Podcast Summary
Bodybuilding requires extreme discipline and sacrifice: Bodybuilders' dedication involves strict diets, long off-seasons, and a passion for self-improvement. Businesses can streamline operations and reduce costs with solutions like NetSuite's cloud financial system.
Extreme discipline and sacrifice are necessary to succeed in bodybuilding, as exemplified by Ryan Terry's journey. He was driven by a competitive nature and body dysmorphia, which led him to start lifting weights at a young age. His dedication to the sport involved strict diets and long off-seasons, but his passion for self-improvement kept him going. On a different note, businesses can also strive for excellence and efficiency by reducing costs and simplifying operations. NetSuite, a cloud financial system, offers a solution by consolidating accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR into one platform, resulting in reduced IT costs, streamlined processes, and improved efficiency. Companies like NetSuite have already made the switch, saving resources and headaches.
Experience of working from a young age and seeking inspiration from male role models: Working from a young age instills the value of hard work and money, while seeking inspiration from male role models can provide dedication, discipline, and competition, leading to confidence and self-belief.
Starting young and facing adversity can shape a person's future. The interviewee shares his experience of working from the age of 14, which instilled in him the value of hard work and money. This experience, coupled with the absence of a father figure, led him to seek inspiration from other male role models. He found solace in bodybuilding, which became a source of dedication, discipline, and competition for him. The experience of stepping out of his comfort zone and competing in a bodybuilding show helped him gain confidence and self-belief. Despite the challenges he faced, he remained focused on his goals and was inspired by the way these individuals lived their lives. This early experience shaped his character and set him on a path towards personal growth and self-improvement.
From doubts to victory in bodybuilding: Through mental strength and balance, one can transform doubts into victories in bodybuilding.
Bodybuilding is not just about the physical transformation, but also about mental strength and pushing oneself towards a goal. The speaker's experience of competing in a national qualifier unexpectedly, despite initial doubts and fears, led to a life-changing victory and a deep-rooted passion for the sport. The journey from casual competition to obsession with tracking progress involved a shift from relying on intuition to relying on quantifiable data, but ultimately, the key to success was maintaining a balance between self-awareness and discipline. The speaker's dedication to bodybuilding was driven by the need to improve self-confidence and find a competitive outlet, leading to a successful career in the sport. Despite the challenges of obsessive tracking and the pressure to constantly improve, the speaker emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself and trusting one's instincts.
The Cost of Turning a Passion into a Job: Finding balance between enjoying your passion and not letting it become a labor or an obsession is key to maintaining self-confidence and enjoyment.
Turning a passion into a job or an obsession can lead to a loss of enjoyment and self-confidence. The speaker, a bodybuilder, shared his experience of how letting others control his training and tracking led to a 2-year lull in his career. He emphasized that bodybuilding is a lifestyle he enjoys, but when it became a labor, he lost the self-confidence and enjoyment that initially drew him to it. The concept of Ikigai was introduced, highlighting the importance of finding a pursuit that aligns with what you're good at, what society needs, what you can be paid for, and what you love to do. The speaker warned that turning a passion into a job can bring unseen costs, such as travel, obligations, and the pressure of failing, which can lead to existential pain. The key takeaway is to find a balance between enjoying your passion and not letting it become a labor or an obsession that takes away from the self-confidence and enjoyment that initially drew you to it.
Everyone's productivity and personal growth journey is unique: Experiment with different approaches and find what works best for you, rather than following someone else's prescription blindly. Stay focused on improving, even when faced with setbacks or obstacles.
Finding the right system or approach to productivity and personal growth is subjective and should align with one's unique needs and preferences. What works for one person might not work for another. The speaker shared his experience of trying to follow a rigid productivity system, only to find it stressful and counterproductive for him. He now values the freedom and flexibility of "free flowing" and has learned to embrace the imperfections and variations in his life. He encourages listeners to experiment and find what works best for them, rather than following someone else's prescription blindly. In the context of bodybuilding, the speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing the numerous variables that can impact progress and the need to be adaptable and patient with oneself. Ultimately, the key to continued growth and progress, regardless of one's goals or competition, is to stay driven and focused on improving, even when faced with setbacks or obstacles.
Proving himself against the best: The interviewee's drive and determination have helped him succeed in bodybuilding, pushing himself to be the best even with added responsibilities and challenges.
