Click Here to Watch: The Hard Reality of Natural Bodybuilding
The Hard Reality of Natural Bodybuilding
The one thing about natural bodybuilding or getting into shape without using drugs, that you never hear about.
I’m going to tell you exactly what it is.
I’m getting ready for my first natural bodybuilding competition here in America. I’m really focused. I’ve been training hard for years, and I’ve finally been able to realize my dream going from 125 pounds to being able to be in a place where I really feel like I’m going to belong on stage and look fantastic.
And the day before the competition, I meet someone who I hadn’t seen in a very long time.
He looked at me and he said,
“Kevin, what’s going on?
Did you stop training?”
Yes, that happened.
I was in, up to that point, the best shape in my entire life. But when he saw me in clothes, he asked me if I’d stopped training.
Why is that?
To find out why and understand a little bit more about some of the unspoken realities of what it means to get to a really low body fat percentage, either for natural bodybuilding competitions or just cutting up to get into really great shape.
So in this video we’re talking about what happens, what’s the reality of getting really lean, having that six pack, having every single muscle clearly defined, having your body fat percentage being really low.
But before I go any further, I would like to thank everyone for tuning in, especially those who say this should be a one stop place for anyone interested in training naturally without drugs or supplements.
Kevin’s First Natural Bodybuilding Competition in the US
So the reality of getting into fantastic shape, like I said, my first major natural bodybuilding competition in America, I was really stunned when a friend of mine saw me and thought that I had stopped training.
And here’s the reason why, because I was dramatically smaller, much smaller.
I was off season, up to 252 pounds, the heaviest weight of my entire life. And for my first big contest here in America, I had cut down to 209 pounds. That’s a pretty big difference. And I did pretty fast period as well.
The Reality of Losing Size Pre-Contest or When Cutting Down
If you’re 252 pounds, and you cut down to 209 pounds, you lost a lot of weight and a lot of size. You’re not going to look the same way.
Your clothes are going to be falling off of you. You’re also probably, if you go really low in the body fat percentages into the low single digits, you will not by any stretch of the imagination look massive.
How Drugs Distort What Natural Athletes Expect to Look Like
We are very accustomed now to seeing actors literally transform and somehow go to the gym, start working out really hard and they get bigger and more defined within a matter of months.
What they don’t tell you is the fact that they’re using drugs.
I can tell you for a fact that it is impossible as a natural athlete to not get smaller as you become more and more defined.
And a lot of men are really surprised when they cut down and find themselves putting their clothes on and feeling really small in that it’s not something that they expect.
And unfortunately, because like I said before, we don’t talk about it, it comes as a surprise.
The Real Reason Getting More Defined Naturally Can Frustrate Men
So let’s get to the central issue, which is the fact that most of us, myself included, when we start bodybuilding, we do it because we want to get bigger.
We want to have an impressive physique. We’re not doing it necessarily to get smaller. And that’s what happens.
And so for a lot of people, it can be a real blow because it goes contrary to everything you’re trying to achieve. You’re working so hard in the gym, you’re doing your best with your diet, you’re cutting down, you’re seeing the results from all the hard work you’re putting in, and yet when you put your clothes on, you will look like you’re not really working out.
Now what happens is you look like this:
but you feel like this:
That can be really hard. It can play tricks on your mind. So it’s really important going in, knowing exactly what the outcome’s going to be.
With your clothes on, you’re going to look smaller. And I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self that because it wouldn’t have been that much of a shock.
Natural Bodybuilders in Contest Shape Aren’t Massive
And if you ever went to a professional natural bodybuilding competition with some of the top athletes and you saw them right before a competition, even though they may not look huge in clothes, they are truly inspiring, nonetheless.
Natural Female Bodybuilders Aren’t Huge
As far as women are concerned, I think everyone should see a high-level natural female bodybuilder, pre-contest up close.
They are tiny. Again, tiny. They’re not huge. They’re not jacked, absolutely not. As a natural athlete, without steroids women do not get that big. And they’re much smaller than you might imagine if you actually stand next to them.
Now that being said, when your shirt comes off and you’re in really, really good condition, it is exceptionally impressive, which is why bulking has never been part of my philosophy.
And my whole idea is maintaining a lean as possible physique all year round and then slowly building muscle, even if it means staying smaller.
Being Big and Defined Naturally Can Take A Long Time
But again, even though you’re slowly building muscle while you’re staying lean, this is going to take years.
And I think I sound like a broken record whenever I talk about the fact that building quality muscle naturally and without drugs takes years because I think we’re just not hearing enough of it. And you need to really have that wrapped around your head.
Training Naturally As A Path of Self Improvement & Self Discovery
Plus, you have to understand that being a natural athlete is a path of self-discovery and self-improvement.
It’s you being the best you can possibly be. And for that, you don’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. So I’m telling you, focus on yourself. Focus on the journey. The rewards are exceptional.
You’ll be healthier, you’ll look fantastic, you’ll feel fantastic. Don’t worry about the fact that people say you look smaller in clothes, and over time you will get bigger.
And if you stick with it for years and years and years, you may get big enough where you look like you lift weights, even though you are on the lean side. So, stay the path, stay natural. Know I believe in you, and as always, Excelsior!
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Featured everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to CBS News, Kevin Richardson’s Naturally Intense High Intensity Training have helped hundreds lose weight and transform their bodies with his 10 Minute Workouts. One of the top natural bodybuilders of his time, Kevin is also the international fitness consultant for UNICEF and one of the top personal trainers in New York City.
