ARE YOU NERVOUS OR EXCITED TO COMPETE ?
( Adapted from Dr . Patrick Cohn at Peak Performance Sports , LLC .) BY LESLEY TIMBOL
Which athlete are you ? Are you the bodybuilder who gets anxious and in their heads when they compete or are you excited to get on stage ?
The anxiety can be experienced leading up to show day , peak week , the day before and of course the day of the show . These nerves can be shown when athletes do more than they should , i . e ., overdo it in the gym potentially injuring themselves , they may eat emotionally thus going off track on their diets or decide to cut certain foods down to get a faster result theoretically , doing too much cardio , not sticking to their coach ’ s plan listening to people other than your coach , trying something new , i . e ., what a fellow competitor is doing , going on social media checking out and stressing out about how good your competition looks . This type of anxiety is not good .
Yet other bodybuilders see the show as an opportunity to test their limits and display their hard work on stage . This process gets them to shift from the ‘ off season hibernation ’ mode to a ‘ bring it ’ mentality . The decreased calories and feeling the hunger pangs actually brings a smile to these types of bodybuilders . It means the changes are coming . It ’ s real . It ’ s go time . It ’ s time to kick some @ ss .
So what makes one bodybuilder feel anxious while another feels excited and even invigorated with the opportunity to compete ?
Anxiety or excitement are the result of how you interpret the situation . Re-read that .
If you interpret the show as a threat or with some fear , i . e ., not coming in as ‘ perfect ’ as you ’ d like , focusing on your weak body part ( s ), disappointing your sponsor , coach , family and / or friends , you tend to under perform or make mistakes either on or behind the stage because you play it safe & cautious or overdo it and overcompensate .
When you are anxious , you might focus on negative thoughts , i . e ., comparing your physique backstage with your competition and focusing on your flaws .
These feelings create mental and physical tension often preventing you from being fully focused on being in the moment and trusting your practice when hitting your poses and transitions .
On the other hand , if you interpret the show as a chance to show off all your hard work or as a challenge to fight for your Pro card or top placing at a Pro show , you ’ ll feel excited to take the stage and take no prisoners .
When you are positively psyched up , the feeling of excitement energizes you and gives you the laser focus to impact your placing . When you get that first call out , you develop a second wind to deliver on the comparisons .
Isn ’ t it normal to feel some anxiety before the show ? Absolutely but again look at the interpretation at the time you feel that anxiety .
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