Every week I have to find a story or some piece of, hopefully, juicy gossip that you all will enjoy. Often I hear a lot of negative stories that have potential to be huge, and I have to consider if it’s something I want to run. Even more often, I have a story that just isn’t positive. This week, I wanted to do something solely and unflinchingly uplifting. Something that could actually help people. In the world of bodybuilding, as with just about anything or anyone these days, that’s hard to find. This week I found the story I was looking for in Oscar Ardon. In case you aren’t familiar with Oscar, he is best known for training, coaching, mentoring, and befriending Kai Greene. Oscar works with many bodybuilders, from the local NPC level bodybuilders straight up to elite top 6 Olympians. When I think about combining the words, positive and bodybuilding together, I think Oscar Ardon.
If you know Oscar, you know he is famous for his text messaging. He uses the text message like an email. They are well thought out, contain feelings, emotions, ideas, and are generally lengthy. If you have been lucky enough to receive one (or really many since no single text message can fit into just one page) then you know exactly what I am talking about! Last night we did an interview of sorts via text message. It started out by use discussing the importance of one’s mindset when it comes to bodybuilding. What he told me started out about bodybuilding, but ended up really applying to life as well.
Oscar: The Mindset, motivation, and 100% tunnel vision is where I excel. I think it's the single most important factor for a bodybuilder. It’s not the drugs, the diet, the training system, but it's the mental aspect. That’s true for not just bodybuilding, but for sports in general. I’ve been studying this aspect of the sport for over 20 years and have read dozens of books and many scientific and psychological medical journals. I know with the proper mindset, new thought patterns, and mental training techniques that I have learned, practiced and developed, a man can become whatever he wishes to be. I don’t want to sound esoteric or dwell into metaphysics, but I strongly feel that a man can become what he thinks about.
A bodybuilder has to get his mind on the right way of thinking, and have that crystal clear tunnel vision 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is what differentiates me for any other contest prep coaches, or “gurus”. I put equal emphasis in developing the mindset as I do on nutrition, training, or anything else. Look at people like Tiger Woods, Arnold, Bruce Lee, Michael Jordan, or Michael Phelps. What did they all have in common? They had amazing mindsets and incredible belief in themselves!!! Did they have access to different food, gyms, drugs or anything else than their competitors? No! What made them great was their MINDS!
Look at you, Aaron. Look what happened when you changed your thinking, wrote down your goals, left your old life behind, and put all of your energy into getting into the sport of bodybuilding! You didn’t know HOW it was going to happen, you just KNEW that you wanted to do this. Back then you didn't know the HOW, but you kept all your thoughts on making it. Soon you attracted one opportunity that turned into another, that led into another, that lead you here. Yes, your hard work assisted your thoughts, but it was your MIND and thoughts that were the action behind that work that got you here. If you had given into doubt and fear that maybe you wouldn’t make it... If you had thought negatively, you would not be here now. What worked for you, can, and would work for anyone who wants passionately to do anything. Our minds and our thoughts are powerful. Once we realize how transformative they are, we can harness their power.
I asked Oscar was Kai Greene an example of this philosophy in action...
Oscar: By changing Kai’s thinking he went from placing fourteenth at the 2006 Colorado Pro and not placing at the New York Pro, to winning the Colorado Pro, getting a magazine deal, and a supplement deal the following year. That same year he also moved from a room that he shared with others, to his first apartment. But what people don’t realize is that before all that happened to Kai, we wrote it all down, we visualized it, and we were precise in our visions. I truly believe that man becomes what he thinks about all day long.
Oscar made reference to my past, and how my thoughts created my future. I totally agree with that, and I think that anyone reading this can take away something from what Oscar wrote me. The power of the mind is an incredible thing. Use it to create a better, happier, future for yourself.
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