Training

Here is a short summary:

1. Increase the number of mitochondria in your muscle cells and increase your strength and strength endurance
2. By maintaining the health of your mitochondria, you can potentially control metabolic disease and heart disease, as well as lower your risk of prostate cancer, diabetes and hundreds of other diseases.
3. By increasing your mitochondrial density, you can potentially live much longer and increase your chances of never seeing the inside of a hospital.
4. You can easily influence your mitochondrial health and density through exercise and dietary manipulation.

You are electric

Every millisecond, hundreds of thousands of tiny cellular components called mitochondria pump protons across a membrane to generate electrical charges equivalent to the force of a lightning strike over a distance of a few micrometers.

And if you look at energy in general, gram for gram your body generates 10,000 times more energy than the sun - even when you're sitting still. Each cell contains an average of 300 to 400 of these often-ignored energy-producing cellular organs - about 10 million billion in your entire body. If you somehow managed to stack all your mitochondria and put them on a scale, these mitochondria would make up roughly 10% of your body weight. The whole thing is even more amazing when you consider that these mitochondria have their own DNA and reproduce independently. That's right, they are not part of you. They are in fact alien life forms, free-living bacteria that adapted to live in larger cells about two billion years ago.

But they are not parasitic in any way. Biologically, they are symbionts and without them you could hardly move a muscle and without them none of the thousands of biological functions in your body could take place. In a broader sense, mitochondria have shaped human existence. Not only do they play a huge role in energy production, sex and fertility, but also in ageing and death.

If you could somehow influence your mitochondria, you could theoretically double your lifespan without contracting any of the diseases typically associated with old age. You could avoid metabolic diseases like Syndrome X, which affects about 47 million Americans, while maintaining the energy of your youth into old age.

From an athletic perspective, controlling the vitality and number of mitochondria in your muscles could lead to tremendous improvements in strength and endurance that would not diminish in the years to come.

Fortunately, I'm not tempting you with things that might happen at some point in the future. Controlling your mitochondria is within your reach - right now. But before we talk about how mitochondria affect muscle strength and endurance, we need to take a look at some really mind-blowing stuff that will be the crux of tons of scientific research and innovation in the coming years.

Mitochondria, sex and Eve

Mitochondria are tiny organelles which, as the name suggests, are kind of like tiny organs - and like organs, they have specific functions, which in this case is the production of energy in the form of ATP - the energy currency of cells. They do this by metabolizing sugars, fats and other chemicals with the assistance of oxygen. (Every time you consume creatine, you are in a sense "feeding" your mitochondria. Creatine is transported directly into the cell, where it is combined with a phosphate group to form phosphocreatine, which is stored for later use. When energy is needed, the phosphocreatine releases its phosphate group, which combines with an ADP molecule to form ATP).

A cell may contain a single mitochondrion or hundreds of thousands of mitochondria, depending on its energy requirements. Metabolically active cells such as the cells of the liver, kidneys, heart, brain and muscles have so many mitochondria that they make up 40% of the cell, while other, lazier cells such as blood and skin cells contain very few mitochondria.

Even sperm cells contain mitochondria, but these are located in the flagellar tail of the sperm. As soon as the sperm cell hits its target - the egg - the tail breaks off and disappears into the deep ocean of prostatic fluid. This means that only the mother's mitochondria are passed on to the offspring. This happens with such unerring precision that we can trace mitochondrial genes back almost 190,000 years to a woman in Africa affectionately known as "mitochondrial Eve".

Biologists have even suggested that this phenomenon is the reason why there are two sexes instead of just one. One sex must specialize in passing on mitochondria with the egg cell, while the other must specialize in not passing them on.

Mitochondria and a long, long life

The popular idea of ageing is that as the years go by, we become more and more frail until eventually one or more parts break down beyond repair and we die.

The popular reasons for this include wear and tear or breakdown of telomeres - the nucleotide sequences at the ends of genes that are said to determine how often a cell can divide. In the case of genetic attrition, this does not seem to stand up to closer scrutiny, as such attrition accumulates at different rates in different species, and as far as the telomere theory is concerned, the decay of telomeres in different species simply shows too much divergence to pass the smell test.

Others say it's due to a drop in growth hormone production or a decline in immune system function, but why the hell is there such a decline in the first place?

