SHF response to G-S post...

[SUPERHVYFREAK]

Great post by the way. It actually got me thinking even more than usual. I have had a lot of the same feelings and dilemmas but I have also had the extreme joy and exhilaration that this sport allows. The real trick is "balance" ,but is that possible? Bodybuilding changes us because it is all consuming. It is involved in every facet of our daily lives. Most people who are successful in bodybuilding are "all or none" type personalities. I remember days where I ate a shitty meal or skipped a shake and I just would not train that day because I didnt do everything perfectly.

That balance is very hard to achieve but it is possible. I always told myself that no matter how big or well known I got that I would remain grounded and not get caught up in the hype. Luckily we have guys like Mark Dugdale, Chris Cook, Matt Duval, Toney Freeman, and hopefully myself one day who can give positive things back to the sport.

I am sure the AAS contribute to changes in personality but the rigors of a perfectionistic sport like bodybuilding is probably the main culprit. I have finally gotten some balance in my life. I have been married 16 years to an incredible woman, I have a 12 year old daughter who could care less if I am huge or not, and I no longer obsess on gaining 20 pounds in a month.

Since I started this...I have made the best gains in my life.


SHF

[Bouncer]

Good post. It seems this subject has brought out alot of feelings from alot of people. This is one of those no return type sports.

[Timma]

Wow super I didn't know you had a child, nor been married that long.

[trip]

Good Post SHF,

A company is trying to contract me to teach a whole bunch of small business folks how to achieve their goals, and I've been designing this program, and along comes GS's post.

Agree with all that SHF says, part of the culprit is folks not realizing the EXTREME amount of dedication it takes to achieve such CONSISTENT levels of PERFECTION.

Putting some numbers on it, IMHO the general public puts about an effort of 1 into their health and body, most of us on the boards operate at a level of 5, which means we are putting in 4-5 times the effort to achieve our gains.

Now anyone competing is operating at a level of 9.5, so guys like bouncer and SHF, are doing almost ten times as much as average person, and putting in twice as much as us on boards consistently.

Now us on boards, and similar to GS are busting are asses's and putting in a whole bunch of effort, to double the effort that we are doing to achieve more in complete honesty just takes a whole nuther, for most incomprhensible level of commitment.

Also, IMHO, it's not that us on boards, leaving genetics out of game, do not have the capability to do that, it is just fully understanding the mental aspect that it takes.

A competitive bodbuilder is required to operate at a high peak level of emotion about 12 times per day, each an every day.

They must do morning cardio, first prepare mentally for it, then wind down. Same with evening cardio, prepare mentally for it, then wind down. Lift at high intensity, prepare mentally for it, and then wind down. Eat six to eight meals, that are all basically the same and have ver little taste, this mentally to hit that mark every 3 hours on paper seems easy, yet, with all the distractions is like a mountain.

Above is 8-10 hours of real time, in which the bb has to turn on and off their peak emotions several times, go in and out, go from a high to flat line.

That is so emotionally grueling and tough it is hard to describe, and yet, certain individuals can do it, and thrive in it.

Some can do it for awhile, and then never again.

Just imagine if you had a job and you were required to be their at 8 am, and you could go home at midnight, total of 16 hours.

They only require you to work for an hour every two hours, and in between on those two hours you could do what ever you wanted, go to bank, get hair cut, sit in the park and play guitar, whatever, yet on that 3 hour mark you would have to be at your station ready to compete at a high level, for an hour.

It's not the hour of work people can't handle it is that two hours of down time and then trying to ramp back up, and now do this over a month, a year, ten years.

It is by and large an EXTREME emotional challenge that requires comittments that on paper seem do-able, yet, in reality are virtually impossible for most.

The fact that it is impossible for most does not mean the person is weak, or not dedicated, it is just that deep down they really have other priorities that are more important that they need to meet.

Rather than going on and on, hope you all get the jist.

People like bouncer and shf display a level of commitment and dedication that is unfathomable to most in the actuality of it.

And GS, and all other, go easy on yourself's, you have done great by doing something few others ever do in a lifetime, test your own boundaries and limits, and while on that journey you discovered some important life lesssons.

As SHF says, the key is balance.

Now we have heard that a million times, it is a very very general statement that has no real context to it, thus it is hard to put it into action.

Balance in one's life is extremely specific and one has to discover and make it work for them, not for others.

So, GS & others, best guess is you are about to embark on a journey of getting better balance, and as they say, "that's all good"

So have pride and be happy in what you have done, there are better things ahead for you.

Hoped That Helped
Trip

[Severedties]

nice post bro

Originally posted by trip
Good Post SHF,

A company is trying to contract me to teach a whole bunch of small business folks how to achieve their goals, and I've been designing this program, and along comes GS's post.

Agree with all that SHF says, part of the culprit is folks not realizing the EXTREME amount of dedication it takes to achieve such CONSISTENT levels of PERFECTION.

Putting some numbers on it, IMHO the general public puts about an effort of 1 into their health and body, most of us on the boards operate at a level of 5, which means we are putting in 4-5 times the effort to achieve our gains.

Now anyone competing is operating at a level of 9.5, so guys like bouncer and SHF, are doing almost ten times as much as average person, and putting in twice as much as us on boards consistently.

Now us on boards, and similar to GS are busting are asses's and putting in a whole bunch of effort, to double the effort that we are doing to achieve more in complete honesty just takes a whole nuther, for most incomprhensible level of commitment.

