REALITY BITES! FACING THE TRUTH ABOUT MAKING IT IN THE INDUSTRY
By: Tina Goinarov
"Food for thought:
Fact -most amateurs competing will not turn pro.
Fact -most competing will never make more money than what they spend to compete
Fact -most pros will never be Mr. or Ms. Olympia
Fact -ALL pros will never be able to live off of being a competitive pro bb for the rest of their lives.
Now, I see all the nice post about 'this is my year on stage' and 'I'm bringing a new package' or 'I'm getting that pro card' etc etc."
( Part of a post from the facebook wall of Bodybuilder Branden Ray)
Too harsh to read? The truth? Reality of competing? Would you rather just believe that this does not apply to you? It is not often that we read, see or find posts, articles and information about competing that are as blunt and to the point as this. I for one found this post to be that wake up call that maybe some of those who are training with the hopes of competing need to read and even those who compete need to see in order to realize that not everyone will live the dream and life of the rich and famous. Bottom line, if you are only competing because you think or "know" you will become the next Mr. Olympia than this is for you.
Now let me back track a bit to sort of give some light and communicate why I thought this was a great post and one worth sharing in order to spark a conversation and thoughts about the industry and competing. Now I know that for many who step on stage and compete, it is not about just that one track thought and nothing else. Many sleep, eat, breathe and live the industry and all it offers. It is a lifestyle and competing is just one of the roads or choices you can take. But...it is not the only one. This is a way of life that influences not only you and your overall health, but those of others. We train and go to the gym because we want to and not have to, we enjoy working out and sweating and seeing the progress and change. Competing on stage can be a way for us to challenge ourselves and see what else we can do or show off all of the hard work and what we were able to accomplish. And we are the ones who know that like anything there are positives and negatives, but we love it for what it is. If we succeed on stage and do well, we are inspired to continue and if lucky it can take one to another level or status in the industry. But as there are those of us who understand the reality of competition, there are some who do not, or choose not to. These are the ones who easily fall for the idea of fame and stray from reality so to speak.
With that being said, is it their fault or those of us who are in the industry who keep posting positive comments, or printing articles that talk about all the positive on being or making it as a pro?
I have to thank Branden Ray for posting this. I know that when I shared it on my page, the comments were so mixed. I had those that completely agreed, to those that saw some truth to it but were not competing for that only and those that were angered or angry and had negative things to say. What got me, was that those that saw this as negative also went on to 'attack' Branden saying that he was only bitter because he is not top ranked?! Really? Is that how bad some are willing to believe that competing is all sunshine and roses and only positive things come out of it, and when someone wants to shed some light into a harsh but realistic insight into competing, they get all mean and rude to the 'truth'?
I think it would be fair to look at the points or facts as he calls them, in a bit more detail to really understand the meaning.
"FACT - most amateurs competing will not turn pro/most pros will never be Mr. or Ms. Olympia."
If you have ever been to a show, you would have to admit that this is a very valid point. At the amateur level there are usually 100s of athletes that come out to compete and there are numerous shows of those 100s of athletes. So with all of the shows and all of those athletes, only a select handful will be noticed and seen as overall winners and work their way up the competition ladder where again a select few will become pro. With that, at the Pro level, not are you only competing with other Pros from your country but worldwide. As an athlete you have to be able to bring out something special that catches the eyes of all of the judges, meets the criteria and represents the best package for what the look is for the industry. You have to remember a few things too. As you move up the levels, sometimes you may compete at a level several times before you advance and win and then if you are one of the few that turn Pro, that is where most stay for years and years until they either make it to the Mr. or Mrs. Olympia or decide to stop competing all together.
This leads to two other points, "FACT - most competing will never make more money than what they spend to compete/ALL pros will never be able to live off of being a competitive pro bb for the rest of their lives." It is harsh I know, but think about it. Unless you have a sponsor or connection to a supplement company, it is expensive. Each trip to the store you can easily pay over $100.00 to pick up a few things. Than off to the grocery store to buy all of the clean and diet prep foods. For each show, the posing suit, tan, hair removal, hair and make up shoes, transportation, accommodations, time off of work, and the cost of a trainer and/or posing coach. And if you are one of the lucky few winners, there may be a small cash award, but that seems to come at the Pro level and it more often than not is put right back into paying for the sport or outstanding bills that took the back seat so that the competitor could pay for show stuff. Now at the Olympia level the money amount is a lot larger than Pro level shows, but even there you can see a huge difference in the top prize amount for the classes and male and female winners. But is winning one show going to bring you a life of financial freedom? Nope. That means you have to train more, compete more and pay for all of the same things over and over again.
This is a sport and industry that you have to LOVE and be passionate about. But it is also one where you have to be realistic and to fully understand that not everyone who competes will be the next Phil Heath or Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Just like being an acto
r and model, it seems that everyone wants to be one and believes that they are the next Oscar
winner and Super Model, but the harsh reality is, many try but few will succeed. I do not want to be the one to say give up and never compete, but I want to tell those that do it with only a one track mind that as great as it is to want it and believe it, be real and honest and truthful to yourself so as to not feel disappointed or deflated when it does not happen and maybe never will. Truth is, the truth often is hard to hear and accept.
I want to thank Branden Ray for posting such a real and truthful post and for letting me be able to use it and be inspired by it to write this article. I love that as athletes, pros and media we share all the positive and great experiences that are part of this industry and happen to each of us on numerous levels. But I wish and sometimes believe that if we shared the upsets, stresses and strains that competition can also have, it makes it real and honest for those who want to join the stage too. As hard and/or harsh as the FACTS of Branden's post may be, thing is...it is a reality. To succeed means to sacrifice and only for a small few does that success and sacrifice turn into the 'dream' of being the best.
To all of you who compete and do it for the love of the sport and lifestyle, keep doing what you love and for the reasons that make it that special and important to you. Wishing you all success for the 2013 competition season.
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