I hear it over and over, people not doing what they want because of some self imposed hurdle. I will compete when I can lift x amount, I will change gym when I’m in this shape, I won’t wear a bikini when I weigh x amount. Until you decide to do it there’s a big chance it won’t happen. Nike got it right with their ‘Just do it’ moto, last weekend I won the title of British bench press champion and got an invite to the IPF world championships almost purely by just turning up. I was the only person in my class that day so should I feel uncomfortable with the title? There will be people out there who say “well I could have done that”. But I did something they didn’t do; I turned up and lifted more than anyone else there. So lifting more than me is great, turning up is great but if you don’t do both it doesn’t count, winning by default is of course easier but those two things have to occur. If the other guy
doesn’t want to train, get stronger than me, set the comp date in his calendar, do a qualifying meet, drive 2hours on a Sunday morning, pay the admission fee, buy all the lifting clothes, weigh in and do the meet then maybe it’s not a case he couldn’t do it but was unwilling to make the sacrifices and commit so could have doesn’t cut it I’m afraid. For those worried about not entering a comp until you are good enough to win.. Let me ask, would you enter a marathon based only on if you can win? Even if you don’t get the time you want it’s better than not showing up and not getting a time (and you become a runner not just someone who runs). Your debut into your new job, first race/ competition doesn’t have to be world class. It is the day you go see what you are training for, what your strengths and weaknesses make sure the path you have been on is setting you up to progress not skirting around what you secretly know you should be doing. Now this does not mean you should go in completely unprepared but when and are making glacial speed progress, a competition/ test may be just the thing to give your progress a boost (at least after if not before). You get to see likeminded people, get some real world advice. When there is a date set you stop theorising and procrastinating and you start to see all the subtleties in peaking/ preparing and often a side to the sport you wouldn’t have experienced or considered, you start having to look at your training, weaknesses and progress more critically.
To recap, you will gain a lot from the experience, you may win/ lose but go in with your eyes open and you will come out better. Even if you win by being the only one there, you win because no one else turned up and beat you. It can be the same case in buying something at auction, a job, a date, a lottery ticket, some things are just there if you decide you want it, and some things are more competitive than others but until you set a date to do whatever it may be, consider that a dream not a goal. So to recap, if you want fast progress, if you have an ambition the one thing you must do is just turn up!
Source: http://rpfitness.co.uk/14158-2/