What we need to do is look at the individuals or species that don't seem to suffer from the normal signs of aging. The oldest among us, those rare centenarians who appear on talk shows and brag about eating bacon every morning and drinking alcohol every day, seem to be less prone to degenerative diseases than the rest of us. They end up dying of muscle wasting rather than specific diseases. Birds also rarely suffer from degenerative diseases as they age. Mostly they fly around as they always have until one day their flying power fades and they crash-land in a sewage ditch.

The answer to the centenarians and the long, disease-free life of birds seems to lie in the mitochondria. In both cases, the mitochondria release fewer free radicals. And this is important because mitochondria often determine whether a cell lives or dies and this is dependent on the position of a single molecule - cytochrome C. Various factors including UV radiation, toxins, heat, cold, infection or pollution can cause a cell to commit suicide - or apoptosis - but the unrestricted flow of free radicals is what we are concerned with here. The underlying principle is this: depolarization of the inner mitochondrial membrane - by some kind of stress, which can be either external or internal - triggers a production of free radicals. These free radicals release cytochrome C into the cell fluid, which initiates a cascade of enzymatic reactions that fragment and dispose of the cell.

This observation led to the popular theory of mitochondrial ageing, which appeared on the scene in 1972. Dr. Denham Harman, the "father" of free radicals, observed that mitochondria are the main source of free radicals and that they are destructive and attack different components of the cell. If enough cells commit apoptosis often enough, it's like a butcher slicing up a pound of salami. The liver, kidneys, brain, immune system cells and even the heart lose mass and effectiveness slice by slice. This is thought to be the cause of the diseases associated with ageing. Dr. Harman is the reason why all kinds of foods on the market are advertised as having antioxidant power.

The problem here, however, is that Dr. Harman appears to have been wrong with his theory - at least in part. For one thing, it is difficult to target the mitochondria with antioxidant foods. It could be the wrong dosage, the wrong timing or even the wrong antioxidant. In addition, it seems that if you completely shut down the leakage of free radicals from the mitochondria, a cell commits suicide. That's not really the effect we're looking for. (This is not to say that eating antioxidants isn't good for you, but it's important to realize that this endless, single-minded pursuit of foods with higher and higher levels of antioxidants probably won't do much to prolong life).

Free radicals, in addition to telling cells to commit suicide, also appear to be responsible for fine-tuning respiration - which is also known as the production of ATP. They are involved in a delicate feedback loop that signals the mitochondria to make compensatory changes to their activities. If you completely eliminate or slow down the production of free radicals by external methods such as an extremely antioxidant-rich diet or medication, the membrane potential of the mitochondria collapses and apoptotic proteins are swept into the cell. If a large number of mitochondria do this, the cell dies. If a large number of cells do this, then the health of that organ or the overall health of the individual is compromised. In the case of free radical control, you seem to be damned if you do and damned if you don't.

So again we have to look at the old codgers and the birds. There seems to be a gene in certain Japanese men who are over a hundred years old that leads to a slight reduction in the release of free radicals. If you have this gene, then your chance of living to be 100 years old is 50% higher. At the same time, your chance of ending up in hospital for any reason is 50% lower. As for the birds, there are two things that help them. First, they can separate their electron flow from ATP production - a process known as uncoupling. This results in limiting the release of free radicals.

Secondly, birds have more mitochondria in their cells. Because they have more mitochondria, they also have more extra capacity at rest, which lowers the rate of reduction and release of free radicals.

This leads us to the following conclusion: an increase in mitochondrial density combined with a slowdown in free radical release would lead to a longer life free of most diseases typically associated with aging.

Mitochondria and a disease-free life

Because mitochondria have their own genes, they are subject to mutations that affect their health and function. If enough of these mutations come together, then this will also affect the function of the cell. And if enough cells are affected, it will also affect the organ/system of which they are a part. The organs most affected are those that are generally rich in mitochondria. These include muscles, the brain, the liver and the kidneys. Specific diseases associated with mitochondria include Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, various vaguely diagnosed muscle weakness diseases and even Syndrome X. Look at heart patients, for example. In general, they show a reduction in mitochondrial DNA of about 40%.