The interviewee's drive and determination have been key factors in his success in bodybuilding. He wanted to prove himself against the best competitors early on and has maintained that mindset throughout his career. He thrives under pressure and has always pushed himself to be the best, even with the added responsibilities of running businesses and raising a family. Despite the challenges, he continues to train for competitions and plans to keep going until he achieves his goal of winning Mr. Olympia. However, he acknowledges the importance of balancing his competitive ambitions with his personal life and obligations. The interviewee's story highlights the importance of having a strong work ethic, staying focused on goals, and being adaptable to changes in circumstances.
The importance of setting goals and striving for competition, but also moving on to new challenges.: Setting goals and competing against others can lead to great achievements, but it's essential to consider new challenges once goals are met to continue growing.
Having a clear goal and the drive to compete against others can lead to great achievements. However, once that goal is reached, it's important to consider moving on to new challenges rather than repeating the same success. Eddie Hall's retirement after coming close to winning World's Strongest Man serves as an example. Compound lifts like deadlifts, bench press, and squats are the longest levers for maintaining or increasing size. Hanging leg raises, a challenging exercise for the core, are also essential. When performing hanging leg raises, it's crucial to avoid swinging and contract the abdominals fully before lifting the legs. Mind-to-muscle connection is vital for effective workouts and muscle development. The speaker emphasizes the importance of this concept as they've noticed significant improvements in their physique by focusing on it as they've aged.
Balancing isolation and compound exercises for optimal results: Focus on a mix of isolation and compound exercises, maintain proper form, and progressively overload for effective workouts. Personal preference and connection to the exercise are also important.
Effective workouts involve a balance between isolation and compound exercises, and proper form and progressive overload are crucial. The speaker shares his experience of focusing too much on isolating his midsection, leading to back problems and a distended look. He advises treating every muscle group the same, with heavy training followed by rest for recovery. He also emphasizes the importance of personal preference and feeling the connection with the exercise for optimal results. In terms of specific exercises, the speaker suggests incorporating squats, bench press, deadlifts, hanging leg raises, incline chest press, shoulder press, hamstring curls, calf raises, overhead tricep extensions, and even getting the soleus involved. It's important to avoid going too heavy too soon and to maintain proper form to prevent injury and ensure maximum benefit. Overall, the key is to learn about your body and adapt your training and nutrition to your individual needs.
Incorporating a variety of exercises and proper muscle control for optimal muscle development: Focus on diverse exercises, pull-ups for biceps, deadlifts for full body workout, and practice isometric holds for muscle control and conditioning.
For optimal muscle development and bodybuilding, incorporating a variety of exercises that target multiple muscle groups and focusing on proper muscle control through isometric holds is essential. The speaker emphasizes the importance of pull-ups for developing the biceps, despite it primarily being a back exercise. He also discusses the addition of deadlifts to his workout routine, despite not being the primary focus for physique competitors aiming for a narrow torso, due to its ability to recruit nearly every muscle in the body for an overall workout. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of practicing isometric holds, such as ab crunches and midsection contractions, for improved muscle control, conditioning, and better posing on stage.
Bodybuilding's little details matter: Morning routine and nutrition: A bodybuilder's morning routine and nutrition play significant roles in progress. Consistently prioritize protein, complex carbs, essential fats, and antioxidants in meals, and maintain a disciplined morning routine with cardio, core work, stretching, and posing before a large breakfast.
While having a solid workout routine and discipline in eating are crucial aspects of bodybuilding, the little details of one's morning routine and overall lifestyle can significantly impact progress. The interviewee shared his regimented morning routine, which includes a specific order of supplements, cardio, core work, stretching, and posing, all before a massive breakfast. He emphasized the importance of ensuring every meal contains a source of protein, complex carbs, essential fats, and antioxidants. The discussion also touched on the often overlooked volume of training in bodybuilding and how it doesn't translate well on video compared to high-intensity sports like CrossFit. The interviewee expressed that the monotony of bodybuilding training makes it less exciting, but it doesn't diminish the hard work and dedication required. Ultimately, the little details and consistent effort in all aspects of bodybuilding are essential for achieving optimal results.
Maintaining Control and Consistency in a Disciplined Lifestyle: Bodybuilders prioritize control and consistency in their lifestyle, including preparing their own meals for decades and managing multiple businesses, even during social events. Adaptability is crucial to maintain discipline while still functioning in society.
