Post Show: Expectations, Habits & Perfectionism
Want to delve deeper into the in’s and out’s of post show and make your next transition into the off season as seamless as possible? Read on as we give you an insight into one of the many chapters from the best selling The Post Show E-Book, the only resource of its kind that gives you all the knowledge, science and real life strategies you need and that can immediately implement prep, during and post prep. Here is all of the content we cover below:
There is something to be said about imagining things into existence….both good and bad. If everyone around you is saying something is going to be bad, this might make you expect it and therefore look more for it. This naturally ensures that the universe gives you the bad experience that you have essentially manifested. But, not everyone is going to struggle post show. Even if all you see around you is people talking about how hard it is, you might be one of those people who doesn’t struggle.
The same goes for each time you enter this phase. One time you may find it easy, the next not so much & vice versa. Each prep is completely different, so naturally each experience as a whole may be too.
Bodybuilding & prep is often centred around perfectionism, ticking the boxes, pushing through…These things that act as anchors during prep could be THE thing that derails you post show. ‘COULD’ being the operative word here. No one knows you like you do. So this is when self awareness, and also learning more about yourself during prep, post-show and off season is SO important.
Off-season & post-show may be the time where consistency trumps perfectionism. The time where not striving for 100% all of the time will be beneficial. Being strict & regimented may work for some people, but for others an 80/20 approach may work better in terms of longevity & overall enjoyment.
An all-or-nothing attitude can cause the cycle of feeling like one slip up means you’ve ‘ruined it’ & may as well continue down that path. It doesn’t have to be that way. Cut the fuse & break the cycle. Find the approach that works for you, not what you think everyone else is doing or the option that you think makes you more of a ‘real athlete’. Similarly, a stricter, ‘all-in’ approach may work best for others & that is completely okay too! There really is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to any of this.
The approach you choose may also need to be tweaked for different stages of your journey.
An example we like to use is being in a boxing ring.
If you keep on throwing the same right hook at your opponent, I can be confident in saying that your opponent is going to catch on pretty quick. Whereas if you throw right hooks, left hooks, uppercuts and jabs, you are more likely to be successful and not caught off guard.
Life is going to throw a lot at you, especially during prep and post-show. Stop throwing that right hook and practise that uppercut instead.
Communication will also be key when it comes to post-show. Communicating with your coach, friends, family, co-workers, partner etc. Let them know how they can support you. There will be some people that are not supportive, and are unnecessarily being mean or difficult. There will be people who don’t want to understand. Ensure you keep your eyes and ears open for those who are asking questions, who are trying, maybe saying something but not in the right way.
As much as you might lead yourself to believe that they are the bad guys, a lot of the time they are the ones that are trying to help, but they don’t actually know how to. They might be speaking Spanish when it’s actually Portuguese that you’re after. But, unless you talk to them and explain what is going through your mind/ what you need…then they will continue speaking Spanish, become more frustrated and less inclined to help you. They can’t read your mind, teach them Portuguese.