While I was in Mexico City, I had the opportunity to sit down with Edmmon Domínguez for his NoexcusesTV podcast. Edmmon is a bodybuilder himself who is working toward earning his Pro Card, and his channel covers bodybuilding and fitness in Mexico and around the world, including competitions, athletes, interviews and news from the sport.
It was my first time meeting Edmmon, and what started as a conversation about bodybuilding became a much wider discussion about my life, the choices I’ve made, what competition has taught me and where I want to go in the future.
We talked about the two sides of bodybuilding that I have experienced. There is bodybuilding as a lifestyle — training, nutrition, recovery, sleep, organization and discipline — and then there is bodybuilding as a competition. Competition takes everything to another level. I love it, but it is extreme, and there is always a price you pay when you want to compete at a high level.
For me, one of the biggest sacrifices is time with my family. I travel a lot, and as my parents get older I think more about the time I am away from them. I want to continue chasing my goals, but I also want to become better at balancing bodybuilding with family, friendships, relationships and the other important parts of my life.
We also went back to the beginning of my bodybuilding career. I talked about growing up with sports, training at home when I was younger, learning about nutrition by myself and eventually entering the gym. When I decided I was ready to compete, I went directly into NPC competition. I finished second in my first show and earned my Pro Card after only a few competitions.
A big part of our conversation was about how my mentality has changed since then. When you compete, you can control your preparation, your training and what you bring to the stage. You cannot control the judges or the result. I have learned to understand this better and to enjoy the experience more. Sometimes improving also means knowing when to stop competing for a while, listen to the feedback and give your body the time it needs to grow.
We talked about coaching too, and why I look beyond somebody’s workout and diet. Sleep, stress, recovery, organization and what is happening in your life can all affect your progress. I was feeling sick while I was in Mexico, so I could use myself as an example. Forcing myself through another workout simply because it was scheduled would not have helped me. Sometimes the smart decision is to recover and come back ready to push again.
And we talked about the future. I know that one day my competitive career will end, so I am building things now that can continue long after my last competition — my coaching, my team, my personal brand and relationships around the world. This is one reason I travel so much. My visit to Mexico gave me another opportunity to meet people and learn more about the fitness community there, and we are already talking about possibilities for me to return for seminars and other projects.
It was a very open conversation about bodybuilding, family, relationships, coaching, business, discipline and some of the experiences that have shaped how I think today.
Thanks to Edmmon and the NoexcusesTV team for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to share another side of myself.
You can watch our full conversation below.
