Being a bodybuilder is a 24/7 endeavor. There is no way around the fact that if you want to be successful, you must be willing to put in the time and effort as well as a ton of sacrifice. This type of lifestyle leaves little time for anything else and can be all to consuming. But what if your aspirations to be a champion bodybuilder or simply just a better version of yourself is taking up too much of your time and other obligations are getting ignored or put off until another time? Not all of us have the luxury of just being a bodybuilder. We have families, full-time jobs, and multiple jobs in some cases which leave us frustrated with the feeling that there is simply no time to be the best we can be physique wise.
I’m here to tell you that you can fit it all in, you can have the best of both worlds it just takes a little time and planning on your part to ensure everything you need is in place and at your fingertips when needed. Here are some of the things I do to make sure I can fulfill all my obligations and still work towards creating a physique I can be proud of.
1: Sunday is Meal Prep Day
At the end of every week I take a couple of hours and cook almost all the food, I’ll be consuming for the week. That means grilling all my meats, cooking my carb sources in abundance, steaming all my veggies and if need be taking a trip to the grocery store to ensure I have everything. Once cooked, I’ll individually package a couple of days worth of meals in Tupperware containers and store the rest of the food in bulk in the fridge so that it is there when I need more. This is probably the most critical part of staying consistent with your diet in that when you need food, it is there.
2: Be Flexible With Your Training Time
I used to think that to be successful I had to train at the same time every day and get my body into a rhythm. When other aspects of my life became a bigger part, I found myself getting frustrated with not being able to go to the gym at a predetermined time. So, what I do now is simply look for a time during the day when I have a “break” from everything else, and I go hit the weights. It could be early in the morning to later at night, and what I realized was it wasn’t when I went to the gym that was important it was that I was getting to the gym that was most important and regardless of when that time is I go hard and make it count.
3: Make a Home Gym
I know, there is nothing like a great atmosphere to get you pumped to workout. However, you may not always have the time to get to your gym or the hours may not coincide with your busy schedule. My advice is to set up a small home gym for yourself so that you have enough equipment that you can get a pretty decent workout in anytime you can. Grab yourself some adjustable dumbbells, some bands, an adjustable bench, maybe a stationary bike for cardio and use bodyweight exercises as well. You’d be surprised how effective this can be.
4: Plan Your Workouts
Sit down and map out your exercises for each day you’ll be training. This will limit your time wandering around in the gym looking for something to do. There is something about having a program written down that gives you more drive to be more efficient with your time because you know what has to be done and you can see the finish line. Another thing to keep in mind here is the location of the equipment you’ll be using. Try to remember where each station is at your gym then put something together that will have you going only a couple of steps to each exercise. This is a great approach for those who like to train on their lunch breaks during the day and only have so much time before having to get back to work.
5: Pack Your Protein
Protein is your best friend when building muscle and it’s always a great idea to carry some source of protein around with you. For convenience’ sake, and also as a huge time saver, I always have a couple of Zilla High-Performance protein bars on me. It is a quick, delicious source of high-quality protein that delivers all you need during the day to keep growing and to maintain energy levels. I also have a couple of shaker bottles with a serving of MyoGenin powder in each. Whenever I need protein, I just add water and drink. And by the way, if you haven’t tried new MyoGenin, what are you waiting for? This stuff is unbelievable.
I hope with the above tips I can save you a lot of time and most importantly frustration. We are all busy in our own way and being involved in a sport which requires so much time can be a very difficult task to handle. It can be done, and it can be simplified with a little planning ahead. Make use of my suggestions, keep your nose to the grind and work hard at all that you do. You can have it all if you really want it!