And as an indication that mitochondrial deficiencies may be passed down from generation to generation, insulin-resistant children who suffer from type II diabetes, despite being young and lean, have 38% fewer mitochondria in their muscle cells. Mitochondrial dysfunction has even been identified as a marker for prostate cancer progression in patients treated with surgery. Some of these mitochondrial diseases may not become apparent until a person with altered mitochondria reaches a certain age. A youthful muscle cell, for example, has a high population of mitochondria (about 85%) that are free of mutations and can fulfill all the energy demands placed on them. However, as the number of mitochondria decreases with age, the energy demands on the remaining mitochondria increase.

At some point, a point is reached where the mitochondria can no longer produce enough energy, with the result that the affected organ begins to exhibit diminishing capacity.

Certainly, mitochondria play a critical role in the development of a variety of diseases, and maintaining a high level of normal, healthy mitochondria could likely eliminate many of these diseases.

Mitochondria and bigger, stronger muscles

You can guess that muscle cells have a lot of mitochondria and furthermore, you can easily see that the more mitochondria you have in your muscle cells, the higher your performance capacity will be. The more mitochondria you have, the more energy you can produce during training. Examples of this are mallards and pigeons, both of which are known for their endurance and have a large number of mitochondria in their breast tissue. In contrast, chickens, which don't fly very much, have very few mitochondria in their breast tissue.

However, if you were to decide to train a chicken for a bird version of a marathon, you could easily increase the number of mitochondria in that animal - but only up to a point, as the number of mitochondria is also influenced by species-specific genetics.

Fortunately, you can also increase the number of mitochondria in humans. Chronic exercise can increase mitochondrial density and the more intense the exercise, the more mitochondria are produced. If you know a delusional runner who runs over 50 miles a week, tell them that 10 to 15 minutes of running at a tight 8 mph might do more for their ultimate energy production and efficiency than increasing their weekly distance.

The high-intensity race of short duration will increase mitochondrial density to a higher degree than long-distance running, which, although it may sound somewhat ironic, will lead to better times in long-distance runs.

Training with weights also increases mitochondrial density

Type I muscle fibers, which are often referred to as slow-contracting muscle fibers or endurance muscle fibers, contain a high number of mitochondria, while the different types of fast-contracting muscle fibers - type IIa, type IIx and type IIb - are progressively less rich in mitochondria, in that order. And while it is true that heavy resistance training can convert slow-contracting muscle fibers into fast-contracting muscle fibers, the relative number and efficiency of mitochondria in each type of muscle fiber must be maintained at maximum levels or the exerciser will experience a loss of muscle quality. This is what happens as strength athletes age. An aging individual may be able to maintain most or even all of their muscle mass through intelligent training, but a loss of mitochondrial efficiency could lead to a loss of strength. A study conducted on aging men concluded that muscle strength decreases three times faster than muscle mass.

Maintaining the efficiency of mitochondria while maintaining or increasing their population would therefore have a positive effect on strength and performance regardless of age.

Take care of your mitochondria and "feed" them

Fortunately, there are a lot of ways you can improve your mitochondrial health and efficiency. There are even some ways to increase the number of mitochondria. Since the main problem with a decline in mitochondrial health associated with age seems to be related to the release of free radicals, we need to figure out how to reduce this release over a lifetime. We could probably do this through genetic modification, but given society's fear of genetic modification of all kinds, we need to put the idea of introducing new genes into our bodies on the back burner. The least controversial way seems to be good old aerobic exercise. Exercise increases the rate of electron flow, which makes the mitochondria less reactive and thereby (it seems) slows down the release of free radicals.

In addition, aerobic exercise also reduces the rate at which free radicals are released by increasing the number of mitochondria. The more mitochondria there are, the greater the free capacity at rest, which lowers the rate of reduction and reduces the production of free radicals - ultimately resulting in a longer life. Birds give us further clues. They "uncouple" their respiratory chain, which means that they separate the electron flow from ATP production. Energy is then released in the form of heat. By allowing a constant flow of electrons along the respiratory chain, the release of free radicals is limited.

As it turns out, there are several compounds that, when consumed by humans, do the same thing. One of these is the infamous insecticide/fire-retardant fat loss agent called DNP. Bodybuilders are big fans of this chemical as it causes a breakdown of fat. Users of this compound are easy to spot as they would still secrete rivulets of sweat even in a cold room. The problem here, however, is that DNP is highly toxic.

The party drug ecstasy also works well as a decoupling agent. But aside from causing serious dehydration and making the mitochondria listen to techno music while having uninhibited sex, this drug has all kinds of ethical/sociological implications that make its use problematic. Also, aspirin is a mild respiratory decoupler, which might help explain some of the strange benefits of this drug.

Another way in which we may be able to increase the number of mitochondria (which appears to have the added benefit of resulting in reduced free radical release) is through the use of supplements such as Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ).

Although PQQ is not currently considered a vitamin, its involvement in cellular signaling pathways - particularly those related to mitochondrial biogenesis - may eventually lead to it being considered essential for life. It's been shown that taking PQQ can increase the number of mitochondria, which is pretty damn exciting. Other compounds that seem to work in the same way are the diabetes drug cyanidin-3 glucoside, as it has similar metabolic properties. In fact, cyanidin-3 glucoside has been shown in laboratory studies to be very helpful in correcting or preventing mitochondrial dysfunction.

In addition to increasing the number of mitochondria, there are a number of other nutritional strategies that can improve mitochondrial function.

• Coenzyme Q10 supports mitochondrial function.
• Creatine provides "fuel" to the mitochondria and may also protect the mitochondria from age-related mutations.
• Carnitine supports mitochondrial function.
• Lipoic acid supports mitochondrial function.
• In addition to its anti-estrogen/pro-testosterone properties, resveratrol increases the size of mitochondria and also leads to higher mitochondrial density.
• Nitrates, found in spinach and beetroot, improve mitochondrial efficiency.
• Calorie restriction has been shown to lead to mitochondrial genesis, which may explain how it allows certain species to live longer.
• Vitamin D improves the oxidative function of mitochondria.

The action plan

The solutions just mentioned mean you have a lot to swallow - literally.

After thinking long and hard about this topic, I've developed a strategy based on pragmatism and the idea of potentially overlapping supplements. In other words, I've taken many of the things I've listed, but almost everything I take has additional implications than simply protecting and "feeding" the mitochondria. And if these things have the added benefit of prolonging the life of my mitochondria or increasing their efficiency, then I'm on the safe side.

Here's what I use:

• Baby aspirin: 1 or 2 per day
• Coenzyme Q10: 150 mg per day
• Cyanidin-3 Glucoside: 6 capsules per day
• Resveratrol: 3 capsules per day
• Creatine: 5 grams per day
• PQQ: 30 mg per day

In addition to this, I have added a healthy dose of aerobic and semi-aerobic activity to my training.

The 100-year-old strength athlete

Will "nurturing" your mitochondria really build muscle, end disease and allow you to live forever? To be as precise as the current science allows me to be, the answers are probably "sort of" and "in some ways." Increased mitochondrial efficiency and density would allow your muscles to generate more power over a longer period of time, which should be a surefire recipe for more muscle.

Since many of the diseases that plague us can be directly or indirectly linked to mitochondrial function, there is a good chance that mitochondrial support could eliminate or alleviate many of these diseases. And last but not least, it seems that a long-term reduction in the release of free radicals could theoretically extend the human lifespan by around 10 to 20%. Is it worth the effort? That's your call, of course, but the whole story is too tantalizing and potentially too rewarding to ignore.

References:

1. Berneburg, M, et al, "Creatine supplementation normalizes mutagenesis of mitochondrial DNA as well as functional consequences," J Invest Dermal, 2005 Aug:125(2):213-20.
2. Chilibeck, PD, "The effect of strength training on estimates of mitochondrial density and distribution throughout muscle fibers," Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol, 1999 Nov-Dec;80(6):604-9.
3. Chowanadisai, W., et al, "Pyrroquinoline quinone stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis through cAMP response element-binding protein phoshphorylation and increased PGC-1 alpha expression," J Biol Chem, 2010, Jan 1;285(1):142-52.
4. Faloon, William, "Our Aging Mitochondria," Life Extension, February 2011, pp. 7-13.
5. Lagouge, Marie, "Resveratrol Improves Mitochondrial Function and Protects against Metabolic Disease by Activating SIRT1 and PGC-1," Cell 127, 1109-1122, December 15, 2006.
6. Lane, Nick, "Power, Sex, and Suicide - Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life," Oxford University Press, New York, 2005.
7. Luoma, TC, "Luoma's Big Damn Book of Knowledge," Punjab Publishers, Lahore, 2011.
8. Mortensen SA, et al, "Coenzyme Q10: clinical benefits with biochemical correlates suggesting a scientific breakthrough in the management of chronic heart failure," Int J Tissue React. 1990;12(3):155-62.
9. Petersen, Courtney M., et al, "Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria and Aging: A Review," Journal of Aging Research Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 194821.
10. Rucker, Robert, "Potential Physiological Importance of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone," Alternative Medicine Review, Volume 14, Number 3, 2009.
11. Sinha, A, et al, "Improving vitamin D status of vitamin D deficient adults is associated with improved mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle," J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Mar;98(3):E509-13.
12. Tanaka H, Swensen T, "Impact of resistance training on endurance performance. A new form of cross-training?" Sports Med. 1998 Mar;25(3):191-200.
13. Tesch PA, "Skeletal muscle adaptations consequent to long-term heavy resistance exercise," Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise [1988, 20(5 Suppl):S132-4].
14. Yu JJ, et al, "Mitochondrial function score combined with Gleason score for predicting the progression of prostate cancer," Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue, 2010 Mar;16(3):220-2.
15. Zorov, DB, et al, "The Mitochondrion as Janus Bifrons, Biochemistry (Moscow), Vol. 72, No. 10, 2007.

From TC Luoma
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/supplements/grow-muscle-end-disease-live-longer

Here is a brief summary:

1. Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) will increase your work capacity and provide structured periods of work and rest.
2. Training multiple strength qualities can improve your overall fitness and body composition.
3. Gym exercises can enhance a training program with weights. Using your own body weight as resistance can increase your strength and muscle endurance.
4. A supportive environment motivates exercisers to challenge themselves with difficult and often painful workouts.

Claw ideas

CrossFit has stolen from many fitness modalities, which include Olympic weightlifting, sprinting, powerlifting and strongman training, to name a few. Even if you're not interested in CrossFit, it can't hurt to use some of the ideas popularized by CrossFit to enhance your own workouts.

You need to look at the big picture. Every training style has its problems, but we also know that different training styles have their own merits. There's a lot we can learn from each other.

Here are the best ideas you can take from CrossFit.

1 - Every Minute On The Minute Sets

Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) sets hold you accountable for both work and rest. They force you to focus on doing a certain amount of work within a specific amount of time. During the remaining minute, you recover for the next round of work.

There are several ways to use EMOM. Here are two of them:

1. Load a trap bar with a 3 to 5 RM weight. Over a period of 10 minutes, perform two repetitions at the beginning of each minute. After this, you will have performed 20 reps with a fairly heavy weight in the amount of time most people would have performed two sets. This will increase your work capacity while continuing to use relatively heavy weights, which, if your priority is to be strong, will ultimately be more effective than simply doing intervals on the treadmill.
2. Load the bar with your 10 RM weight. Perform one repetition at the beginning of the first minute. Then perform two repetitions at the start of the second minute. Do one more repetition every minute until you can no longer complete the set within a minute. This will obviously become increasingly strenuous as the gap between the end of the last set and the start of the next set gets shorter and shorter. If you manage to get to 10 repetitions, then you are doing well. If you make it to 15 reps, then you're a monster from another planet.

2 - Train multiple strength qualities during a training session

For overall fitness and body composition improvement, training multiple strength qualities within a training session will produce excellent results.

Traditional block periodization forces you to train one strength quality over a period of time (often 2 to 5 weeks). More general periodization schemes let you work on a primary strength quality over a similar period of time while also training a secondary strength quality.

Periodization methods are effective, but you should not ignore the value of training multiple strength qualities.

For example, use heavier sets with lower repetitions, followed by strength training with multi-joint exercises (in the range of 4 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 repetitions), followed by 2 to 3 sets of isolation training / low impact CNS training in the range of 8 to 12 repetitions generally associated with hypertrophy, and finish with either strength endurance training or conditioning training.

An example program could look like this:

* Single-arm dumbbell reps and push-ups - per side

So you have a power exercise followed by a non-competitive superset for strength and then less CNS taxing supersets and conditioning on the rowing machine to finish.

3 - Use more gymnast-style exercises

Exercises such as handstands, dips on rings, rope climbs and pull-ups on rings are a great way to build isometric strength, build shoulder and core stability and work the shoulders, latissimus and triceps

One of my clients is a 40 year old corporate executive and father of two. He recently performed a handstand during a dinner party. Everyone in the audience thought he must be a superhero.

As these are bodyweight exercises, you should try to perform them as part of a metabolic cycle towards the end of your training session (once you have some confidence in performing the exercises, of course.

