Adversity is just another form of resistance that helps one grow! 2023 WNBF Washington State Natural RECAP…
This year I did 4 bodybuilding shows…the first one was in June and I really have nothing to say on that one besides that I was dealing with too many distractions–not the way to enter a show. My 8 week prep for this contest was distracted, lackluster, my conditioning was off, posing wasn’t very good, and going into a Professional Event against 3-5 other ALL NATURAL, CERTIFIED, PRO’S–you cannot be off and expect to be at the top of your class. As it was, I got served some humility tea. The good things that came from this event was the fire it lit under me and I ran into an old client that let me know how important and positive my influence was on them and many members of my old gym–how they are still motivated by me and speak well of me. The impact we make on others means so much to me. It was really timely that she (my old client) uplifted me with the mention right as I was feeling so low after the show.
I then had 15 weeks until my next show. Lots of motivation topping off my discipline tank upon which to energize and plenty of improvements to focus on, I was excited to get back to hard training.
But first, I would take a recovery trip to Tulum, Mexico for nearly two weeks.
It was hellishly hot and humid, but a fantastic and rejuvenating trip. On my second to last day I made my usual trip to the TULUM JUNGLE GYM for a beachside lift–the only lift of my trip as I was taking some time off for recovery. Here I got to feel at one with the training process, harmonizing my mind, body, and spirit, one rep at a time, toes in the sand, light jungle breeze, and an incomparable tropical pump.
I am very thankful for this lifting session. Especially since that night I crashed the motor scooter I was using on this trip and I wouldn’t have use of my right wrist for the next 13 weeks. So getting that lift in was nice…
(Picture of me minutes after breaking right wrist–note awkward angle of arm at side.)
In the crash, I managed somehow to not hit any other vehicle or get hit by them, or hit anyone or thing else besides the ground and the sand and rock shoulder of the road–this was despite being amidst the hotel zone traffic at peak time. I was wearing a helmet and did not hit my head, nor did I scrape up my body too badly (toe down to bone, scraped knee, scuffed hand–nothing bad), and I just swept the scooter up off the shoulder of the road and went to a nearby pharmacy and cleaned up with the help of a local friend that I was meeting. At the time, my wrist felt a little off, but I was more concerned with the beachside dance party I was to attend and stopping the bleeding from the three to four open wounds I had just opened.
About five hours later, after hours of dancing and an after party I was lying in the bed of the condo awakened by the pain in my wrist. My wrist had swollen up and in order to fall asleep, I had to elevate it and numb the wrist with ice.
The next day it hurt to move my arm. It seemed like a good idea to get the wrist looked at. I went to the international hospital and paid something like $60 for a doctor consult–it was a Saturday and the doctor wanted X-Rays to be done to confirm a suspected break. An X-Ray would’ve cost a lot of money and since I was heading back the next day, I just postponed the X-Ray and went about another beach party dance night with a light wrap about the wrist.
(Photo in front of condo I stayed at and right before heading to a beach dance party all night the last night of vacation–wrist wrapped like a burrito).
When I got back to the States, I saw the doctor and the X-Ray displayed a hard to see fracture on the SCAPHOID bone of the wrist that initially was missed but orthopedic review caught. This is a tricky bone to heal properly and is often overlooked, as it is rather small and has very little circulation in the area–so it doesn’t recover as well as other bones tend to.
So all summer, every 4 weeks, for 12 weeks (13 from incident), I went into the doc, got the cast off, X-Ray done, assessed, recast. If you have ever had a cast, you know how fun it is to keep it try, be itchy, unable to put on/take off some clothing, sleeping, bathing, and getting ready is a chore. Add to this, injury to a dominant and needed limb–say a right hand, and you’ve got a fun challenge.
Week 13 check up, I was just under 3 weeks out from my first fall WNBF show where I was scheduled to compete in Pro Physique and then I was going for my PRO CARD in bodybuilding. Here I would need to win my class and then the overall.
Here I was, in a cast for over 12 weeks, doing everything I could to continue to maintain and promote muscle growth. The whole time, I focused on what I could do, and not what I couldn’t do. I did as much as I could, with what I had.
I could tell by the orthopedics posture when he entered the room, that he had good news. The cast could stay off now–healing complete.
–Practice, practice, practice–posing and presentation is the overlooked and commonly underprepared element for most bodybuilders and especially newbies. (You will never feel like you’ve practiced enough–so get and stay sharp and hungry!)
So I had just over 2 weeks now to get used to having two full arms again. I had just spent the last 12 weeks training around the injury, utilizing grips that allowed just my foregingers on the handles so I could grip with either hand in the same manner. This helped me maintain symmetry and create similar activations for the muscles.
I got the chance to be creative in my approaches–especially for the arms–as I couldn’t grip with the right arm in a cast and the cast was rather restrictive.
I ended up producing one of, if not my best, packages to date. Most certainly improved from my Summer show that had left me very disappointed. Veritably so, the promoter of the show and fellow pro that competed at the summer show with me (in different class) was very vocal to say that I had done my homework and had vastly improved. Approval from your fellow bros and pros is a big and positive motivator and reflection that you are going the right direction.
My posing wasn’t as sharp as it could be in the PRO men’s physique, and I got third in a large and talented class. Am I satisfied with anything less than 1st? No. HaHa. But I am happy with what I brought, how I conducted myself, and I am very pleased with what I have learned and accomplished with this prep. I then barely missed out on winning my bodybuilding class and my shot at the overall! Barely! But the fact is, I didn’t think I would even do bodybuilding with all the obstacles in my way–so without much practice on the posing or focus on the leg development, I was surprised that I was able to bring and show what I did. From lucky to escape a scooter wreck intact and 12 weeks in a cast, to on the stage battling with the world’s best all natural bodybuilders…Am I grateful and relentless? YES! Adversity is just another form of resistance that helps one grow!
Bodybuilding Open Middle class, 5 minutes of judging (it went on for 20 minutes) and Photos from this event:
I know that my accident would have been far worse had I not been in peak physical condition. Being that I was in peak physical condition–I was able to escape the incident with minor injuries. The mindset that I have harvested and shaped during 20 years of strength training, enabled me to grow through the experience of the resistance and created in me an appreciative hunger to progress even further into the rewarding process of bodybuilding and strength training.
I have coached myself now in over 15 bodybuilding shows. Local, regional, national (NPC) and world’s competitions (WNBF PRO)… this was the most challenging and the most rewarding.
Take Aways:
-Muscles are a suit of armor…being in great shape makes you harder to kill and more likely to recover swiftly/fully from accidents/illnesses. (Not just lessening the incident harm, but in terms of mental/physical/spiritual fortitude).
-Attitude of Gratitude. Gratitude and depression cannot exist simultaneously. Choose grace, aka, gratitude–it is the lens through which to view the world.
-Focus on what you can control and appreciate what you have. Utility is the enemy of futility.
-If you don’t quit, you don’t lose.
-BEE who you want to cheer for.
-Proper preparation is the elimination of excuses and extinguishment of doubt.
-You must be the ultimate caretaker and curator of your dreams…no one is going to nor should care as much or more than you about your dreams, aspirations, goals, and life! Pick up your pom poms–cheer, scream, advocate, clap and promote! Fully invest in yourself and your dreams!
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