Don't Listen To Bodybuilders?

I saw a link the other day to an article entitled, “Don’t take weight loss advice from a bodybuilder.”

The basic premise of the article is that bodybuilders are too extreme and don’t relate to the average person because their training and dieting is too hard and strict and blah blah blah. Whinge, whinge, whinge.

This struck me as odd. Considering bodybuilders take their body to the absolute extreme of body composition, it would only seem logical that a bodybuilder would be who you would seek advice from if you were looking to change your body even slightly.

Kind of like if you wanted to be rich and had access to a billionaire but didn’t want their advice because they were too rich.

I’ve long said that most clients will reach maybe 50-70% of the levels of change and strength in comparison to their coach. It’s not an insult. It’s simply because they don’t care about it as much as the coach does. 
If the coach is awesome: lean, toned, muscular, strong and generally looks fantastic then coming up 50-70% of that is pretty damn good. However if the coach is a fat, weak, useless git who preaches wellness, variety, flexibility, being happy with yourself, averageness and advises you to not lift that heavy weight, well 50-70% of shit is……..

Im not a bodybuilder. Not really anyway. Not in the sense of a person who trains to compete in bodybuilding shows. Although I guess a case could be made that I am one as I train and diet to get stronger and change my body by having more muscle and less fat. You know, building the body I want. But, I have absolutely no desire, no care, and no interest in competitive bodybuilding. To me bodybuilding shows are right up there with grass growing and paint drying.

With that being said, I like the look of bodybuilders. I like muscle. I like people who look strong. I like people who are strong. I like people who train hard. 
It’s because of that like, I train and diet the way that I do. Because I want to look something like that. 
Do I want to look like a Mr Olympia competitor? Not in the slightest. Even if my genetics allowed it, I’m not willing to do what they do to look how they look. I just don’t care enough to go that far. Which means I will only ever come up 50-70% (thats being kind) of what they are. And I’m ok with that.

If you want to achieve something, then seek those who are the BEST in that field. They have the best advice. They’ve done what you want and taken it even further. What you do with that advice will determine your level of success with your goals.

Choosing someone who is average because its more comfortable and relatable will have you doing the same old thing over and over and over and going no where.

In the context of changing a body, bodybuilders are the BEST at it. Don’t ignore what they say because it’s too extreme, too hard or too strict. You need to get out of your comfort zone.

How far you choose to take it is a personal choice, but choosing average over extreme wont get you very far at all.