Mark Bell Gets It

    If you have been training for a day, a year, or a decade you should know Mark Bell. Powerlifter, gym owner, businessman, and as of last Saturday, a champion bodybuilder. Adversity, injuries, challenges, and breaking records has been a part of Mr. Bell's  long illustrious career. But it was when he began training for his first bodybuilding show that he discovered qualities within himself that all the years' prior challenges had not brought out.
   Supremely motivational, Mark Bell seems like a guy who's not only done it all, but a guy who's got it all. He is a man who is driven to be better today than he was yesterday. I can only imagine who Bell saw in his mirror the Sunday after winning his first bodybuilding show. 
    After the hours of relentless training in the gym, seemingly endless cardio, the daily posing sessions, and six meals each and every day of food you started out liking, but soon became rather monotonous, you'll find not all of your changes are physical. A new person emerges from this self imposed torture known as 'contest prep'. Preparing for a show is truly a journey of self discovery. Competitive bodybuilding is a very mental game. And if you have withstood the adversities, overcome the challenges, tuned out all negativity, pushed yourself beyond what you thought was your 'beyond', you will have forged a new person. You will no longer wonder if you are strong. You will know you are strong. You will no longer wonder if you can accomplish great things. You will know you can! But you will start to wonder what else you can accomplish! The physical requirements, the mental toughness, the drive and determination you must have to win a bodybuilding show are the same qualities that will lead to success in every area of your life.      
      And Mark Bell gets that. Bell says that his dad used to tell him, "part of knowing who you are is knowing who you're not.". As of today, Mark Bell and all the other competitive bodybuilders who've been through the forge of contest prep, know exactly what they're not. They're NOT cowards. They're NOT quitters. And they're NOT as good as they will be tomorrow. 
     So be like Mark Bell, challenge yourself. And you'll 'get it' too.