Ever felt a little burnt out? You know what I mean – those times when you find yourself dragging a little bit when it’s time to go to the gym. Or when you notice that, as you’re scrolling through Instagram watching all these huge lifts, you’re feeling more discouraged than inspired. Maybe it happened after your last meet sucked. Maybe it was after the meet of your life! Whatever the case may be, there are some points in a training career when you start to realize that you’re a little less motivated to train than you have been in the past.

That’s where I’ve been for almost a full year now, and despite pushing through those feelings and having some incredible meets – winning the US Open, setting a world record at Reebok Record Breakers – I did so very much despite my level of enthusiasm and not thanks to it.

Now, contrary to popular belief, motivation isn’t something that ebbs and flows very much. Oftentimes, when we think we’re feeling unmotivated, we’re actually confusing motivation with feelings like excitement, energy, or focus. My motivation is absolutely just as strong as it ever was. But I need a new challenge! I need something different, a change of pace, a new environment, to help break this rut.

That’s where bodybuilding comes in.

Honestly, this new adventure is something I’m really, really excited about, for a couple of reasons:

  • If you look at the history of physical culture, most of the true legends of the iron game – men like Eugen Sandow, John Grimek, Bill Kazmaier – they were all about more than just strength. I’ve devoted the last six years of my life to earning a doctorate in the history of physical culture, so earning a part of that kind of legacy is really important to me.
  • Bodybuilding will – without a doubt – help my powerlifting. In fact, it’s exactly what I need to improve as a powerlifter. You know, if you’ve been following my coaching log, that I am fully invested in developing balanced, mindful strength, and that I credit a huge part of my success in powerlifting to that. Feeling burnt out, like I am now, doesn’t allow for the kind of balance and mindfulness I need to perform at my best. A change does.
  • Bodybuilding will also make me a better coach. Dave Tate has written extensively about this, and Elitefts used to really stress the importance of embracing “the dark side:” those things we can learn from disciplines outside our own that can make us more well-rounded, knowledgeable, and help to live, learn, and pass on. In this case, understanding dieting strategies, hypertrophy-specific training, and building a mind-muscle connection through new and different cues and positioning will all help me to help my athletes improve and reach their own varied and demanding goals.
  • I won’t lie. I wanna look good. Real talk, who doesn’t want another couple inches on their arms and shoulders?

I’ll be sharing my venture in bodybuilding in super high-quality video here and on YouTube, and I’d love it if you followed along, asked questions, and basically help me to get closer to the goals I laid out here.

And I promise, like I said in the video: I’m not done with powerlifting. I never will be.

Ben