Posts Tagged ‘motivation’

Last Place: Best of the Midwest thoughts

Written by Josh on October 17th, 2010

I think I’m being honest here when I say I would probably have the same feelings right now that I would if I would’ve received 1st place. The thing is – you do this sport for you and yourself and that’s it. So by the time I had arrived at the contest, I’d already judged myself.

I know I’m not at my full potential – I have a lot to work on, and a lot to improve on. If you ask me, that’s a good thing. If I had come in thinking I was at the best I could be and then received last place – I might have different feelings.

So the feelings I have right now are relieved and hungry. I won’t be doing another bodybuilding show for a long time. I’d like to not do one again until I’m 30 – 4 years away. I’d like to really take some time and build my body; and I’m excited to do that. I’m ready to hit the gym as hard as I can, get my diet right, stay lean, and see what I can really accomplish.

The next time I hit the stage I want to be at my best. The next time I hit the stage I want my body to look different, I want to be big, I want to be lean. I want to be a champion. The next time I hit the stage I want there to be no question about who gets 1st place. I want there to be no doubt in anybody’s mind.

I’m tired of getting last place. I’m sick and tired of it… and it’s either now or never that I do this right. It’s all or nothing at this point — and I’m going for it.

So I’m putting yesterday behind me. It was the last contest of my beginner phase; and my new journey begins today.

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I’m Alive!

Written by Josh on December 22nd, 2009

As Zack said in the first post, we’ve been lifting together for 4 years. But, just to clarify, that’s not how long we’ve both been lifting. I started lifting seriously at least 1 year before Zack and I started lifting together. And I know Zack had lifted seriously at least 2-4 years before that.

After you’ve done anything for 4+ years it becomes harder to keep your drive. It’s harder to keep your hunger. I first started lifting, seriously and consistently, in August of 2004 at the college weight room where I worked. When I first started lifting I was out of control – wild with motivation, wild with Monster Energy drink, wild with my lifting form. But my numbers came up drastically, what seemed like every week. I was certainly naive about a lot of things, which was a good thing at the time – because it let me just enjoy lifting and get stronger and watch my body grow.

Fast forward 4+ years later. I’ve competed in around 10 contests including both bodybuilding and powerlifting. It’s down to a science now – we’re not naive anymore. We know the proper form. We know what it takes to compete. We know what our bodies are capable of. We follow a program, we do the lifts, routine, routine, routine.

Another thing that’s happened is our gym has stripped away all the life from it. Any member that enjoyed real lifting the management either kicked out or forced to leave in an effort to make other people not feel intimidated. I won’t rant in this post, but this is just a fact of what happened. The gym was left bland and with no one to really motivate you.

Sometime over the years of doing the lifting routine in a gym that has no life, I’ve lost my drive. It becomes boring. I need to get back the wild energy I had 4 years ago. I need to get back that excitement of hitting new numbers and pushing my body beyond what it’s capable of. I might let out a grunt and I might even yell. But I’m ready to start letting loose in the gym. I’m ready to pump my fist in the air and attack the weights.

I’m Alive!

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