ATHLETE COLUMN
NELSON MTHEMBU
BODYBUILDING AND THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES
The majority of competitive bodybuilders will face financial challenges, at least at some point in their careers, as this is one of the most demanding sports in terms of costs. The food, the supplements, the travel and competition entry fees all add up to a figure that is often at odds with our monthly income and the other financial commitments we all have in life.
For a variety of reasons I have faced my share of financial challenges throughout my career, many of which I have already shared through my Muscle Evolution column. But based on my experiences I have been able to find solutions to many of these challenges, which I am proud to now share with you.
It is important to state that any financial hurdle is not an excuse to jump into the“ stagnation wagon” and cease making progress because of the problem. I strongly believe that bodybuilders are not only strong in body, but are also strong in mind- strong enough to push through adversity and continue to make gains, even when confronted with seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their life.
Having said that, any successful athlete first needs a solid plan, and your bodybuilding plan should include more than just your training programme and nutrition plan. Budgets are important to ensure you can meet the financial requirements of the sport, without impacting
“ This neversay-die attitude is engrained in any athlete who knows what it feels like to toil at the iron game, day in and day out, for any length of time.”
on the rest of your family.
That plan should also make provision for“ worst case scenarios”. Many bodybuilders today work in jobs that don’ t pay the salaries needed to body build. Many of these athletes live in the hope that they can get sponsorships to cover their supplements or bring in extra financial support for all the food we eat, but this is seldom the case. Banking on a sponsorship to support your career, without finding a way to support yourself without it, is an unsustainable approach.
So what can athletes do then to make up the difference? Most turn to personal training and coaching, and supplement promotions as additional jobs they can do. They have a lot of energy, enthusiasm and knowledge which they can apply to these roles and take opportunities in other fields.
The other factor we need to change is our mentality. Many athletes think that a win or trophy will mean that the sponsors will come knocking at your door. However, that is not the case. You need to knock on their doors and give them a reason to notice you.
It’ s about getting out there and networking to pave new ways to make money, be it a new business venture or a sponsorship. With that, I welcome anyone who needs assistance to contact me to discuss any idea about how we can financially grow together and help promote the sport in any way we can. At the end of the day, nothing is impossible. Impossible is merely a big name thrown over small men.
DYLAN RIDLEY
GREETINGS FITNESS FREAKS, FANATICS AND ENTHUSIASTS.
First and foremost a big thank you to the Muscle Evolution team for featuring me on the cover in the September issue, and for this great opportunity and honour to feature as a regular columnist.
As you may know, I am a personal trainer at Bodyguru Umhlanga. Helping people achieve their goals is a great passion of mine. Encouraging, motivating and empowering other people has a positive effect on my life and training. If you want to be encouraged and motivated, pay it forward. You’ ll be amazed how it has the same effect on you.
So today my way of paying it forward is helping you, the reader, achieve your desired physique. The first thing that comes to mind is finding out what works for your body type.
I recently competed in the KwaZulu-Natal and SA IFBB Championships. What I brought to stage this year I felt was, by far, my best condition to date. This year’ s prep was completely different to any other preps I have gone through. My coach Marius Dohne from BTD and I experimented with different techniques finding what worked optimally for my body type. So I have first-hand experience.
You need to find out what foods, supplements and training techniques will suit you best, giving you optimum results. Nothing is set in stone. What works for me does not necessarily work for you.
As the late and great Chris Scott always used to tell me“ one man’ s poison is another man’ s meat”.
Most gym goers are willing to give you advice at the drop of a hat. My understanding when it comes to advice like that is that either they are speaking from their own experiences, someone else has told them to try something or they have been cruising the interweb picking up tips here and there. Don’ t get me wrong all these things could be hugely beneficial to you but I believe for optimum results and growth you must be willing to experiment and never“ conform to the norm”.
If needs be, keep a journal, write down how you react to different foods, carbs, proteins and supplements. Which carbs give you more energy? Is it oats, white rice, basmati rice or brown rice? What source of protein agrees with you more? Beef, chicken, fish or eggs? Knowing what works for you can make all the difference in achieving your goals quicker.
Be willing to change up your training regime. Try new exercises, new routines, experiment on attacking the muscle group from different angles. Even go to the extent of training at different times of the day, try all options to really get to know and understand your body.
To assist you on this quest of getting to know what works for you, consider bringing an experienced coach on board. Dealing with many different body types day in day out, a coach can help you fast-track this whole process by putting you on the right path.
Stay focused and stick to the winning formula …. train hard, eat hard, sleep hard!
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