Over the past year, many of my good habits have fallen through, but one thing I stayed committed to was bodybuilding. As I immersed myself deeper into the art of bodybuilding, I began to notice valuable insights that extend beyond the gym and into everyday life – and thus I decided to write about what bodybuilding has taught me.
1. Responsibility
You could hire a fitness coach, a nutritionist, or even a babysitter that checks in on you daily, but if you’re not willing to put in the effort, no one can make you. This applies to everything in life. To improve, you have to want to improve, and more importantly you have to do the work yourself.
As Sartre said, "Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does."
Take responsibility for your health, your growth, and your life.
2. Start small
We often find things difficult not because we're not talented, but because we start at a level beyond our current abilities. Imagine trying to bench 225 lbs on your first day at the gym – impossible, right? But if you begin with just the bar, you’ll be able to gradually work your way up.
The solution to most complex problems is to start small. As Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
3. Patience and consistency
Bodybuilding revolves around three key pillars: training, nutrition, and rest. During training, we push your muscles beyond their limits, creating "micro tears" in our muscle fibers. Then, we take in nutrition in the form of protein, and finally muscle growth happens when we get adequate rest.
Anyone who’s spent time in the gym knows that muscle growth doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a gradual process that takes consistent effort, proper nutrition, and adequate rest over many sessions.
The same applies to much of life. We often quit too soon or expect instant results, when in reality, most worthwhile things take time and persistence.
4. Everyone's different
We all have different starting points – no one is built the same. Not everyone can be as jacked as Arnold or as fast as Bolt. Wisdom lies in understanding and accepting that, and still doing what you can to sculpt your life into what you want it to be.
Set realistic goals. Don't beat yourself up for not being able to be someone you're not. You are your only competitor – just aim to be a better version of yourself.
5. Work on your weaknesses
Bodybuilding is an art that focuses on not just muscular definition, but symmetry. True beauty lies in balance, where each muscle group is in proportion and complements the others. That’s why bodybuilders often focus more on their weaker muscles, bringing them up to match the rest of their physique.
The same principle applies to life. While it’s important to hone our strengths, we should also dedicate time to work on our weaknesses until they no longer hold us back.
6. Build systems
When most people begin their fitness journey, they start off full of motivation, but as time goes on, that drive often fades as muscle soreness sets in and results are slow to appear. This usually happens because they rely solely on motivation.
My story was a bit different. I didn’t start going to the gym because I felt motivated; hitting the gym began as a mental escape from other stresses in my life. I used to say, "I gym not for my body, but for my mind". Over time, it became a habit, and I relied on discipline rather than motivation to keep me going. I set up systems (shoutout to James Clear), scheduling my workouts on Google Calendar, to hold myself accountable.
One day, I came across the quote "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." and it resonated deeply with me. Without James Clear’s guidance, I had created a system that solidified my gym routine, and with this consistent behavior, I was able to make progress in my fitness journey.
The key takeaway here is, we can’t depend solely on motivation if we want to achieve something worthwhile. We need to build a system that acts as a safety net, to keep ourselves accountable.
7. Deload
In weightlifting, there's this concept known as a "deload week", where lifters reduce the intensity or volume of their training for a week, allowing their bodies to recover more effectively.
I believe the same applies to life too. There's this Chinese saying, "休息是為了走更長遠的路" – which can be translated as "to rest is to prepare for a longer journey ahead". To succeed in the long run, one must take rest seriously!