And So It Begins...

Well, I suppose it was bound to happen...

For about a year or so now, people have all been asking me if/when I was going to compete in a bodybuilding show...

I never felt like I was in THAT kind of shape that I could compete. I still don't know that I am. But when I was a kid and I watched all the shows that my parents either took me to, or had competed in themselves, I knew I wanted to do that someday. Having been to so many, and my mother being a judge now herself, I knew of the politics involved in a bodybuilding competition. That no matter how good you may look, or how hard you train, you may very well get screwed over because someone else in your class was buddies with one of the judges or the promoter. So all of this discouraged me from ever wanting to compete. Ultimately my desire to train everyday comes from being in competition with myself. Just trying to top that which I have already achieved. People ask me, how big do you want to get? My answer to that is, as big as my body will naturally allow. Which I don't think will be much bigger than I am now. But as of late I have lost a little of the fire that has fueled me in the gym the last few years. Partially due to a back injury that kept me from training for about a month and a half.

I have had everyone from close friends, to ex-competitors, current competitors, judges, and promoters all tell me to do a show.

So today, I have decided that I will.

I will compete in an all natural show. Which for those who don't know, is a show where it is illegal to compete if you have used steroids, growth hormones etc. They usually either drug test or do a lie detector to determine this.

One of my biggest reservations about doing this, was the fear of failure. To not place well in the show...

So I have decided that I am not going into this to win my class. I WILL do this with everything that I have, and I will aim for #1. But ultimately my goal is to just do it. To have just gone through the process, and to have competed. It's like starting a band, and just getting through that first show. It won't matter if I place last. If I know that I did everything in my power, to be in the best condition that I could for the show, then that will be good enough for me. The rest of it doesn't matter.

I have decided to compete for the following reasons...

1. To re-ignite my fire in the gym. To give me something new to strive for, a reason to train harder, and unlock my full physical potential.

2. To have fulfilled a desire I once had in my youth, and to prove to myself that I can do it

3. For the sake of a new experience.

4. (It won't hurt the personal training resume'.)

I still have to talk to my parents regarding this. To pick a show, and set the timetable. I would like to have anywhere between 6 to 9 months to prepare for it. To have time to bulk up more, and beef up my legs some.

I have decided to finally make use of this blog I created almost a year ago, but have yet to use... To chronicle this experience. Here I will post my progress, training routines, current weight, diet etc.

A bodybuilding competition is sheer vanity... It is ultimately a beauty pageant. But the work, and time that goes into it is great.

So... here we go.