“The Trophy is Earned in the Hours That No One is Watching”—Flex Lewis

Back Lat Spread

Front lat spread backyard 2 days post contest. 23 June 2014

It’s very gratifying to be motivated by an audience.  In fact all of us loves to be pushed by the friendly encouragement of people around us.   We long to hear the loud admonition of our training partners to do “one more rep.” We have tons of energy when the spotlight is on us to perform.  When the whole world is pulling for us to go higher, go faster, and do it now we respond like champs.

But, those of us who know something about competing and winning it should be noted that the majority of the work occurs when there are no lights, no friends, no vibrant choruses of encouragement—–in short—-“When No One is Watching.”

We have to decide that the Trophy we seek is worth it.  Then, we devise a training regimen, diet, supplementation course, and amount of cardio, and posing to win!  Each of these is rarely, if ever done in the presence of another person.  Each sequence is placed into a time frame and sequence that optimizes the training.  Often, a bodybuilder will have to get out of bed super early and get himself to the gym to train. Sometimes he/she gets up early to do cardio and to eat.  These early morning forays usually come before work.  There is no time to accomplish anything else but the training scheduled for that day.  After work, the work continues.  All this effort is driven by the individual with an internal clock attached to a lions heart.  Nobody pushes the bodybuilder during these times.  There is only the athlete against himself and the world with an eye toward the much sought after trophy.

The point to this entire discussion is that the place to win is alone.  The road to winning is not well lit and the journey is alone and out of the public eye.  Nothing is free or guaranteed but the work must be done in a manner that says, “I can and I will win!”  The Trophy is mine even as I work.

Be diligent.  Be determined. Be tough. Be focused. Don’t talk during workouts.  Nobody works harder than me/you.  Decide that the Trophy is yours/mine even now.

Until next time!  This is our time!

Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM