In every sport you have your overly confident people and to be fair as a serious competitor you have to have a sense of confidence in yourself. Especially as a physique competitor, bodybuilder, figure, etc. One of the criteria is stage presence, you need to be confident to step on that stage and be memorable to the judges. But when is it too much? There is a time and a place for everything, when you carry that same “stage” persona everyday it can be a bit much or even when you are putting down others based on your “status”. I’m a firm believer that humility is a necessity to have, you will not only go further in life, but people will like you and in return can potentially open up opportunities for you. Here are five reasons why you should remain humble as a physique competitor:

1. We all started somewhere. No one woke up with a body with “god like” features. You had to work hard to attain the physique you have now. Remembering where you came from, the journey in itself should be a humbling experience.

2. You didn’t do it all by yourself. You had support one way or another whether it was from a professional sponsor, coach, mom, girlfriend, boy friend,etc. Some one believed in you and contributed to your success.

3. Just because you are a P.A. doesn’t mean you struck gold. Most physique athletes know first hand that competing is an expensive investment. Just because you won a competition doesn’t make you an instant millionaire. For me and many others, I look at it as a stepping stone, remember the great Arnold started as a bodybuilder then from there transitioned to a international action movie star and then became a governor.

4. Win some you lose some. Just because you have an amazing physique doesn’t give you an automatic win. I’ve seem competitors, including myself, win first place at one event then drop a few placments on the next. Be proud of your accomplishments but don’t bask in the glory for too long, tomorrow is a new day.

5. There will always be someone better than you. This is the truth that people often forget, then when they lose they are sore about it. You can be a 12 time winner but there is always some one in the shadows training to become king or queen and eventually they will. Every year a new physique debuts, that’s what makes competition so exciting.

Whether you are a national level competitor, pro, or novice always remember we all have a common interest, celebrate your successes but always applaud others.

Photo by Mike on Flickr