SO....YOU'VE DECIDED TO ENTER A BODYBUILDING COMPETITION

by SCOTT GOBLE

You’ve been training for a few years and, if you’re honest with yourself, you’ve had the idea bouncing around in the back of your head for a while now… you just didn’t think you were ‘ready’.

Now the time has come - you’ve picked a date and mentally committed. The moment is coming for you to get onstage for the very first time and compete. What can you expect from this experience?

 

At the top of the list you will find sacrifice, dedication, tiredness, frustration, fulfillment, anxiety and elation. And at the very end, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment that will have you coming back for more. You can expect every rep, of every set, of every workout to have more purpose. You can expect those around you to react with curiosity, admiration and complete bewilderment at what you are subjecting yourself to.

This experience will be an exercise in time management.

Scott Goble Bodybuilding
Scott Goble poses on stage

Never before will you have committed so many hours to the gym, food preparation and posing practice. Despite your best efforts, you can be assured life in general will be no less demanding. Work, family and all your obligations that come with those things will still be there throughout the duration of this preparation phase… and hopefully they’ll still be there at the end!

You can expect to be tested multiple times. Inevitably the diet and training will wear you down. The fatigue and hunger will cause voices in your head to scream ‘rest, stay in bed, you need the extra food.’ It will be a mental battle to overcome these voices on a daily basis. I can guarantee there will be an obstacle at some point.

There is no such thing as a perfect contest prep.

Circumstances will change - you will get sick, or perhaps sustain an injury. Work will throw an unexpected interstate trip at you. How you handle these obstacles will not only determine your success, but whether or not you will even make it to the stage. Many people don’t make it so, if you do, you beat every single person that pulled out. Of course it would be nice to win your first competitive outing, but that shouldn’t be the goal. Your goal should be survival. Your goal should be to make it to competition day knowing you gave it your best shot. Your goal is to look the best you have ever looked. If you can do that, then you will be walking off stage with an indescribable sensation of relief, elation and empowerment. You will have discovered a mental and physical toughness you didn’t know you had. Quite simply you’ll be a better person for the experience.

 

Scott Goble Sting Sports SEE THE STING SPORTS WEIGHT TRAINING RANGE

Scott Goble is a 4 x Mr Australia and 6 x Mr Victoria. Scott continues to train and is a Bodybuilding Coach and mentor. You can follow him here.

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