Thou Shalt Not, Competition Commandments

by Kris Pitcher

There should be vows taken prior to entering the sacred relationship of contest prep dieting. I've thought of a few, and you've likely heard these from me before. No judgment here, simply suggestions. Maybe this is like religion, or sex...topics you just shouldn't, but here we go.

Thou shalt not:

1. Cheat - Start your plan and stick to your plan, it's your plan. Stop cheating on yourself.
2. Lie to your Coach - Exclusion of information, not telling them things that MIGHT impact your progress, and outright pants on fire tactics put you at a disadvantage.
3. Repent with Cardio - You cannot absolve your sins with cardio. Period.
4. Procrastinate -  Your fellow competitors are already up getting going on their day, motivate.
5. Blame - Actions and choices are yours...even when you have a coach.
6. Whine - Choose how you present yourself, your competition is watching. If you are whining she's smiling.
7. Skip - Eat. Your. Food. Eat all of it, your coach knows what they are doing and have designed a program for you. If you aren't eating your food because you think less is better...you're going to stall and they won't be able to figure out why. You're doing #2 - liar.
8. Underestimate the Power of Rest - You must get your rest, and your sleep. You need recovery and repair. This happens at rest, while you sleep. Get your eight hours if you want to make gains and loose fat.
9. Drop the Details - The fine details matter in this sport. Get organized.
10. Leave your Cooler at Home - Take everything with you. Always. Have the meals you need, take an extra one on errands. Be prepared.

These are the 10 "thou shalt not's" for you to think about. Adopting these philosophies will help make you a better more prepared athlete with a stronger resilience. It takes a lot to compete, keeping your head together is a big part of that. You don't have to do everything perfect all the time, but keeping the important things in line makes a big difference. Keep these competition commandments in your back pocket. Happy training!