Here is an example:

It should go without saying that due to the lack of stability of the rings on standard dips, pull-ups and shoulder presses, you will need to be reasonably strong to perform these exercises, especially in a fatigued state.

Remember that many of these exercises are progressions of the basic exercises, so you should not attempt them until you are ready.

4 - The X Factor

Even CrossFit haters admit that there is one thing that CrossFit does right. It's creating a dynamic environment that encourages members to test their limits.

For a long time, many people associated working out with either boredom or punishment. CrossFit has completely changed that relationship - so much so that people both within the ranks of CrossFitters and outsiders often refer to CrossFit as a cult.

But how many people do you know who can't wait to do their back and biceps day at the local gym? Sure, these people exist, but there are very few of them. CrossFit has grown entire groups of passionate members who live to work out with their training partners. They love a challenge.

When you feel like your coach and the training community supports your successes, you become more committed.

Even if you work out at a regular run-of-the-mill gym, chances are you'll see the same people there on a regular basis. Don't be afraid to take off your sound-absorbing headphones and cheer on the guy who's trying to break his personal deadlift record.

And when that karma comes back to you a few weeks later when you finally try to bench press 170 kilos, you'll be glad you made the effort to become more a part of your gym community.

Do what's valuable and ignore the rest

Is performing snatches with high reps a good idea when you're exhausted? Probably not. Is training multiple strength qualities the best way to prepare for a powerlifting competition? No.

But just because a system isn't perfect (and every training system has its limitations) doesn't mean it's completely worthless.

Take a closer look at CrossFit (or Westside, or Poliquin, or Boyle) and find out for yourself what you can use from this methodology to your advantage.

By Dan Trink | 04/08/13

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/4-things-i-have-stolen-from-crossfit

Here is a short summary

1. Going on stage can boost your confidence. However, if you get too caught up in it, it will make you ego-obsessed.
2. Competing can improve your skills in the gym and in the kitchen, but it will make certain competitive athletes dumber and more dependent.
3. Competitive culture celebrates serious training and serious nutrition. This worldview encourages community building - but some of these views are stupid.
4. The pressure of competition can push you to exceed your expectations, but it can also push you to do things that can be detrimental to your metabolism and body image.
5. There are prizes you can win that are far more important than titles and trophies.

Should you compete?

A woman who transforms her body with the help of heavy iron will at some point ask herself the following question: Do I have what it takes to compete?

The answer is yes, you have what it takes. The more important question, however, is whether it's worth it.

If you are toying with the idea of taking part in a competition, then we should clarify the details. Let's talk about what you won't hear from competition coaches.

Here are the four most important factors regarding bodybuilding and figure class competitions that you should consider before entering a competition.

1 - Entering a competition

The good things

With the right mindset, preparing for a competition can be a tool for personal development. Just as when you speak or perform in public, you are forced to take some risks when you perform on the competition stage, which can help you boost your confidence.

You open yourself up to criticism from others and if you are mentally strong enough, you will be able to deal with your perceived mistakes, be proud of your progress and say to the world "look at the result of my hard work!"

And when you have done all this, then in any other situation you can say to yourself "this is a small thing compared to walking out onto a competition stage almost naked. If I can do that, then I can do this."

Preparing for your performance can give you a real boost of confidence. You need to be encouraged by your progress, of course, otherwise you won't feel the urge to sign up for a competition in the first place.

When you go on stage, you are basically making a statement that you have adequate body development and want to show it off. This is a bold move if you've never done anything like this before and in order to live an interesting life, you need these kinds of experiences that push you to your limits mentally and physically.

You can't be a wallflower and a competitive athlete at the same time. These two things are mutually exclusive.

All the preparation for a competition will make you ruthlessly aware that you will end up in front of a crowd and if you lack the confidence to do this, pretending to have it will work just as well. Faking confidence develops your confidence.

The bad things

Taking part in a competition means that you are having your appearance judged in public. Competing is all about paying a few judges to compare your body to the bodies of other women. You are paying to be judged.

If you take this idea first and let it become your world, you will end up becoming dependent on validation from others. You will need other people to constantly validate you in order to feel good about your appearance.

When you sign up for a subjective, appearance-based competition, you train yourself to worry about what others think of you. Of course, this is unavoidable to a certain extent in everyday life. We care what other people think about us because we are not sociopaths. We like to be attractive and it's natural to want recognition for the work we put in at the gym.