Control and consistency are key elements in maintaining a disciplined lifestyle, especially for bodybuilders. The speaker shares his experience of preparing his own meals for over 20 years, even during social events, to ensure he knows exactly what goes into his body. He admits it may seem extreme to some, but it's become a norm for him. Additionally, he runs multiple businesses and manages a healthcare clinic, BloodLab, which offers blood tests throughout the UK. While the process of getting a blood draw isn't as convenient as in the US, they offer at-home services and have partnered with Randox for more options. Overall, the speaker emphasizes the importance of staying in control and being adaptable to maintain a disciplined lifestyle while still being able to function in normal society.
Bodybuilder prioritizes health over numbers: Bodybuilder trusts doctor for blood work, focuses on health post-show, and plans to give back through health education.
The interviewee, a bodybuilder and businessman, emphasizes the importance of prioritizing health over numbers during his bodybuilding preparation. He trusts his doctor to manage his blood work and only looks at the results after coming off a show, when he focuses on increasing body fat and reducing stress to restore normal levels. The interviewee also shares his desire to expand beyond his visual inspiration role and give back to the community through health education, particularly with his blood testing business. He values his privacy and background role, but recognizes the impact of his public image and plans to use it to make a difference in people's lives. The interviewee's experience as a competitive bodybuilder informs his approach to fatherhood, encouraging him to prioritize his family's needs and be present for his young son.
A Father's Determination to Provide for His Son: This individual's experiences have shaped him into a successful person, and he's determined to provide his son with opportunities, values, and lessons he never had.
Despite facing challenges and limitations in his own upbringing, this individual is determined to provide his son with the opportunities, experiences, and values that he never had. He sees being a father as his top priority and a way to prove himself, both to his son and to the world. He wants to instill hard work, appreciation for money, and the importance of striving for success. At the same time, he is mindful of not spoiling his son and ensuring he understands the value of challenges and hardships. This individual's experiences have shaped him into the successful person he is today, and he aims to pass on these lessons to his son.
Balancing Exposure to Challenges and Protection for Children: Raising a resilient child involves balancing exposure to challenges with protection, recognizing the importance of nurture in shaping academic outcomes.
While it's important for children to be exposed to challenges to build resilience, it's equally important not to mollycoddle them. The speaker shares his fears about raising his child in a world with significant class differences, having grown up in a less privileged background himself. He values resilience and sees it as crucial for his child's success, but also recognizes the need to find a balance between exposing him to difficulties and not making his life unnecessarily hard. The speaker references the work of behavioral geneticist Robert Plomont, who found that the school a child attends accounts for only 1-3% of their academic outcomes when other factors are controlled for. This emphasizes the importance of focusing on nurture, such as parenting styles and home environment, in shaping a child's development.
The impact of friends and families on a child's future success goes beyond the school they attend: Considering the values and backgrounds of the families and friends your child will be spending time with can have a greater impact on their future success than the school they attend.
While choosing the right school for your child is important, the values and influences they are exposed to outside of school, particularly from their friends and their friends' parents, can have a significant impact on their future wealth and success. The single best predictor of a child's future wealth level is the average income of the area they grow up in, but it's not just about the money. It's about the values and habits they learn from the people around them. Therefore, it's crucial to carefully consider the values and backgrounds of the families and friends your child will be spending time with. This can be more impactful than the school they attend. Wealth alone does not guarantee advantages for children, as many wealthy families outsource their child-rearing to nannies and schools. Instead, focus on finding a community with the right values and supportive, hardworking families. This approach can lead to a greater impact on your child's future success.
Forming alliances with other parents for shared goals: Creating a supportive community can benefit children's development, but be mindful of limiting diverse perspectives. Form alliances with other parents to establish shared values and goals.
Creating a supportive community of like-minded individuals can lead to positive outcomes for children's development. However, it's essential to be aware of the potential risks of isolating oneself from diverse perspectives. The speaker suggests forming alliances with other parents to establish a shared agenda and values for raising children. Additionally, the speaker shares his personal goal of being more productive and taking on new challenges this year, including a significant project and participating in the British Championship of the IFBB.
Reviving the Magic of Bodybuilding Shows in the UK: Ben Francis is organizing a new bodybuilding show in the UK, focusing on authenticity and community spirit, with the Manchester Arena secured for October.
Ben Francis aims to revive the authenticity and excitement of bodybuilding shows in the UK by organizing a new event, disregarding monetary gains. He recalls the glory days of bodybuilding competitions from his childhood and laments the loss of the community spirit and high standard of athletes. With the Manchester Arena secured for the upcoming bodybuilding show in October, Francis is eager to bring back the magic of these events and inspire awe in attendees. To keep up with Ryan Terry's involvement in the event and his overall journey, follow him on Instagram @RyanJTerry and check out his YouTube channel.
