Bodybuilding/ Lots more hard work than you think

[Ogre717]

Cooking, Cleaning, Shopping and running errands... thats womans work. LOL jusk kidding ladies. Great post bro. It really puts everything in perspective. And you didnt even touch on the time in the gym.

 

[AXEMURDERER]

I am exhasted from reading that brother. I do all my cooking at the beginning of my 5 day week. If I tried to do it on the daily I would never make it out of my house after the work day.

 

[Thinkbig]

I recall how easy I had it as a kid.

Back then, I mean I literally lived like a Pro BB, in 9th grade thru 11th.

I slept 10 hours sleeping total, 8 at night and and a 2 hour nap, everyday.

In High school, I had two hour blocks of classes, i'd eat Tuna or Chicken every day between blocks, consistantly getting 8 meals a day 7 from food.

I didn't have to work, or expend any physical energy on anything other than Bodybuilding. Later I worked at GNC and used anything that came back as a return as well as everything I made monetarily on more OTC supplements.

I started using AAS in the summer going into 11th grade, and continued to live mostly carefree until after I graduated, not doing much other than Eating, Sleeping, Reading, Living Bodybuilding.

I didn't go out much, no parties really, absolutely no alcohol or drugs of any kind other than Anabolics.

If you would have asked me about bodybuilding I would have told you with confidence that I knew damn near everything to know and it was just a matter of time until I was Pro.

Fast forward a great deal of time and damn was I wrong.

The next decade, I learned alot about self sacrifice and what Bodybuilding really required of you.

Its hard to eat 8 meals a day of food and 2 shakes day in and out. to Train twice daily and work a job and a half everyday. Do your own dishes, food prep, laundry, grocery shopping, run errands, get to the Gym and take all your supplements on time everyday for 10 years. Not to mention the strain of weighing 310-335lbs throughout a great deal of the time when your not dieting.

All the things that come with being overtly large, not fitting into anything, its worse when your tall too.

Its funny when I look back at how things where, compared to what I have to work with now, I never knew just how good I had it. I started using AAS at approximately 170lbs and have been as high as 330 or so.

Mostly, I think its just a mindset, if Ronnie Coleman could do it, working full time, Sergio did it working in a foundry, you just have to find a way and structure everything out as best you can, and be ready to improvise when things go wrong, because they will. you need to tell yourself that your going to get back on the path as soon as possible and not allow yourself to be pulled from it for too long.

If I could do it all over again, I would never have taken it for granted that it would always be that easy.

I guess my point is, that I agree AJ.

Many people have no idea what REAL Hardcore Bodybuilding is like once you get into the THICK of it. Once the luster and newness is gone and your shoveling down egg whites at 10pm with a whey/casein shake for the millionth time thinking to yourself wtf.

I liken it to a life long infatuation with a girl you've never been able to get, then you get her, you guys hit it off, she's great, you cannot get enough of her, fast forward 5-6 years and the niceties are gone, your left with whats real and tangible, its up to you to make it work.

 

[bybon]

..I didn't go out much, no parties really, absolutely no alcohol or drugs of any kind other than Anabolics...

That's another sacrifice that comes to light with bodybuilding as a career. Not much chance at all to be social; you miss out on all kinds of experiences, and the likelihood of ever becoming pro is slim. There's so many who try to become a pro BBer that stays in the spotlight, and but a handful even make it there.

Sacrificing experiences and a social life is absolutely not worth it to me. One of the reasons I'll never compete.

 

[F.I.S.T.]

Great post AJ.

I agree with Bass on the food thing as well.I always buy in bulk and it has actually saved me tons this way.You can always get some great deals,even at the local supermarkets sometimes but like to buy mostly from wholesale distributors.I have a membership at restaurant depots as well and this saves me even more.Sure you spend more out of pocket at one shot,but once you break it all down into separate meals,the cost is much cheaper this way over the long run.Plus once separate the meals into tupperware containers you have quick easy meals on the go.Much easier and faster heating up pre-cooked meals than cooking daily.

As for the dishes and the laundry,that is handled by the wife and help.She has been an incredible part of my life and takes care of so much for me and has saved me countless hours and money.Not only in our personal life but in our business life as well.I am lucky enough to be able to take my family along with me in my travels,which I do alot so it's much easier on our relationship as well.

You are so right about this being a COMPLETE lifestyle.The ignorant think it's only pumping away at some weight or the even more ignorant think it's just a matter of sticking yourself with a needle! As we all know,it's so much more than that.There is no sport out there that takes as much dedication and planning nor self control than BBing.The idiots that talk of how bad AAS steroids are for us all the while living a lifestyle that pales in comparison in regards to "living healthy".

Thanks again for the awesome post AJ.

 

[poundpuppy]

Thats a great read AJ. Thank you.