But if you fail to see the bigger picture and look at yourself as a whole person - not just a beautiful body - then dependence on validation from others will run amok. Your self-esteem will deteriorate when your looks become more important than your talent, intellect, passion, creativity, integrity and kindness.

If your identity only revolves around the approval you receive for your looks, you will become both narcissistic and insecure. This may seem like a contradiction, but it's not.

If you're not happy with yourself on any given morning, you'll be desperate for the opinions of others to validate you and improve your mood (insecurity). And if you're happy with yourself, you'll be eager for feedback from others on how good you look (narcissism).

The internet is full of competitive athletes who depend on "likes" and "favorites" and validation from others because these people can't validate themselves.

This is proof that it doesn't matter how spectacular your body looks. You can be a professional and an insecure narcissist at the same time. Getting more approval will not make you less addicted to approval. The whole thing is comparable to an addiction.

Does taking part in competitions have these consequences for everyone? Of course not. But you need to have a very solid body image of yourself from the start.

You need to love what your body can do - not just what it looks like. And you need to know that the opinions of others (positive or negative) don't really mean anything. Opinions don't reflect the value of you as a person.

Don't enter a competition because you think it will give you more confidence - it might not. Sign up because you are healthy on a daily basis. Enter because you are mastering your training and mastering your body in the gym.

2 - The competition preparation

The good things

You learn. You grow. You're training and eating more mindfully because everything serves a purpose to make you look phenomenal when you perform on the competition stage.

There is nothing like it. All aspects of your lifestyle become methodical - from your bedtime to your caffeine intake, from your meal timing to your bowel movements.

There is a plan and a compelling reason to stick to it. If you're tempted to throw caution to the wind, all you have to do is visualize how your race will go or how you want to look when you step onto the competition stage.

This conscientiousness about training and nutrition leads to self-awareness. You start to think like a machine instead of letting your feelings guide you when it comes to whether you train or eat healthily.

You will recognize how your body responds to continuous hard work. You will learn lessons that you will never learn if you don't test your limits to be ready on a certain date in the calendar.

Participating in a competition will make you look beyond the basics of sensible nutrition and training and you will begin to examine all the minute details. Healthy behaviors become strategic behaviors and many of these are things you will learn to love and use long after the competition is over.

The bad things

Some competitors learn nothing. There are two types:

The first type is a woman who is out of shape and believes that she will maintain the body she will achieve over the course of her competition preparation forever.

This couldn't be further from reality. Women who rely on trainers to overhaul their lives are the women who will never learn how to get fit on their own.

Signing up for a competition is the wrong way to get in shape if you're completely out of shape. Why? Because following someone else's instructions to prepare for a competition is an artificial situation. It doesn't teach you how to integrate fitness into your daily life.

It only teaches you how to make your fitness someone else's responsibility.

And no matter how good your coach's nutrition plan or training sessions are, if you can't integrate healthy eating or training into your life after the competition, you'll go back to your previous lifestyle.

The second type who won't learn anything is the woman who is already fit but hires a bad coach

Many trainers will insist that you stick to their every word and are completely dependent on them. They want you to blindly follow their instructions without thinking critically about your long-term health or metabolism.

These trainers want you to continue to need them and keep paying them so that it makes them look good when you win a trophy.

This can even be dangerous if they starve you too much, push you to use illegal substances and tell you to do two hours of cardio every day.

Sure, you might look perfect on race day, but your body will be a wreck afterwards and you won't know how to eat right. What's the point of this?

I can't tell you how many women have contacted me after working with a race prep coach to tell me they don't know how to eat.

Don't become one of those women. If you can't think for yourself during race prep, then you won't know when it's over.

Don't pay to be someone else's bitch and don't pay them to make you dumber. If your trainer is a dictator who tells you things that sound idiotic, run.

Learn for yourself how to get fit before you hand over the reins to a competition coach. Of course, it's even better if you get so fit that you wouldn't dream of handing over the reins to someone else.

3 - The culture

The good things

When you take training and nutrition seriously, it's refreshing to meet competitive athletes and other people who feel the same way - especially if you're usually surrounded by people who don't understand.

If people in your social circle, at work and in your family are not interested in nutrition and training, then it can become a burden to always have to defend yourself and explain your lifestyle.

