You know why I hate Jersey Shore? They make it seem like you can just juice up and be Mr. Olympia. So this week, I would like to cover the topic of the "Magic Bodybuilding Pill". It isn't any anabolic steroid and it sure as hell isn't any fat burner. The Magic Bodybuilding Pill does not exist; it is really a Magic Bodybuilding Mentality. Big surprise eh? The magic to bodybuilding or the gateway to success lies in two mental attributes that go hand in hand; two things that you can't buy off the street or over the counter; it is hard work and will power. Corny, isn't it? Yeah, it is; but it's true. I'm going to outline why working hard and having iron like will power are the single most important things that a bodybuilder can practice to ensure their success.
First off, hard work will get you the results you need if you apply it to your diet and your training. If you take the time to do the research yourself and immerse yourself in bodybuilding, you will reap the benefits of all that education. You will be able to formulate the most effective diet and training plan for yourself; that knowledge stays with you for life. Furthermore, attaining all that knowledge will help you make spur of the moment adjustments in your diet when things aren't working out just as planned. For instance, have you ever had your chicken go bad in your trunk? Well, I have and I went to the local grocery store and picked up the appropriate amount of protein in tuna and substituted that. If you aren't putting the hard work in when it comes to the knowledge end of things, you won't truly know what you are doing. Go read some journal articles!
Secondly, hard work and will power will keep you honest. Every single time you walk through the archways of your local gym, tell yourself you are going to work as hard as you can. When you start working out and you are going through the motions of your workout, ask yourself if you are really working hard. Don't settle for second rate, sluggishness, champions are cast from the results of hard work. Look at Branch Warren, he is not the most gifted man genetically, but he has worked hard, day in and day out, and has the Arnold trophy to show for it. Every single time you feel yourself not working hard, remember that the only way to be a champion is to work hard. George Chuvalo said it best, "Hard work pays off".
Thirdly, will power is the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning and onto your treadmill. You all know how hard it can be to get out of bed in the morning and do morning cardio. As long as you recognize that you make your will strong through your decisions, you will be able to will yourself out of bed. Just remember that it is always your decision, will power helps you make the right decision. Will power is so important because it is a precursor to being able to work hard. When you get on that treadmill in the morning, you know you have to work hard; if you had never used your will power to get out of bed and onto the treadmill, you would have never even had to opportunity to put some hard work in.
There are a lot of people out there that think that there is a magic pill to bodybuilding, fitness and figure. There isn't. In fact, if you think there is, you probably shouldn't be picking up a pair of posing trunks anytime soon. Bodybuilding is one of the hardest sports in the world because of all the will power and hard work that is involved getting to the stage. All of you readers know what I am talking about, the nights of cooking, the mornings on the treadmill, the days of work at your job, the evenings at the gym; over and over again until contest day – sometimes for 6 months at a time. It isn't hard to see that if you aren't willing to put in the hard work and the will power, you will not succeed in bodybuilding; not even at a local show.
Back in my day (I'm sounding like an old man here), a lot of people understood how much hard work and will power it took to get to the top ranks of bodybuilding. Many of us understood that it was all about putting in the time and effort. There wasn't a mentality of entitlement or that you just take a pill and then you don't have to work. Don't get me wrong, there were companies selling that kind of stuff, but the clear majority of people understood that you did have to work hard and use your will power to get an Arnold like physique. Obviously, supplements do have their place, but they don't make up for sloth. People understood that you couldn't go out every night, drink and party and then expect to be a true competitor.
In summation, there are a few bodybuilders out there that really put the hard work in. You know who they are, they have reputations for it. Two that come to mind are Branch Warren and Layne Norton. Each have done nothing but work hard throughout their bodybuilding careers and have reaped the rewards. It doesn't just stop at bodybuilding, hard work and will power will get you through school, a career, a marathon and almost any other obstacle that might come at you. If you truly want to be a bodybuilder, don't be a Jersey Shore bodybuilder who half asses everything. Work hard and use your will power to create a physique that will crush your competition on stage.
All articles by Greg Kovacs have been edited by Jeff Pearce since April 2011. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions e-mail him at [email protected] .
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