CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE March/April 2020 | Page 50

darren mehling
THE
4
C's
T
O
REACH YOUR PHYSIQUE GOALS
Goal setting is a crucial part of succeeding. Having goals
and achieving them gives you benchmarks or stepping
stones on the way up to your best self. In this article I have
provided my list of the 4 Cs to achieving your physique/
performance goals.
Compliance
seasons. In nature,
spring represents the
birth of new goals,
summer represents
growing to achieve
those goals, autumn represents the summer’s growth
maturing, and ultimately winter represents the conclusion
of working towards those goals and resting until spring
comes and new goals are established to pursue. So in
context for a physique competitor, you need a growth
season to improve your physique; a developmental
season to mature your new growth and celebrate your
progress; a recovery season to heal from your intense
pursuit of your new growth and ultimately a season to
start pursuing new goals. Each season has a different
focus, uses different resources, and if cycled through
appropriately will make for a long and productive time in
the sport and ultimate success in achieving your goals.
Forget what the current diet fad is right now. Regardless
of what Dr. Oz said during yesterday’s episode, or what
the top-selling diet book says - the “best” diet is the one
that you will follow and enjoy. It doesn’t matter if it’s
a balanced diet, a keto diet, a vegan diet, a paleo diet,
gluten-free diet, and so on. In the end, it’s portion control
and caloric deficit (for fat loss) or caloric surplus (for
muscle gain) that matter most. So, no matter what food
types you choose to eat, make sure they are ones that
you will enjoy. When you enjoy the foods you eat, you will
enjoy your diet and if you enjoy your diet, you will have a Control
much easier time sticking to the plan. When you stick to
What your environment is, the people you spend the
the plan, it’s inevitable that results will follow.
most time with, and the things you spend most of your
Consistency
time doing, and your response to it all can have a major
impact on achieving your physique goals. I realize that
The athletes that you see make improvements every time
we all want to be “perfect", but I want to make something
they step on stage are ones that are training and dieting
very clear – perfection doesn’t exist. So, when something
consistently all year round. You can’t train and diet for
goes wrong or doesn’t go as planned, or someone
only 3-4 months of the year and expect to improve. In
disappoints you, don’t immediately throw in the towel or
most cases, these “part-time” athletes show up year
lash out at that person. Keep things in perspective and
after year, looking the same or worse than last time and
know that you can overcome anything, and life will go on.
they are left wondering why people they used to beat are
Control your response by simply assessing the situation,
now placing ahead of them.The way to show up improved
make the necessary adjustments you need to, learn from
over your last showing, the key for achieving meaningful
the experience, and keep moving forward. Manage what
and sustainable results, is to be consistently training
you can control, eliminate what you cannot. This is how
and following a sound nutrition plan year-round. Short
successful people control their environment and achieve
term bouts of consistency will not give you an adequate
their physique goals no matter what.
stimulus, but training and eating consistently throughout
the year will always help you come back better each time. Conclusion
Cycle
50
Achieving goals and reaching higher each day is how we
grow as athletes and as people. I want you to succeed at
You can’t expect yourself to make progress show to
everything you desire so I hope my 4 Cs to achieving your
show if you are in contest prep mode all year round. In
goals will give you the mental tools to stay on course and
fact, that is a recipe for disaster and a quick end to your
not stop until you do it!
health and time in this sport. You see, even nature has