I hear it over and over, people not doing what they want because of some self imposed hurdle. I will compete when I can lift x amount, I will change gym when I’m in this shape, I won’t wear a bikini when I weigh x amount. Until you decide to do it there’s a big chance it won’t happen.

1. I hear it over and over, people not doing what they want because of some self imposed hurdle. I
will compete when I can lift x amount, I will change gym when I’m in this shape, I won’t wear
a bikini when I weigh x amount. Until you decide to do it there’s a big chance it won’t happen.
Nike got it right with their ‘Just do it’ moto, last weekend I won the title of British bench press
champion and got an invite to the IPF world championships almost purely by just turning up. I
was the only person in my class that day so should I feel uncomfortable with the title? There
will be people out there who say “well I could have done that”. But I did something they didn’t
do; I turned up and lifted more than anyone else there.
So lifting more than me is great, turning up is great but if you don’t do both it doesn’t count,
winning by default is of course easier but those two things have to occur. If the other guy

2. doesn’t want to train, get stronger than me, set the comp date in his calendar, do a qualifying
meet, drive 2hours on a Sunday morning, pay the admission fee, buy all the lifting clothes,
weigh in and do the meet then maybe it’s not a case he couldn’t do it but was unwilling to
make the sacrifices and commit so could have doesn’t cut it I’m afraid.
For those worried about not entering a comp until you are good enough to win.. Let me ask,
would you enter a marathon based only on if you can win? Even if you don’t get the time you
want it’s better than not showing up and not getting a time (and you become a runner not just
someone who runs).
Your debut into your new job, first race/ competition doesn’t have to be world class. It is the
day you go see what you are training for, what your strengths and weaknesses make sure the
path you have been on is setting you up to progress not skirting around what you secretly
know you should be doing.
Now this does not mean you should go in completely unprepared but when and are making
glacial speed progress, a competition/ test may be just the thing to give your progress a boost (at
least after if not before). You get to see likeminded people, get some real world advice.
When there is a date set you stop theorising and procrastinating and you start to see all the
subtleties in peaking/ preparing and often a side to the sport you wouldn’t have experienced or
considered, you start having to look at your training, weaknesses and progress more critically.

3. To recap, you will gain a lot from the experience, you may win/ lose but go in with your eyes
open and you will come out better. Even if you win by being the only one there, you win
because no one else turned up and beat you.
It can be the same case in buying something at auction, a job, a date, a lottery ticket, some
things are just there if you decide you want it, and some things are more competitive than
others but until you set a date to do whatever it may be, consider that a dream not a goal.
So to recap, if you want fast progress, if you have an ambition the one thing you must do is just
turn up!
Source: http://rpfitness.co.uk/14158-2/