It's frustrating to have people around you who don't understand why you, as a woman, want to build muscle in the first place. Or those who don't understand your food choices and assume that giving up cake and pizza is an eating disorder.

When you finally have other people with a fitness mindset around you, it's a relief. You can share your excitement with others, you can talk shop about training and you can pull a protein shake out of your handbag without batting an eyelid.

It's nice to have other people around you who get satisfaction from working their asses off on training and nutrition. It's fun to share ideas and tips with others. People simply want to be in the presence of those who understand what they are doing and why they are doing it.

It's just not fun to be criticized by those who don't take care of their bodies.

These shared values are a benefit of the bodybuilding culture. Nobody asks you why you train on the weekend instead of partying. We understand it. We support it. And we are with you.

The bad things

There's one part of bodybuilding culture that doesn't make much sense: the do anything to win mentality.

This mentality glorifies an unbalanced lifestyle. It says that everything else in your life has to go to hell or else you're just not "hardcore" enough.

This may be necessary in some respects for a handful of top pros out there, but certainly not for the thousands of ordinary competitive athletes.

If your competition preparation has you doing things that upset your family life, your finances or your long-term health, then you're a loser...no matter how many trophies you collect.

When you go on stage, your goal is to look like the epitome of fitness, but being fit should enhance your life - not distract you from what's important.

Oh yeah, you think competing is going to get you a career with money and fame? Sorry. There is only one Arnold Schwarzenegger. And nobody outside the bodybuilding world knows who the hell any of the other top competitive athletes are.

You're not going to make any money from competitions like this. You pay for them. You invest time, energy and money. A lot of money (competing in an amateur championship last year cost me over 3000 dollars). If competing ruins the rest of your life, then that investment is not worth the money.

There are stories of people who have lost their jobs, their partners and their bank accounts because of their obsession with competing. All for the sake of coming third in a local competition. But it doesn't have to be that way.

4 - The mentality

The good things

The pressure of competition preparation will teach you that you are capable of more than you think.

Whenever you ask yourself the question "Do I have what it takes to do this?" you will want to know the answer. And those who take action seek the pressure that comes with finding out. They test their courage.

Do I have what it takes to force five more repetitions? Can I still run as fast as I did as a teenager? Can I build bigger shoulder muscles? Can I cycle my carbs without needing my trainer to babysit? Can I stand in front of an audience and exude confidence?

You won't know the answers to these questions until you try it. People who never ask themselves what they are capable of will never find out. If you try things, you are more likely to try other things.

You will become addicted to finding out what you are made of. You will learn through trial and error. You will become less dependent on coaches telling you what to do. You will become encouraged and unstoppable.

The bad things

Competing can make you feel inadequate. Even if you've made tremendous progress, a competitive mentality can be a nagging reminder of your perceived weaknesses and failures. Your abs could be harder, your legs could be leaner and your shoulder muscles could be bigger.

Being aware of these tendencies can help you block them out. But if you let them run amok, not only will you be continually dissatisfied, but you may also consider using banned substances.

I chose to be a steroid-free athlete, but there are competitive athletes who use banned substances - even when they are preparing for their first competition.

I was so vulnerable and desperate to be better that I actually considered this before my husband set me straight.

And this was just an amateur competition. So you can imagine what it's like at national or professional level.... I'm not condemning the competitors who use banned substances. They work their asses off in training too, but I will never take competitions that seriously. There are too many risks and I like my body too much.

What if your metabolism stops working properly because your body has become addicted to illegal fat burners? Will your body still look as phenomenal later on without the help of T3?

Using banned substances has too much potential to mentally mess up your body image if you are unable to achieve the necessary muscle mass or definition without the extra support.

What woman wants to become dependent on illegal substances to maintain her slimness? We should pity any woman who has made the mistake of messing up her body and body image just to compete.

Will I do it again?

Even if there were no prizes to win, no judges to impress and no competition stage to stride onto, I would still continue to train hard and eat consciously.

Yes, I will continue to compete, but probably not with the same federation.

And this time I will focus more on learning new things and having fun than worrying about pleasing the judges.

Self-affirmation, autonomy and a fit body - these are the trophies that every woman can be proud of. And these trophies are worth more than the trophies you win on stage.

By Dani Shugart

Source:https://www.t-nation.com/powerful-words/beautiful-ugly-truth-about-competing