How Does a Professional Bodybuilder Spend a Workday?
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Routine
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Professional bodybuilders don't punch a time clock and typically call the shots as to the schedule they keep. To perform successfully on the stage, professional bodybuilders must develop a steady routine and a disciplined lifestyle. While trainers, managers and publicity agents may demand a certain portion of the pro's waking hours, the bodybuilder must set boundaries and stick to them. Missing a day's workout or sliding on a strict diet before a show can set a bodybuilder back, resulting in lost competitions and lost revenue.
Nutrition
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A workday for professional bodybuilders consists of a number of small healthy meals. Those who rely on contest winnings, sponsorships and speaking engagements take their food as seriously as the workouts that build their muscular bodies. They spend time each day, either first thing in the morning or at night, preparing and packing the food they will take with them for the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are packed with proteins such as lean cuts of chicken, pork and beef. Egg whites and vegetables are integrated into most every meal. Professional bodybuilders eat by the clock. They are often hungry and keep a close eye on the times they need to eat. Supplements also are an integral part of the nutritional needs of a bodybuilder, usually taken with the first meal of the day. Protein shakes sometimes can replace one of the five or six small meals they consume.
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Workout
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Most professional bodybuilders work out at a gym five or six days a week. In the two weeks prior to a competition they work out every day. Routine rules at the gym as they perform a series of exercises and weight lifting repetitions in a certain order. Part of a bodybuilder's success is based on staying motivated, so when a workout feels lethargic or unexciting, the pros change it up for a short time, replacing routine cardio and weight training with a group aerobics class or some other activity such as kickboxing. Professional bodybuilders spend three to five hours in the gym, usually first thing in the morning after a light meal. The time is broken up only by breaks for food and fuel.
Business
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Between eating and pumping iron, the professional bodybuilder must attend to the business aspects of a successful career. A popular bodybuilder must build in time to answer fan mail, respond to inquiries for appearances and interviews, and meet with advisers. These usually are set for the late afternoon before the pro settles in for an early evening.
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