WOW where do I even begin. I have been working on this blog for many months now, starting it, stopping it, over thinking it and then finally deciding to complete it. I have had my competition team for almost two years now. I started with 3 bikini competitors and have grown my team to 36 amazing female athletes. I am always willing to take on guys, but I think they are freaked out by the number of women on my team. haha You get 10-12 girls in prep at once I totally understand guys not wanting to be around all that. Anyways, in my 2 years of coaching I must say I have seen and heard it all! I think some guys would pay BIG money to get a hold of my phone for just a few minutes with the countless number of progress pics I get from my girls. I could spill all the crazy things I hear from behind stage to just sitting in the audience, but why I have finally taken the time to sit down and finish this blog is because over this past competition season I have really been disturbed by the number of girls who I have seen become consumed by the competing world. Now before you go all cray cray on me and make nasty comments as I know this blog is going to get (why I am usually very quiet on social media) hear me out on this and remember everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Having coached so many girls to the stage every one of them has heard me say this many times “Don’t forget why you started competing in the first place.” I think a lot of girls are starting to lose the reasoning as to why they started competing. I see so many girls doing show after show after show as if they are a dog running around in circles chasing their tail. Some girls dream of getting their Pro Card (Hell most all girls do) some girls have achieved a weight loss they never thought was possible, others will just step on stage one time as it was just something they wanted to try and some will make competing a part of their life and continue it for as long as their bodies will let them. There are a million different reasons why someone will compete and I think remembering why you wanted to compete the very first time is something you should never forget! It doesn’t matter how many shows you do and as a coach, I will always support my athletes in whatever decision they make whether to compete in 1 show or 10, but as their coach it is my responsibility to keep them healthy and safe. A stage is never more important than your health and happiness.
I read a comment DLB posted a while back after she competed at Olympia and it hit the nail right on the head with what I preach to my athletes she said “When you compete for the right reason, the reward is more gratifying….You don’t need a first place trophy to WIN” AAHhhh I just wanted to shout from the roof tops after I read this! WHY DON’T GIRLS GET THIS! Competing is great and really can create confidence and bring out a stronger version of yourself but ladies don’t let competing run your life and more importantly don’t let it ruin your life. I will say it again “DON’T FORGET WHY YOU WANTED TO COMPETE THE FIRST TIME!”
Ladies who read this, heck even guys who read this, whether you have competed or not I would love to hear your opinion. Bring on the comments 🙂
I started to want to get in shape. It morphed into a love of lifting. Then it was to show people hey no matter what body type you can do this !!! Now it’s a life style and wanting a pro card. I try to have as much fun as possible during everything. If I am burnt out I ask myself if I want to do this anymore. Most the time just having a down day. I love this sport, stepping on stage. Yes I will say it I LOVE PEEK WEEK!!! I don’t place high yet but I don’t care I just love being there. This was a great blog coach. Sorry for the rant hahaha
So proud of you!
Amen Tay! I didn’t care about placing…I just wanted to prove to MYSELF I could step on stage! I was going to compete in October after September show but at the last minute decided not to because my HEART wasn’t in it. That’s what mattered to me. I decided to wait til April and can concentrate on my life and training without being rushed! Great article. Proud you are my Coach!
🙂 and that decision will make April show that much better
Great blog Tayler! The first time I competed it was purely for the challenge and to do something I never thought I could do. I had just gone through a total transformation from 32% BF to 11%. I had never dreamed I could do it and I wanted to inspire others to get healthy too. The experience was awesome and I loved being on stage! I was hooked! The second time I competed…it was for all the wrong reasons…it was for other people, to meet expectations I thought others had and expectations I had for myself…I wanted that Pro Card so badly I couldn’t think about anything else. My prep was horrible. I was grouchy, anti-social and I hated every minute of it. I was so “in my head” that evening, I had an awful night at the show and ruined every moment of it for myself. I decided to take a break and get myself recentered after that. I trained simply for the joy of it, without a goal and I trained the way that made me feel strong and happy without the regimen and pressure on myself. I didn’t have a show date looming ahead of me and I wasn’t planning on one. Once I got back to the roots of why I workout and train to begin with…I found my joy again and I found my home in the competitive world …unexpectedly Figure. I quit thinking about the “end outcome” and purely enjoyed the process of building my own “dream body” without worrying what the judges would think of it or how I would place. The goal became simply self improvement. I was creating it for “ME”! I kept my social life, I still went out with family and friends, I wasn’t so strict and regimented with my training schedule or my diet and I LIVED LIFE. Comp Prep was a PART of my life, my life wasn’t a part of comp prep. And I LOVED every moment of the process! It’s not about the placing or the trophy…it’s about the love of the sport! A lot of people thought I should have taken a year off before going to Worlds my first year as a Pro. They didn’t understand why I would go out there and try to measure up to incredible competitors like Emily Sterling or Tionna….this always confuses me…isn’t that EXACTLY why I shouldn’t miss it? I mean, what an awesome opportunity to meet some of the women that have inspired me for so many years! To go from obese three years ago to standing up there with those amazing athletes? That in itself is winning to me!
I competed for the first time in April. It was on my bucket list. I surprisingly won a pro card in the 40+ category. It was so much fun! I read the judges comments and their constructive criticism made me want to improve. I competed again in September and I won 2nd place. I actually thought I had improved but hey, I guess it wasn’t what the judges were looking for this time around. I look at the pictures and I am happy with myself. Do I want to compete in a pro show? Hell no. My joints are aching and my kids are busy and it is checked off my bucket list. I will continue with fitness but not with competition. Awesome experience!