Also, IMHO, it's not that us on boards, leaving genetics out of game, do not have the capability to do that, it is just fully understanding the mental aspect that it takes.

A competitive bodbuilder is required to operate at a high peak level of emotion about 12 times per day, each an every day.

They must do morning cardio, first prepare mentally for it, then wind down. Same with evening cardio, prepare mentally for it, then wind down. Lift at high intensity, prepare mentally for it, and then wind down. Eat six to eight meals, that are all basically the same and have ver little taste, this mentally to hit that mark every 3 hours on paper seems easy, yet, with all the distractions is like a mountain.

Above is 8-10 hours of real time, in which the bb has to turn on and off their peak emotions several times, go in and out, go from a high to flat line.

That is so emotionally grueling and tough it is hard to describe, and yet, certain individuals can do it, and thrive in it.

Some can do it for awhile, and then never again.

Just imagine if you had a job and you were required to be their at 8 am, and you could go home at midnight, total of 16 hours.

They only require you to work for an hour every two hours, and in between on those two hours you could do what ever you wanted, go to bank, get hair cut, sit in the park and play guitar, whatever, yet on that 3 hour mark you would have to be at your station ready to compete at a high level, for an hour.

It's not the hour of work people can't handle it is that two hours of down time and then trying to ramp back up, and now do this over a month, a year, ten years.

It is by and large an EXTREME emotional challenge that requires comittments that on paper seem do-able, yet, in reality are virtually impossible for most.

The fact that it is impossible for most does not mean the person is weak, or not dedicated, it is just that deep down they really have other priorities that are more important that they need to meet.

Rather than going on and on, hope you all get the jist.

People like bouncer and shf display a level of commitment and dedication that is unfathomable to most in the actuality of it.

And GS, and all other, go easy on yourself's, you have done great by doing something few others ever do in a lifetime, test your own boundaries and limits, and while on that journey you discovered some important life lesssons.

As SHF says, the key is balance.

Now we have heard that a million times, it is a very very general statement that has no real context to it, thus it is hard to put it into action.

Balance in one's life is extremely specific and one has to discover and make it work for them, not for others.

So, GS & others, best guess is you are about to embark on a journey of getting better balance, and as they say, "that's all good"

So have pride and be happy in what you have done, there are better things ahead for you.

Hoped That Helped
Trip

[house1]

great post trip

[Bouncer]

Originally posted by trip
Good Post SHF,

A company is trying to contract me to teach a whole bunch of small business folks how to achieve their goals, and I've been designing this program, and along comes GS's post.

Agree with all that SHF says, part of the culprit is folks not realizing the EXTREME amount of dedication it takes to achieve such CONSISTENT levels of PERFECTION.

Putting some numbers on it, IMHO the general public puts about an effort of 1 into their health and body, most of us on the boards operate at a level of 5, which means we are putting in 4-5 times the effort to achieve our gains.

Now anyone competing is operating at a level of 9.5, so guys like bouncer and SHF, are doing almost ten times as much as average person, and putting in twice as much as us on boards consistently.

Now us on boards, and similar to GS are busting are asses's and putting in a whole bunch of effort, to double the effort that we are doing to achieve more in complete honesty just takes a whole nuther, for most incomprhensible level of commitment.

Also, IMHO, it's not that us on boards, leaving genetics out of game, do not have the capability to do that, it is just fully understanding the mental aspect that it takes.

A competitive bodbuilder is required to operate at a high peak level of emotion about 12 times per day, each an every day.

They must do morning cardio, first prepare mentally for it, then wind down. Same with evening cardio, prepare mentally for it, then wind down. Lift at high intensity, prepare mentally for it, and then wind down. Eat six to eight meals, that are all basically the same and have ver little taste, this mentally to hit that mark every 3 hours on paper seems easy, yet, with all the distractions is like a mountain.

Above is 8-10 hours of real time, in which the bb has to turn on and off their peak emotions several times, go in and out, go from a high to flat line.

That is so emotionally grueling and tough it is hard to describe, and yet, certain individuals can do it, and thrive in it.

Some can do it for awhile, and then never again.

Just imagine if you had a job and you were required to be their at 8 am, and you could go home at midnight, total of 16 hours.

They only require you to work for an hour every two hours, and in between on those two hours you could do what ever you wanted, go to bank, get hair cut, sit in the park and play guitar, whatever, yet on that 3 hour mark you would have to be at your station ready to compete at a high level, for an hour.

It's not the hour of work people can't handle it is that two hours of down time and then trying to ramp back up, and now do this over a month, a year, ten years.

It is by and large an EXTREME emotional challenge that requires comittments that on paper seem do-able, yet, in reality are virtually impossible for most.

The fact that it is impossible for most does not mean the person is weak, or not dedicated, it is just that deep down they really have other priorities that are more important that they need to meet.

Rather than going on and on, hope you all get the jist.

People like bouncer and shf display a level of commitment and dedication that is unfathomable to most in the actuality of it.

And GS, and all other, go easy on yourself's, you have done great by doing something few others ever do in a lifetime, test your own boundaries and limits, and while on that journey you discovered some important life lesssons.

As SHF says, the key is balance.

Now we have heard that a million times, it is a very very general statement that has no real context to it, thus it is hard to put it into action.

Balance in one's life is extremely specific and one has to discover and make it work for them, not for others.

So, GS & others, best guess is you are about to embark on a journey of getting better balance, and as they say, "that's all good"

So have pride and be happy in what you have done, there are better things ahead for you.

Hoped That Helped
Trip

Good post and thanks for the props.