During
pre-contest prep, depending on how I feel when I wake up, my motivation level
can vary from 'oh yeah, this is so on" to "ah sh*t, I hate plyos
day". Regardless, I still hit the gym and hit it hard. After 30+ years of
weight training, I know that consistency is the key to progress, so whether I'm
feeling it or not, I still attack the task at hand. So here are some random
thoughts on how I keep motivated during the ever so crazy pre-contest weeks:
FOOD PREP - I stagger my cooking so I don't end up spending an
entire day doing a week's worth of meal prep. When I first joined bombshell
almost 2 yrs ago, I'd spend a good part of my Sundays prepping meals. I hated
that. So now when I cook, I cook different amounts of food at different times.
For example, I may cook 6 lbs. Of chicken breast and 3 lbs of fish on Sunday,
so I run out of the components at different times and don't have to cook both
on the same day. I also switched from using fresh spinach to frozen since it
lasts longer and travels way better when I'm on the road.
WORKOUT AND CARDIO PLANNING - Every Sunday evening I enter all my
workouts and various cardio sessions into my calendar. I also enter any appts.,
to-do's, blah blah blah, so I see at a quick glance what I'm doing and when my
free time slots are. No guess work.
HIT THE SAUNA – The closer I get to a show, the more abuse my body
takes, so I try to finish all my training sessions w/10-20 minutes in the
sauna. I relax and stretch so I'm not so sore the next day. And those extra few
minutes of sweating does a body good.
CRANK THE
TUNES - I make sure I always play hard music during my cardio sessions to keep
me moving. Rap, heavy metal, whatever. As long as it's angry, it's all
good.
WATCH MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS - If I'm not listening to my angry music
during cardio, you can be sure I'm definitely watching a bodybuilding or figure
related video. Seeing all those amazingly in shape bodies reminds me that my
goals are not that far fetched because every one of those competitors started at
the beginning.
POST MOTIVATIONAL PICS, QUOTES, ETC. - I do this as a much needed
constant reminder to keep positive and continue in the direction of my goals.
CHANGE MY DESKTOP PIC WEEKLY – it’s usually one of the top IFBB
pros. Someone who has an awesome body part I admire (Genn Strobo's, Dana Lynn Bailey's
or Phil Health's delts; Frank Zane's physique, or one of the bombshell bikini
pro's booties)
KEEP A WEEKLY COUNTDOWN IN MY CALENDAR - Again, another visual to
remind me of how much time til SHOW TIME!
WEIGH MYSELF DAILY - I know, I know, a bit obsessive, but it works
for me. It keeps me accountable for everything that goes into my big mouth.
STATE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS - I recite these daily during my
weight training and/or cardio sessions, especially when I feel like my legs are
about to give out on me. These can vary from the following... LIGHT WEIGHT,
BABY; YOU CAN DO THIS; THIS IS SOOO EASY; I'M A WINNER; I'M #1, etc. Whatever
it takes to get through the set, session, or day.
FOLLOW INSPIRING ATHLETES ON FACEBOOK - Yes, I stalk all my
favorite industry icons to see what they're doing to stay motivated.
I hope some of these tips which help me stay motivated
during these crucial weeks help you as well.
