Wow. I can’t believe that November is already here! Where exactly did summer go? It didn’t quite hit me that winter has finally arrived until earlier this morning when I heard Christmas songs playing on the radio. Personally, I’m not a fan of the cooler months as I much prefer the warmer weather. I really can’t complain though as living in Vancouver, British Columbia do we rarely see snow or even frost in December. In reality it’s really not that bad. Not bad at all. In fact, life is pretty damn good for me right now. Our business is busier than ever, the gyms are packed, and I recently just signed a contract to become a Brand Ambassador for a famous sports apparel company that is very well known within the fitness community. So with business continuing to thrive and my health being at it’s best that its’ been in years why do I feel so depressed?
As I documented in my last few blogs I recently returned to the bodybuilding stage and competed in quite a few fitness competitions these past few months. Basically, I lived, breathed and ate bodybuilding for 3 entire months. I woke up religiously at 3:00am every morning so that I could do my fasted cardio. I trained with the utmost intensity every time I entered the gym on the very little calories in my gas tank. I dieted on low carbs and zero fats for weeks on end. And believe it or not, I loved every single moment of it.
Now the competitions are over. The competition season has come to an end. There is nothing left for me to train or diet for which leaves me struggling to find a purpose as to what to do with myself. I feel lost, I feel frustrated, I feel depressed.
Believe it or not, the feeling of depression is completely normal after a big event in a person’s life has occurred and has come to an end. Imagine getting up every day and spending the bulk of your waking hours focused on achieving a specific goal. In my case it was to place 1st in my class at each contest I entered this year. However the goal does not always have to by a physical goal. I’ve spoken with numerous clients and friends over the years about this topic. I’ve heard stories from clients who have achieved top academic honors, and/or who have become financially free of their mortgages and other debts only left to wonder – “What Do I Do Now?”.
Many people would think that once you have achieved your specific goal whether it be physical, educational, financial or family & friends oriented that the person who achieves this goal would be happy. Well, for the most part we are. At least for a few days. But then once the victory has worn off and the messages of congratulations and acknowledgements from others have stopped, the person is left wondering what’s next. If the person is not ready for this mental road block to happen it can lead him or her on a down road spiral which can sometimes lead to severe depression.
In my own case, I’ve seen this happen before. I remembered it happened about a week after my very first contest that I competed in. At first, I was so relieved that the show was over. The dieting had FINALLY come to an end. I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I could go out drinking with my buddies and take a week or two off from training all together. Well, I did do all those things and let me tell you after 2 weeks of “enjoying myself” all I was left with was a bloated, constipated physique suffering from severe water retention and lower back pain from the quick weight gain from my show. The physical change in my appearance was quite apparent to others (not in a good way). I picked up a nasty little sugar habit and felt absolutely terrible about myself. I had no desire or motivation to go to the gym and train. In the fitness industry we have a term to describe this which is known as the Post-Show rebound and it’s extremely common (especially with rookie competitors.) Luckily with time I was able to snap out of my depression and reignite my fire to get back into doing what I loved to do, which was Train My Ass Off!
Even though I am a competitive bodybuilder who strives for a low body fat percentage and lean muscle gain for the stage my story is not much different than a woman who wants to lose a few inches so that she can fit into her wedding dress for her big day or for a man who wants to look good in a bathing suit for his upcoming family vacation. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for helping our clients set both short term and long term goals. In fact, I demand it. I mean what’s the purpose of doing anything in life that requires work and effort unless you are trying to better yourself and/or the people around you? Where I take issue though is not setting the next goal that comes after the person reaches their initial goal.
It’s been a few years since my Post-Show Rebound episode. That experience was one of the worst of my life. An experience that I never want to go through again or that I would wish amongst anyone, not even my competition. This is why I make sure that all of our clients continue to set goals, both short term and long term. No matter how insignificant or vain the goal may appear to other people, all that matters is that it’s important to the person who is making it.
The first thing I do the very next day after a competition has ended is get right back into the gym. I don’t take time off from my training right away. I don’t even cut down on my intensity. In fact, I train even harder with all those extra calories in me. But once the show is complete I already have another goal in mind that very next morning. In this case, it’s usually not a physical one, but more of a mental one. I concentrate more on business, I make sure to interact more with friends and family who I may have neglected during my prep, I set financial goals that I wish to achieve and timelines to reach these goals.
My current goal is not to have an even more ripped six pack then I did a few weeks ago. In fact, my current goal has nothing to do with fitness at all. And that’s good. My mind was burnt out. My new goal though has reignited that fire again to go out and accomplish what I’ve set to achieve while at the same time staying active, fit and overall healthy.
Remember, you’ve got an entire life ahead of you. Some goals you will accomplish while others you might not. In my opinion the trick is to always stay hungry for more. Ofcourse you can be satisfied with the things you have accomplished but the last time I checked the word “satisfactory” means a letter grade of a “B” in school. For myself personally, I ain’t got time for no B’s, I’m only interested in A’s.
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove