Thinking Big: Review by Jonathan Lawson, IRONMAN Oct '98

Outstanding! It’s a word that Skip La Cour uses throughout his new book to motivate you and a word that describes how you’ll feel when you finish reading it.
La Cour manages to do something that few bodybuilders have done: He motivates you. Sure, many of today’s top athletes spend some time telling you how to train, but how many of them actually change the way you think?
Skip starts by providing you with a new set of beliefs that will “empower you to take your physique to a higher level of development.” There’s a full-page list of empowering beliefs that he and other top natural bodybuilders have adopted, as well as a humorous top-10 list of common beliefs for natural bodybuilders who have mediocre physiques.

He also discusses how to expand beyond your “perceived limitations.” For example, contrary to what many of us were told when we started training, it’s not impossible to build a good physique without drugs. It simply takes time, hard work and an accumulation of knowledge.
Goal setting is another key to success in bodybuilding, while one of the biggest obstacles holding many of us back is the fear of failure or embarrassment. Unfortunately, many natural bodybuilders don’t realize the importance of that, but, as Skip states, “The good news is that it’s not too late to begin setting specific goals.”
La Cour goes on to list 10 Strategies to Help You Reach Your Goals. At first reading they seem quite basic, but then you realize that sometimes the simplest ideas can lay the most important groundwork for success.
Another challenge Skip acknowledges is that of staying motivated and having “heart.” Regarding natural bodybuilders, he states that it’s “not having more theories, opinions or skills that is going to put them over the top—it’s heart, [which] gives you the strength to keep on going despite the fact that people tell you your dreams are impossible.” He then explains the importance of planning your training sessions and gives many suggestions for planning workouts that will be more efficient and productive.
La Cour also explains the importance of modeling. “If you try to create methods yourself, too much time will have been wasted.” Instead he suggests “modeling—applying exact step-by-step approaches to achieving your goal,” a method he strongly suggests trying outside the gym as well. In addition, he stresses the importance of using your own successes from outside the gym to help you reach your physical goals.

Another very important point is to keep a set of high standards and expectations for yourself. Don’t compare yourself to people whose results are poor (inside or outside of the gym) but, rather, compare yourself to people whose results are “outstanding results.” That will most definitely help you raise your standards, but you must be sure to not make excuses as to why you haven’t been able to reach their levels of success. Excuses will lead to your feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, something that often results in someone’s quitting altogether.
One of the traps Skip warns against is that of negative thoughts. Rather than asking yourself what drugs people who have better physiques are taking, wondering how they keep passing the drug tests or making other negative assessments as to why they’re reaching higher levels of success than you, it would be better to ask how they train, how they diet or what kind of supplements they take. If you allow yourself to come up with answers to the negative questions, you’ll “ensure your failure as a natural bodybuilder.”
The idea of accusing everyone who has a better physique than you of using drugs not only brings shame to natural bodybuilders but can actually cause you to limit yourself. La Cour believes you should “minimize your negative gossip about others” and “treat bodybuilders who are better than you with the same respect you think you deserve.”

Persistence is of absolute importance when it comes to attaining success. At the same time, though, you must possess the “attitude of gratitude.” In other words, you must be sure to appreciate and enjoy the bodybuilding process while it’s happening. “Too many people fall into the habit of focusing on what they don’t have without taking the time to appreciate or be grateful for the gifts with which they are blessed.”
Skip also thinks you should propel “our sport forward by sharing your knowledge with others” and set an example of “what a bodybuilder should be.” In other words, you should turn yourself into a positive role model and “show your peers and the general public that the sport of bodybuilding is an activity that has far more value than mere self-fulfillment.” Show them how bodybuilding has changed your life.
Finally, if you’re so inclined, Skip dedicates a chapter to transforming your passion for bodybuilding into a career opportunity. He plainly states that “contest wins do not necessarily earn endorsements.” Companies won’t just pay you to use their supplements and products because you look good or you won a contest. You have to have something special and unique to offer—“you have to have an angle.”
Thinking Big puts an entirely new perspective on the way you view bodybuilding and life in general. It isn’t a book for someone who’s looking for a new workout routine, it’s for people looking for success.

Pros: It’s motivational. Each chapter includes workbook pages that force you to think about and apply what you’ve read. Awe-inspiring photographs of La Cour allow you to see the results of thinking big.

Cons: You’ll probably have to make some adjustments to your current thought processes and lifestyle to allow for your newfound success.

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