How Bodybuilding Made Me A Better Powerlifter and Coach
Competing in two bodybuilding shows before my powerlifting career was one of the most intense yet rewarding experiences of my athletic career as a whole. It tested my discipline, patience, and ability to push through discomfort which led me into powerlifting much more prepared than I would have been had I not had those experiences. But beyond making me a better lifter, it also shaped me into a better coach. The lessons I learned extended far beyond the stage, influencing how I approach my own training and how I guide others in theirs.
1. Discipline & Structure
Bodybuilding is all about structure. Every meal, every training session, and every hour of sleep is accounted for. Measuring out 4oz chicken, 3/4 cups of rice, and 1/3oz of unsalted peanuts 4 times a day was my life. There’ is NO room for guesswork. That level of discipline carried over into my powerlifting training, where attention to detail in programming, recovery, and nutrition is just as important. As a coach, it reinforced the importance of creating structured, well-planned training blocks for my athletes and emphasizing the consistency needed to succeed.
2. Mental Resilience
Prepping for a bodybuilding show is a different kind of grind. It is way harder than powerlifting… argue with a wall. I lived it. The long weeks of dieting, training through low energy, and fighting through mental fatigue taught me how to embrace discomfort. In powerlifting, that mental resilience translates to handling tough training days, overcoming plateaus, and staying locked in on meet day. As a coach, it helps me guide my athletes through their own struggles, reminding them that progress isn’t always comfortable, but it’s always worth it.
3. A Deeper Understanding of Nutrition & Recovery
Bodybuilding forced me to become meticulous with my nutrition, learning how different macro ratios affected my performance, energy, and body composition. Having INBF pro, Paul Iatomasi Jr. in my corner to walk me through it was a major help throughout the process. (A good prep coach is worth every penny!) While powerlifting isn’t about getting stage ready, nutrition plays a huge role in strength, recovery, and making weight for meets. My experience with bodybuilding has helped me guide my athletes through weight gains/cuts, optimizing their fueling strategies, and emphasizing the importance of recovery beyond just lifting heavy.
4. Body Awareness & Movement Quality
Bodybuilding isn’t just about getting big, it’s about controlling every muscle, fixing imbalances, and developing symmetry. That awareness made a huge difference in my own lifting technique, helping me refine movement patterns and correct weaknesses. As a coach, I now pay closer attention to movement quality in my lifters, ensuring they’re building a strong, balanced foundation rather than just chasing heavy numbers.
5. Peaking for Performance
Both bodybuilding and powerlifting require precise peaking strategies, whether it’s coming in full and conditioned for the stage or managing fatigue and strength levels for maximum supercompensation for a meet. Going through the bodybuilding peaking process gave me a new level of appreciation for timing, adaptation, and the adjustment of variables for optimal performance. That experience helped me understand the importance of properly peaking myself and my athletes, ensuring they’re primed to hit their best lifts on meet day.
The Takeaway
Competing in bodybuilding was more than just a physical challenge, it was a lesson in discipline, self-awareness, and resilience. It made me ready to take on powerlifting by improving my approach to training, nutrition, and recovery. But more importantly, it made me a better coach later on, equipping me with the knowledge and experience to help my athletes navigate their own journeys with greater precision and confidence.
Would I step on stage again? Never say never, but no, I won’t. That said, the lessons I learned in bodybuilding will continue to shape the way I train, coach, and compete for years to come.
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