Relentless Pursuit
By IFBB Pro Josh Wade
Feeling Burnt Out? Balance Is the Fix
Q: After training for so many years do you still train with the same intensity, or do you get burnt out? I love training and am thinking of switching into personal training as a profession.
A: That’s a great question and I think anyone would be lying if they didn’t say they got burnt out on occasion. Yes, I get burnt out and sometimes my training isn’t exploding with intensity, and sometimes that’s OK. Also, as a business owner sometimes my mind is distracted thinking about what I need to do for work, therefore my mind isn’t 100% focused on the workout at hand. There’s no way you can have the necessary intensity when you are distracted, and again that’s OK. Life and training are both about balance and neither one of them are going to be perfect all the time. The most important thing is to not dwell on it but move on and make the next workout 100% focused and beneficial! Training should make you feel good, accomplished and successful, as every workout is a building block for your mind and body.
Another thing that works well for me to keep me focused on training is to have activities and passions outside of the gym as well, like playing with the kids or coaching their sports, or even hanging out with friends. I think it’s important to surround yourself with a variety of people from within and outside the fitness industry which helps keep balance and perspective whether you compete or not. When you can at least occasionally separate yourself from always thinking about working out it can help, because that can reignite your excitement to train. The point is, you need to realize that bodybuilding for most will be a hobby more so than a way to make a living. If you approach it that way, it will remain more enjoyable instead of feeling like it’s a job every day. That’s not to say you can’t make fitness a living if that’s your choice as I have been able to do that, but most people can’t and won’t and I’ve seen lots of people who get so obsessed that they can’t see it for what it is, sacrificing relationships, jobs, etc.
I’ve been able to become a successful personal trainer, gym owner and coach not just because I love training and bodybuilding but because I truly care and take pride in helping other people accomplish their goals, change their physiques, help them build self-confidence and get them to a point they never thought was possible. That shows them with dedication and determination they can accomplish anything. If you go into any endeavor with the right mindset and reasoning, you can be successful!
Game Plan for Contest Prep
Q: Before starting prep for a competition, what are a couple of pointers you could give to someone new?
A: This question was brought up at a seminar I helped with this past weekend, and it became a great conversation and a realization that most people don’t know where they should be before starting prep or even how they should train.
First off and most importantly in my opinion is making sure your calories are high enough in the off-season. Then when you do start prep you have enough calories to reduce to make a difference in your physique and create a calorie deficit without having to do hours of cardio every day. This usually applies more so to women who think they are going to get fat if they eat a lot of calories in the off-season, which is wrong. Your body can handle a lot of clean food and calories; it’s the people who eat crap food nonstop thinking all calories are treated equal (IIFYM) that get fat. The point of slowly but constantly increasing calories is to keep stoking your metabolism and getting it fired up so that when you do make a calorie cut, your body responds and drops fat but keeps burning because there is still enough fuel to function and train hard! Then cardio can be used to put you into more of a calorie deficit, therefore not having to cut calories so dramatically. Not getting calories high enough before starting prep makes the coach's job so much harder and in some cases impossible to get the body to cooperate.
The other thing I realized people have a misconception about is the way they should train when in prep. If you think about it this way, it will help everything else make more sense. Weight training is to build muscle; cardio and diet are to lose fat. If you start training with lighter weights and higher reps you could sacrifice muscle tissue, which will decrease your lean body mass, slow down your metabolism and prevent the muscles from looking hard. Training should never become easy or lighter. You should always try to push heavy weights under control. Even if you’re in a calorie deficit and not building muscle tissue, it will prevent muscle tissue loss and keep the muscles harder.
Approach your weight training in prep the same way you approach it in the off-season and lose the fat through diet restrictions and cardio. I hope this helps give anyone new a game plan before they decide to prep for a competition.
Strengthening the Immune System
With the COVID-19 situation, I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries as to which supplements can strengthen the immune system and help prevent infection. These are the supplements that I take every day year-round for immune system function and antioxidants, but they are even more beneficial at times of stress or sickness.
Allmax Immune-Boosting stack
Glutamine: 10g 3x day, upon rising, post-workout and before bed.
R+ALA: 2 caps (300mg) with first and last meal.
CytoGreens: 1 scoop upon rising.
Vitastack: 1 multipack with first meal.
Omega 3: 2g with first and last meal.
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Website: www.teamwadefitness.com
Instagram:
@ifbbprojoshwade
@teamallmax
@allmaxtraining
For more information, visit allmaxnutrition.com
ALLMAX is now selling directly to the consumer. Go to store.allmaxnutrition.com and use code JOSHWADE20 for 20% off.
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