, Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM
Six Pack and Senior 