If You Love Bodybuilding Can You Ever Retire?
Have you ever been passionate about something—a de
sire so strong it consumes your every thought of every day? Unless you fall ass backwards into success, being great requires a relentless pursuit towards your goal. One that comes with ups, downs, forks in the road, and tons of people telling you, “no,” “you can’t,” and “just give it up.” 6x Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates is famously known for comparing his historic pursuit of bodybuilding that saw him go from a skinny 150 pound kid, to the sports first mass monster, as building a brick castle. Each day he would go to the gym and add another brick. Days turn into weeks; weeks turn to months; months turn to years, and before long what started out as a single brick has formed into an enormous and spectacular muscular fortress.
The bodybuilding lifestyle has been the most fulfilling and most addicting journey of my life. Lifting weights and following a diet is hypnotic, at least for me. It tests my discipline each and every day. The endorphins, the pump, hitting new p.r.’s, the nausea after a brutal leg workout, the nausea after a week of no carbs, the nausea after eating a 5000 calorie cheat meal. It’s unlike any sport on the planet. But for many bodybuilders, after decades of hardcore training, they are able to stop cold turkey as if they were never kidnapped by its powerful narcotic grip.
I can’t count how many bodybuilders have either given up training or eating healthy once they’re off the stage. Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone, Chris Cormier, Paul Dillett – almost any and everybody from the epic decade that was the 1990’s. Initially, I would assume that these guys just stopped pumping grams of gear into their asses, but stayed disciplined with their training and diet. But then
I read interviews and watch videos where most of these guys flat out say they don’t train anymore. Where did the passion go? Did they just wake up one morning and say they’ve had enough? Obviously most of them still love bodybuilding either working for media outlets, starting their own nutritional supplement brands, training athletes, or like Dillett,by starting his own organization, the WBFF. But unlike most sports where training is a necessary evil to be great at another sport, in bodybuilding, training is the sport – it’s the name of the game.
It has been reported that Branch Warren truly sees bodybuilding as his job. He comes off at times as intensely abrupt, but to him this is how he provides for his family. We often hear guys like Jay Cutler, Shawn Ray, and Phil Heath talk about, “the business of bodybuilding.” Does that mean it doesn’t have to be fun though? Dave Palumbo is famous for saying, “if you do what you love, you’ll never work another day in your life.” So I question, do many of the professional bodybuilders today even love bodybuilding or is it simply a way to earn a living?
People appreciate Evan Centopanias a bodybuilder because of his attitude and mindset. He is one of the only bodybuilders who I feel could be completely satisfied with his career if he never won a Mr. Olympia or Arnold Classic championship. As long as he performs at his best each and every outing on a pro stage he’s fulfilled. Evan never got into bodybuilding to be a pro bodybuilder, he just enjoyed to train. One thing turned into another and a career was born. After Evan calls it a career and rides off into the organic sunset, he won’t turn his back on his nutritional habits and hardcore training. Will he shrink? Obviously to some degree, that’s what HRT doses will do to you, but to fall off the wagon like some of our heroes - he will not.
What I’ve come to realize is that many athletes only compete for adu
lation – getting credit; a pat on the back, a hi-five, a trophy, a check, a round of applause, or an ice cream cone with dad. If you’re truly doing what you love then retirement isn’t an option. I’m all for downsizing to take stress offbeaten joints, lowering blood pressure, and increasing longevity, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up the bodybuilding lifestyle. You can still find time to train, eat healthy, and enjoy the gym the same way you did before you ever found yourself in a first call-out. Or you can get fat and happy – what the hell do I know.
Until next time, follow me on Twitter @MattMeinrod or read my archived articles on www.MattMeinrod.com
