The Competition Hype

I really need to talk and share my opinion about a topic that hasn't left my mind since some time...And I apologize in advance in case someone might feel a bit offended.

Let me start with a bit of history: the whole bodybuilding world rose with the birth of Eugene Sandow in 1867. When he came to America in 1890, he slowly developed and promoted the world of bodybuilding, so that the very first World Championships finally took place in 1891. Ever since then, over the decades , there have been some major bodybuilding role models such as John Grimek in the 40's , Steve Reeves in the 50's, Sergio Oliva in the 60's, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbo and Frank Zane in the 70's, Lee haneys in the 80's , Dorian Yates in the 90's, Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman in the 2000's and today Phil Heath and Kay Green.
 

There have been so many great and inspiring bodybuilders in all kinds off shapes ever since bodybuilding was invented. All these athletes have one thing in common:  They have to work hard for their physique. Even those who compete in Athletic, Physique, Bikini, Figure and Fitness class have to dedicate themselves in order to reach the physique they want. Back in the days the competition and fitness universe was only for those who lived this lifestyle to the fullest. I guess you could even say that bodybuilding was a world for itself. Many people didn't even know that such competitions actually exist and that there are so many different federations, classes and rules.

Somehow, these days, social media is strongly promoting bodybuilding and everything around it. Even though I am happy about it, because it seems to help fight prejudices, I also have to say that this caused a real explosion in the fitness and competition scene, which brings me to the reason of this post.

Everyone's got to start somewhere, that's for sure. I also started to hit the gym regularly only 2 years ago and started competing last autumn. But to be honest, to me it seems right now that everybody feels like they need to participate in the fitness movement in order to be in style. Even the ones that have only been visiting the gym once think that they have to become a total fitness freak, or at least make their Instagram look like they were one, and want to participate in competitions. You can actually compare this with the aerobic hype back in the 60's, when every housewife bought these super flashy sport suits and cuffs and started to do aerobics by hoping up and down the stepper. And in what way could it be different... they soon dedicated their time to other things again. 

And that's exactly what happens now in the competition scene.

I am not criticizing people that simply want to live healthier and do more sports, because that’s one of the bigger benefits this current movement brings with it. But what bugs me, is that nowadays everyone thinks he/she can participate in bodybuilding competitions, just because they have a slight idea of training routines.

I am not saying that I know everything about a competition preparation...I am far away from that to be honest and that's why I have a professional and experienced coach who prepares me.

Due to social media this entire competition world slowly became a huge thing and I am convinced that sooner or later 90% of the people that start competing now are going to give up, maybe even before the real season actually starts or, the latest, after their first competition season. 

And the main reason why so many people are likely to give up is because all those popular athletes only show that 'bright side' of the competition, which doesn't even exist. 

A preparation isn't easy, and if you feel like it’s easy, well then you’re probably doing something wrong. There are so many things and difficulties you have to face during and also after your preparations, which I have already talked about in a previous post (here) and only the dedicated can make it through this.

Competitions are simply not for everyone and it sets me up that there are so many people out there who literally drag contests through the mire and might confirm the prejudices people already have: If you don't get as lean and shaped as you want, then how about resorting for other measures instead of working the ass off and develop the body one step (or rep) at a time?

So before you decide to step on stage and start competing, think about what this means for you. Do you only want it to prove other people wrong? Do you want to do it for yourself? Do you want to compete against yourself or against others? Or do you only want the fame and fortune?
 

If you want it to compete against others, don't even start because that's not the point of such a competition. If you're just doing this to prove people wrong, maybe you should first work on your self-conscious because what other people think about you, shouldn't affect your actions. In case you’re doing it for the fame and fortune, well, there’s an infinite number of professional bodybuilders out there that are not even able to make a living out of their bodybuilding career, so you better quickly forget about that.

 

I wish you a great rest of the week.

Temptations are everywhere. FOCUS!

No cheats during your contest prep

while my boyfriend has sushi, I have cod and beans for dinner

my favorite pictures. The result of hard work and determination