What It Takes To Become A Professional Bodybuilder
By Skip LaCour, June 2001

"What advice would you give to a bodybuilder who one day wanted to become a professional?" is a question I am often asked by eager young lifters.

Bodybuilding is a very competitive sport. There are literally thousands of people who train with weights around the world. And, whether they have been training a few years or only for a few months, many of them have at least some ambition of one day becoming a professional competitive bodybuilder.

The harsh reality is that very few will actually achieve this extraordinary dream. That does not mean, however, that I don't feel you should pursue any lofty goal you aspire to achieve. You only go around once in this lifetime. I feel you should do everything you can to create an exceptionally fulfilling one. I encourage you to think big and go for what you really want to do during your time on this earth.

In order for you to make it to the professional level in bodybuilding, you can't just be very good. You must become truly outstanding. The advice I would share with you to become a professional bodybuilder would be the same advice I would offer a person who wanted to become outstanding at anything they have chosen to do in the lives.

I once read that if a person wants to become outstanding at what they do, they must possess several distinct qualities. If you wish to one day become a professional bodybuilder, I believe you must have at least these three traits.

First of all, you must be extremely passionate about what you do. You can't just really like what you. You must do more than enjoy what you do. You must absolutely love bodybuilding lifestyle in order to become a professional bodybuilder. You must have an indescribable mindset. It's almost as if you should feel that being a bodybuilder was the only reason why you were ever put on this earth.

Secondly, the hard work and the many demands of the bodybuilding lifestyle must feel almost like play to you. If you want to become outstanding at what you do, you must thoroughly love the hard work that is required. Hours should feel like minutes. The hundreds of hours you will need to spend in the gym training with weights and doing cardiovascular exercise, organizing your day in order to consistently eat nutritious meals, and investing time to constantly increase your level of knowledge should almost feel like minutes to you. You should feel as though there wasn't anything else in the world you would rather be doing.

The third requirement is that you must be blessed with a certain level of God-given ability if you want to become outstanding at what you do. You must have at least some amount of natural talent. Exactly how much God-given ability or natural talent that you must have in order to become outstanding is uncertain. Loving what you do and feeling like working is like playing can outweigh some of your lack of talent. But when you are striving to become the one of the very best at what you do, you will undoubtedly need some God-given ability. If you want to become a professional bodybuilder, I would feel comfortable saying that your genetics (i.e. your ability to pack-on muscle, your ability to get very lean, your ability to withstand pounding your body takes from weight training, or the symmetry or shape of your physique) must be at least above that of the average person.

Work hard, be patience, and think big! If you have enough love for what you do, have the uncanny ability to view the hard work of bodybuilding as play, and have at least above average genetics, I don't see why you shouldn't have as good as chance as anyone to become a professional bodybuilder. Only time will tell.

Sure, additional requirements will surely come up along the way and be added to the list of what it takes to become a professional bodybuilder. However, if you possess these three foundational qualities, you'll set yourself up to handle any of the others you face in the future.

You must trust me when I say that, regardless if you ever become a professional competitor, bodybuilding can still provide you with a tremendously rewarding adventure. As long as you give your best effort day in and day out and can persevere through the inevitable ups and downs you'll face along your journey, pursuing your dream will be worth ten times the amount of time and energy you invest chasing it.


Skip La Cour, 1998 NPC Team Universe Champion and three-time heavyweight class champion, has built one of the most insightful bodybuilding web sites on the Internet (www.skiplacour.com). Yes, that's correct. He did all the writing, computer work, and creative design himself. The site contains so much information, you'll need a few hours to absorb it all. Training, nutrition, supplementation, motivation, and commentary are all included. La Cour even offers advice on how bodybuilding enthusiasts can earn extra cash from his or her knowledge and passion by marketing themselves more effectively. He personally sends out free training advice through e-mail to all those who sign up for his "Tip of the Week Program."

La Cour, who is arguably one of the hardest-working and most creative amateur bodybuilders in the world, has definitely honed his skills as a coach, motivator, and bodybuilding goodwill ambassador over the years. If you are looking for solid advice to help build your physique, you must visit this web site. Visit Skip La Cour's Web Site at www.skiplacour.com Today!