Editors Note: Shorly after this weekend's NPC Jr Nationals, well known IFBB/NPC photographer Isaac Hinds wrote this brief editorial for his site Hardbody.com. I respect Isaac for not being afraid to come right out with his opinon and draw attention to a common problem in the industry for women and men alike. Every man or women that gets on that stage earned the physique he or she has. Don't let anyone else speak for what you did. And I mean anyone: trainer, manager, significant other, family, etc. Accept your placings with humility and be remembered as a gracious competitor and not a sore loser.
These may or may not be the opinions of the Rx Staff, but they are well thought out and articulated. Isaac is strong minded and well respected figure in the industry and Rx Muscle will always embrace and respect those who are willing to speak up. Look for more collaboration between Rx Girl and Isaac as the competitive season continues.
Getting your name out there, gaining attention and marketing yourself is a smart idea. An easy way to do that is through the Internet and outlets like Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and/or your own blog. Nothing earth shattering or new there, right? Right.
When you do it on your own, you have control over what you publish. Many times fans will post videos or talk about competitors and how they look or what's happening with them. This happens often and out of your control. It doesn't mean you agree with what's being said or how it's presented. Other times there are people who like to speak on a competitor's behalf, and when this happens they act as the messenger on behalf of the competitor.
This happened recently to a fitness competitor who was preparing for the NPC Jr. Nationals. Going into the show it seemed like a great idea. There were Youtube videos going up, posts on message boards and a bit of buzz. A gentleman posted on a message board stating, "I am officially her 'manager'." He goes on to say the competitor doesn't need his assistance when it comes to her diet and training. He goes on to say, " I am confident that she will be able to take home a pro card in 3 weeks!"
Awesome, right? Meh, not so much when you see the comments AFTER the show by this woman's "manager." One message board had the delusional fella saying the woman, "had all of these girls smoked in the physique round and her routine was top 2. Talk about politics.... WTF is the NPC trying to do?" His argument loses even more credibility as he compared this amateur fitness competitor's physique to that of Adela Garcia, the 4x Fitness Olympia Champion and 3x Fitness International Champion.
Needless to say this competitor didn't crack the top five at last weekend's event. Did it have anything to do with "politics"? No. It is the most annoying thing I hear people say. You win by the same politics you lose by. Show some humility and bite your tongue with the "politics card". If you're going to have a manager do the talking for you make sure you know what you're getting into. When they speak on your behalf you will sink or swim by their words and actions.
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