A Bodybuilding Journey - Competition Mentality

Here is a good article on bodybuilding competition mentality. 


How Do You Prepare For A Bodybuilding Competition?
by bigcalves

Let's face it, bodybuilding is one of the hardest sports. It takes a special mindset, discipline, patience, and consistency. Bodybuilders are a special breed. We have goals and we are determined to reach, no matter what. Called 'perfectionists' or 'vain', bodybuilders are what we are. To some people eating 8-10 meals might be vain and self-centered; but to me, spending all your money on paper with ink pictures on it is a boring, self-centered lifestyle. By bodybuilding, we increase our longevity, make ourselves healthier and more aware of our bodies.

Bodybuilders are the only athletes on the planet training for looks and that's what sets us apart from every other person on earth. Talk about unique. Along with bodybuilding, sacrifices come along. Sparing time to workout, to eat each planned meal, and resting will take away most of your day. It's not a hobby, but a lifestyle that we choose.

Posing Practice - anywhere, anytime - is absolutely crucial.

So you've spent years, even decades on building your body. You've imagined how it would look from the day you started lifting, and every day since then until now, you will also imagine yourself getting bigger and more improved. Now it's time to show off all your hard work. By competing in a contest you will see what you're made out of. Sure, tons of people underestimate bodybuilders and say that all they do is take drugs, tan and then go on stage. That's the jealousy talking, you and they know it.

Now back to the contest. Competing will give you a sense of pride and maturity/wisdom that you never had. Bodybuilding is not all about the body, but the mind also. You need to be strong and conditioned in your mind to withstand challenges. Being in a contest will bring a lot of them out, so you better be ready.

Temptation of quitting your diet and workout are only a small part. You will start to say in your mind:

"Am I crazy?"

"What am I doing this for?"

  

Even when you overcome and actually get ready for the contest, competition day will also be challenging. You will ask yourself if you look good, then you will compare yourself to others. Even when that passes, stage fright and nervousness set in.

As you can tell a bodybuilding contest is very challenging and comes with a lot of down sides. But I believe there are more positives than negatives. Competing will give you a sense of pride and strength, not only physically but emotionally and mentally also. You will feel way better. There is no feeling on earth to describe how you feel after a contest. It feels great. Just stepping on stage and seeing thousands (OK maybe less than that sometimes) of people looking at you. You get an incredible 'pump' that is very hard to describe.

As you can tell it's not about the trophy. Winning the trophy is just the topping of the cake, like getting your last rep in on a hard arm workout. But even if you don't win, that's okay, and you will get a lot out of the experience. You will have fun showing your body off, and at the end you will win. Even if you don't come in first, you will gain a lot of motivation for building yourself and, as bodybuilder, motivation is needed.


Prepare For The Challenge

Like I said, competing will give you a lot of benefits. First of all it will be loads of fun; it's not torture. If you don't have anything to lose, there are tons of things to gain.

The feeling of changing your body and being in control is unbelievable. Millions of people each day try to take control of their lives and fail. But you will be able to set a goal, make a plan, achieve it and be in control for the whole 10 or 14 weeks that you are preparing.

It will be exciting and challenging at the same time. Trust me, nobody ever competed has regretted it. There are some that will never do it again, but they do not regret competing in the first place.

The adrenaline rush when competing is amazing. It feels like pumping out the last rep on a set of heavy squats. Your stomach is full with overgrown butterflies and you are trying to stay in control. And all you are doing is standing on stage and posing.

Bodybuilding is an art form. By competing you are showing off your body and telling the world that you have worked hard and that you cherish every sweat, tear and blood drop that comes out of you. It says that you are disciplined. And that you live a life worth living - you are not just a slacker waiting for the days to go by until you die. You have a desire for life, you have challenges, and you will let nothing stand in front of your goals.

Bodybuilding is a form of expression and by competing you are taking it to a next step. You are going public. You will gain tons of discipline and wisdom out of competing. You will be able to see how hard bodybuilders actually work. Your self esteem will be high, you will feel good about yourself and what you accomplished, and at the end that's all that counts.

There is a saying that goes: 'Winning isn't everything', and it is right. When you compete in a bodybuilding show, it's not about winning, but about gaining important values through your experience.

But hey, I wouldn't mind getting a first place trophy!




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Slightly edited and emphasised. 
Originally taken from https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek42.htm