up on a soap box

you would think since i have my own blog and i have only released the URL to a select few, i would be more comfortable talking about, whatever the hell i wanted to talk about. that however, is not the case. i have on more than one occasion had a subject demands to be discussed. so far every time it has bounced into my head, i have bounced it right back out again. today however, it wins.

it is not uncommon for people to develop an interest in the physique sports, specifically in the competitive end. there is nothing wrong with that, in fact i am all for it. my concern however is what frequently happens next. as soon as someone decides to compete they format a plan in which they become the sport's newest phenom. the plan usually involves a ridiculous number of shows their rookie season with them either placing top three or winning outright. confidence is not the issue, confidence is sport is a good thing. realism is also good.

for everyone doing their first show there are a ton of other athletes who have been at it longer, have been training longer, been dieting longer, have a better physique or just have more show experience.

not long after starting on their plan the rookie will also decide that not only will they take the local bodybuilding world by storm but they will also achieve pro status in record time. overnight the athlete seemingly morphs into someone else. they will likely go from someone quite pleasant to someone quite cocky. the skin of the paler athlete will then start to sport a almost cherry red hue. these kind of changes can suggest a change in what the athlete might be taking.

now i am a firm believer that it is your body to do what you want. i only hope that you make the best decisions you can and that you research the hell out of anything you might choose to take. but what i truly wish, particularly for the female competitors, is that people make it a habit to do a few shows first... before moving onto the high octane supplementation.

the male can 'try it' and change his mind with little or no change to his general physique. he can come off and his body will go back to the way it was. women just can't 'try it' but for some reason a lot of women believe they can.

so let us go back to what inspired today's post. a young woman did her first show last year and her behaviour changed in the manner which i mentioned earlier. as i understand it, she did well at the show(s) she entered. today she was asked about her future competitive plans. it turns out she realized that she just didn't like the competitive aspect.

she has crossed a line she can't uncross and she did it without even bothering to find out if she even liked doing shows. that is such a common mistake and it so ridiculously stupid. sadly it is almost an insult to be thought of as an natural competitor and few people are willing to go that route. regardless your final physique aspirations, you would do yourself a greater service by putting your muscle on naturally first.

the best bodies in the sport had years of lifting under their belts before they crossed the line. the drug what took and already impressive physique to the next level. let's compare it to a meal from a 5-star restaurant served on fine exquisite china. but you can't take a plateful of shit and put in on fine china and have anything other than a plate of shit.

finally i would like to add that i am not pro-use nor am i exactly anti-use. as a fan of professional bodybuilding i can't actually be anti-use. right or wrong those athletes are by no means unassisted and there is no way to convince yourself that they are.

it is not for me and maybe you feel it is for you. that is your right. but for goodness sake be smart. you really only get the one go-around.