What I am is more than just about Bodybuilding

This is not my normal blog entry, its not an update on training, nutrition or some motivational story to inspire the masses. It’s a just a funny story of something that happened to me at work the other day that I thought was interesting and that I would share with you all, please read on…

It was a regular day at work, not dissimilar to any other day on the shop floor. It was the regular people in and out, regular conversations with the customers, like I do on a daily basis. As I made my way from the back of the shop to the front, I passed a young kid who seemed to be into his music and minding his own, the only reason I even noticed him was his Dre Beats headphones, similar to the ones my girlfriend had got me for Christmas. We passed and I continued walking, I got to the front of the shop and turned around to see this teenager walking towards me again. As he approached me he asked, “Are you a bodybuilder?” (A question that I usually get asked) I politely said yes, and thought the conversation would end there, but then he shocked me. Usually in a random atmosphere like on the street or in a shop, people look at someone who’s in shape, ask a few random questions and go on their way, but not this kid. He then asked, “Is your name Nathan Robinson?” I was taken aback because I couldn’t believe this person knew my name. He said, “You’re the one Bodybuilding Warehouse, I always get my protein from there,” and I laughed and said yep that’s me. And as any athlete/ambassador for their sport should do, I took the time out even at work to talk to the kid and shoot the breeze with him for a few.

That was the day I realized something about not only myself but my life. What I am is more than just about bodybuilding, more than just stepping on stage and posing, more than just lifting heavy-ass weights and doing cardio; it’s something special. Nothing in my life has ever come easy to me – football, rugby, or even bodybuilding. I sacrificed blood, sweat and tears in everything in my life, and people look up to that and hopefully look up to me. To see someone talk to me in awe, or know me just because of bodybuilding, or for someone to tell me they’re a fan, goes way beyond bodybuilding! Maybe my calling wasn’t just to be a bodybuilder but to be something more. Sure, everyone that competes wants to win or become Mr. Olympia, but to inspire people, to change people’s lives because of who I am and my accomplishments, means more to me than any trophy. To hear people ask for a picture with me or tell me they started training or competing because of me is truly amazing.

That kid I spoke to that day ended up outside the shop a few days later as I lowered the shutters down, holding a Bodybuilding Warehouse shaker, saying “I’m ready to train with you” after taking me up on my offer that if he ever wanted to get a workout in just come by, and he did just that. I trained chest with him that day, and the young guy put in a great effort! When I got home later that night, I was standing in my kitchen cooking steak and sweet potato, thinking the whole time, I could have just trained with this young kid who could one day become one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time just because I took the time out of my day, my life, to take him to the gym and train with him. That to me is a win that to me goes above and beyond any feeling I have had on any stage at any time.

When I look back at my reflection in the mirror, I am just a country boy from the sleepy railway town of Crewe, Cheshire, where only a handful of people even know what bodybuilding really is, but to others I am more than that, I am an inspiration and motivator. I may not be the best bodybuilder in the world right now…or ever, but just knowing I made a difference in one kid’s life to me is a life well lived!

Stay NASTY, outwork everyone!