When You Put In The Work...

If you followed my blog during my off-season, you recognize the term "Operation Build-A-Back". One of my goals after last year's shows was to build a better back. At the end of last season, I felt pretty good about my physique but knew I could definitely improve the thickness of my back and create a better v-taper. With this in mind, Operation Build-A-Back was born!

In my "So, What Exactly Are You Doing?" post, I not only shared what my off-season goals were but also one of the early workouts of Operation Build-A-Back. In January, I was whining to Tom aka The Boss #2 about being squishier than I liked and not instantly seeing differences in the way my back looked. Each time we were in the gym and I would whine about my back not growing, he would tell me to shut my mouth please be quiet, be patient, and do the work. I would grumble under my breath but would ultimately nod my head and get back to work.

Tom shared his thoughts with you after one of his brutal creations in his guest post "And Now A Message From the Trainer". That workout was a bitch beast!! I remember thinking I wasn't going to be able to make it through the next rep let alone finish the workout. Tom is such a joker and we laugh often but very rarely in the gym. For us, the gym is serious work and conversation & laughter can wait until the drive home. This particular day was no difference. In fact, I remember thinking he was a bit more serious and bossy than usual. As we often do post-workout, we talked about what the exercises I did were and what the reasoning for doing them was. I questioned some of the things Tom said but he reassured me it would be worth it. He constantly told me over the course of my off-season that he and The Boss #1 had a plan. My job was to do the work and trust, not only the plan, but both of them. I huffed, rolled my eyes, and said a few curse words but in the end, I would nod my head and get back to work.

I was able to share yet another "Tom Is Trying To Kill Me Under the Guise of Building My Back" creation in a video that we put together. Off-season training was in full effect and the This Is How We Do It  post was my way of showing everyone, including myself, that I was serious about laying the foundation for the 2012 season. It wasn't quite time to begin prepping for my first show so I complained about looking pudgy in the video but Tom helped me keep it in perspective by pointing out certain parts of my back that were showing improvement. I used the words "improvement" and "beast mode" to help me keep moving forward and pushing the weight while I waited to start peeling off the layers.

So, you might be wondering what my point is. My point is this, The Boss #1 and #2 had a great plan for November 2011-March 2012. They knew improvements could be made if I stayed the course and put in the work that was necessary. I didn't doubt them but I doubted myself at times. I wasn't sure if I was actually improving, changing, transforming. While I would nod my head and do the work, I wondered what the end result would be.

In the end, I didn't have to question if I made any improvements. All I had to do was look at the picture below.

October 2011 on the left. July 2012 on the right

Soon, it will be time for another off-season. I've decided to think of it as Modification Mode. Just like the definition of modification reads, I will be changing and it will be influenced by my environment aka my workouts, dedication, and desire to win.