I'm three weeks out and I am sitting at my computer at 2:00am not able to sleep. Its not because I am hungry (well maybe a little), its not because I am nervous and its not because I have been up all night partying (although I wish it were). I am up this late and writing this blog because there are some things on my mind I need to express to you all.
People think bodybuilding is an easy sport, you just hit the gym, eat your food, take your supplements and the next thing you know you are standing on the Olympia stage. People also think that bodybuilders are weak minded and have self esteem issues. Well, in my two years as an IFBB pro I have learned that nothing could be further from the truth of either of those things.
The latter of those two points is the one I want to touch on. As an amateur I had the privilege of being able to win my first couple shows and also win my class a few times. As an amateur you enter each show expecting to win or if not expecting at least being able to imagine winning. This makes it easy to really train hard, diet and focus since you know anything can happen and you have a chance of winning. This is great for a bodybuilders contest prep but does nothing to strengthen you mentally for what lies ahead if you ever do break into the higher levels of bodybuilding.
I am three weeks out from the biggest show of my life and I have finally come to the realization that mental toughness is actually a pro bodybuilders most overlooked attribute. I say this because I have entered five IFBB shows now and haven't won any of them. The crazy thing is I knew I wasn't going to win any of them and yet I still trained to my full extent with every intention of winning or placing. That is the courage to fear losing yet still be your best and accept your fate.
Somehow today I realized why this show is different from the rest. I have had to reach deep into my soul for a toughness and focus I didn't think I had to get ready for this show. You would think it would be the easiest one seeing as it is the Mr.Olympia contest, but your wrong for that exact reason. For the first time in my pro career I have to get ready for a contest and train my hardest knowing I may not even crack the top ten. I didn't realize how hard a task this would be until I started but it is wreaking havoc on me mentally. There is a new level of courage I have taken on in doing this show because never before have I trained this hard to potentially be 15th.
This is why I say bodybuilders have a mental toughness that is commonly overlooked. In no other sport do you find athletes pushing themselves to the limits knowing they won't win. In football when the other team runs up the score more times than not you see the losing team fade and begin to give up. This is the opposite in bodybuilding. I am going into this show knowing I can't win and yet I have to train harder for this loss than I have ever trained for any of my wins. The other side to this coin is an even greater testament to bodybuilders everywhere. We train and diet and we compete. We lose but we never stop. Why? There is something in our hearts that tells us if you keep pushing, if you keep training your time will come....that is mental toughness that is unmatched. That is courage...
Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad
5 comments:
Fouad: Congrats again on making the decision to enter the big show. It's an incredible achievement to earn the right to be on that stage. It means your physique is ranked in the world's top 20. If you were a golfer or a tennis player every Canadian would know your name. If you were in Beijing you'd be giving a "I'm just happy to be here and I want to have my personal best performance." So I think mental toughness includes defines victory for yourself. I'd say winning for you at this competition could be coming in as the top newbie to the Mr.O or cracking the top ten or being the highest placing Canadian ever or being the highest placing suspected terrorist :) ever. Choose how you want to define success, don't let the judges, the boards or magazines do it for you.
I'm nowhere near where you are but I'm working on it and I totally know what you mean about the sacrafices that you need to make for getting as big as you can. Since I became serious about lifting I've had to opt out of going out with friends to bars and eating out for the sake of keeping on track and my eye on the goal. Thing is, I know it's worth it and my discipline makes me work harder.
Keep it up!
I don't know how you can even think you may not crack the top ten ... you will surely do better cause you have what it takes to be a winner. Don't give up, you rock man! I don't know you since a long time but I'm addicted to your blog and bodybuilding is my passion. Good luck at the O!
This is very true. I believe that 'something in our hearts that tells us if you keep pushing' is our personal will to keep us striving for self improvement. We can always get better. We can always try harder. Keep going.
well Fouad just to make it to Olympia is a great thing & alot of athletes dream just to enter olympia even if they dont be in the top 15 maybe ,yet i am sure you will be in the top 12 next year you were in a very good condition this year and hopefully you will make it next year too .well I cannt forget when dorian used to win long time ago ronnnie used to be place as 15 or 12 then boom he took it from many great athletes like flex and shwan ray I am right or no, everybody was waiting for dorian to stop so he can make it and in my opinion you Fouad have a very successful future .good luck champ
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