On my website my motivating quote is, “You can look good at any age….but you got to want it!” Funny, how this idea that having something requires more than wishful thinking. I’ve put forward the idea that the first thing you have to do before you begin this journey in bodybuilding is to gather a gigantic stock pile of “want to” or you will not even start.
Once again, one of my favorite quotes comes from Hall of Fame College Coach, Bear Bryant from the University of Alabama when he said, “Winning!?, Hell, everybody wants to win, but victory belongs to him that prepares to win.” No matter how you try to play the game or why you play the game, it all comes down to you/me and how badly we want to win. There is no substitute for this seemingly mystical and intangible quality of “want to, that is bolstered by desire and preparation.”
Next up after deciding that bodybuilding and the journey is yours to travel is goal setting and planning. This exercise must take place daily until it becomes ingrained into the person and character that is required. Bodybuilding is tough but so is anything else we set out to attain. Whether it’s a spiritual journey that requires tons of time hearing, studying, memorizing, meditating on the things that will make us better. Other challenges might be our careers, or child rearing, or academics. The exact challenge is irrelevant. What’s essential is that the process begins with “want to!” It ends only when we reach our stated or understood goal.
The gym is our crucible that we use to perfect our craft. It teaches us the subtleties that make us better at what we do. Preparation is essential on the heels of “want to” is the only one-two-punch that is required. If there is a better formula that disallows cutting corners then please put it forward or all of us to see and ponder.
Never look back. I remember a story about the great miler Glenn Cunningham whose legs were burned so severely in a freak accident starting a wood stove as a kid that the doctors said he would never walk again. As soon as he could be on his feet after the accident he began to run everywhere he went. Living in the country he covered dozens of miles sometimes in a day going from place to place. When he was just a freshman he discovered the track team working out. He took off as a heat started up around the track. He had heavy boots on and he ran on the outside of the track on the grass just to see if he could keep up. He won by a quarter track. He made the track team. His coach told him to never look back during a race because that is precisely when his opponent would pass him. Years later when he was running in the Olympics against the world renowned miler Roger Banister it began to rain. During the race Glenn could feel the splashing of the water from the track on his legs. He feared Banister was about to pass him but he dared not look back. Instead he poured it on and killed Banister in the mile. All because he was told that looking back would allow his opponent to pass him. Fear of being overtaken should drive us all to do better, never look back and win.
Bottom line: Sometimes we don’t really know how bad we want something until we are faced with the challenge in front of us. It is here that our “want to” merges with our discipline to “never look back.” Create the “want to” because nobody can do it for you.
Six Pack and Senior 