The Importance of a Good Support Network

Let’s face it, from an early age, the people around us affect our behavior in many positive and negative ways…the trick is, to harness this influence, and to focus it on the positive. The question is, HOW?  Simple, share the same goal! Be positive, and hold each other accountable for delivering the results you desire. This sweeps right across the board, team members, friends/family and coaches can motivate, serve as an example, and be a source of encouragement for an individual to perform to the best of their ability and become all that they can be.

The hardest part of finding the right support is finding people you can trust. During this time you may have to re-evaluate who are your friends and who are just acquaintances and question who in your family/social circle you can count on.

We do not have the luxury of picking our family, for me personally, they have been nothing short of great no matter what decisions I have made or how hard it has been for them to watch me in the sport I love! This however, has not been the case for everyone in my life, I have sacrificed friendships and relationships to be where I am now. In a sport that takes so much time, effort and discipline to be successful in, there have ultimately been some people I can live without if it isn't good for my performance, stress levels or coping capabilities. Over the past few years, I have had to become more selective on picking my friends and who I associate myself with. Negativity breeds contempt and I only want positive influences in my life.

Motivation can be contagious.  It does not take a genius to figure out that people do better when they are motivated, internal motivation is reinforced via external motivation, creating a powerful feedback loop.

For me personally, I have a whole host of people backing me up to be the athlete I am today, they all play an integral part in my success and have no doubt I would not be anywhere near the man or bodybuilder I am today without them! I’d just like to take a moment to run down who they are and give them a massive shout out and say THANKYOU for helping me!

• First of all my family, Mum, Dad, Will, Shelley, Grandma and Grandad! You have all been amazing since day one, I cannot thank you enough!
• My amazing girlfriend Amy, who loves me and looks after me, puts up with my bad moods, keeps me smiling, cooks my meals, buys me the coolest hats and trainers ;-) and generally keeps me sane!
• Dale and Shell at Bodypower Gym, Sandbach, the best gym in all of Cheshire! You guys have been so supportive and I hope to do you proud next time I step on stage!
• Ryan ‘Rhino’ Cartwright, the worlds greatest training partner! The only guy I know, who is just as sick (maybe sicker) as me in the gym. Who pushes me beyond my limits every workout and who pukes and pukes and pukes and still comes back for more!
• Nathan Harman and my amazing team at Probodeez for making sure my nutrition and training is always on point, we are the best around!
• Of course, Kieran and the whole team at Bodybuilding Warehouse for all their amazing support, promotion and for supplying me with the best supplements and sports nutrition on the market! When 2013 rolls around you will see where all your amazing supps have been going when I lift my second British Title!
• Finally, thank you to all my haters, you drive me to be better each day and prove you wrong time and time again!

Some people come and go in my life but I have al the support I need now, I see it and I feel it. To all of my supporters, I thank you, and you know who you are if you're reading this…if not I will tweet it to you later, haha!

YOLO – Until next time…Nay