Can Developing Confidence be
By Lesley Timbol ( Adapted from Dr . Patrick Cohn at Peak Performance Sports ,
Are you searching for the secret to feeling more confident ? The truth is that there is no secret to confidence . However , building confidence is possible for many athletes .
Too many bodybuilders wait for a positive placing before they can have confidence . Some athletes rely on compliments from their coach and even fellow competitors , whether it be leading up to a show or show day , before they can start to feel confident .
The misconception is that confidence is something an athlete receives . According to that notion , confidence is passive , or something given to you , like a gift .
However , confidence is built , not passively received . Self-confidence is most effective when it is self-built . One of the impactful ways to build confidence is through preparation .
Preparation encompasses many areas , i . e ., how you train , following your meal plan , practising your posing and routine if applicable and so on .
Consider the following example to see how preparation affects confidence .
It ’ s show day . According to the schedule , your category goes on stage for prejudging in about 3 hours but then it ’ s suddenly announced that there was a schedule change and your category will go on stage in 45 minutes . You quickly start to practise your posing only to cramp up . You feel rattled not only because you now feel rushed and your planned carb up got messed up , but your legs cramping now is affecting how you pose .
The unexpected schedule change and cramping can cause a bodybuilder ’ s anxiety to spike and their confidence to plummet .
Fortunately you came prepared . You brought your competition suitcase with you , including the food you ’ d consume for your carb up , which would be adjusted given the time adjustment . And you were further prepared as you brought a water bottle , a small container of sea salt and magnesium for potential cramping .
What further helped was that you worked with a Mental Game Coach from the start of your prep to strengthen your mental game . You have improved your ability to control your emotions and have been able to lock in your focus better than ever before .
Given this extensive level of preparation , you were confident with the tools and strategies to handle any obstacles that came on show day . Hence , you were able to quickly pivot when challenges arose .
From this example , you can appreciate that the more you put into your preparation ,
8