Pro Bodybuilder Zane Watson explains why he’s not afraid to call bodybuilding a hobby.
Zane Watson is a Men’s 212 Pro Bodybuilder who takes his job as a competitor seriously. That being said, he has stated in the past that he considers bodybuilding a hobby. This can have negative connotations in a professional sport. The word hobby implies something less serious and certainly less competitive. This is a far cry from the mantras we hear from professional athletes. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Zane Watson explains why he calls bodybuilding a hobby and why it doesn’t need to be a 365 days a year obsession.
Often when speaking with pro bodybuilders, or any pro athlete for that matter, you hear certain advice. One major point often made is this – if you want to be successful in a professional sport, you have to make it your life. That means sacrificing other things in order to try and become the greatest.
This is a far cry from our conversation with pro bodybuilder Zane Watson. He wants to send a message out to aspiring bodybuilders – pro bodybuilding does not have to be the only thing in your life. But don’t be fooled. That doesn’t mean Watson is a bodybuilder who doesn’t take his sport and craft seriously. He simply wants the world to know – you can have more than one joy in your life and still succeed as a pro bodybuilder.
In our new interview with Zane Watson, we probe this idea a bit further. People can often take Watson’s words as not being serious enough about his success in the sport. Zane Watson argues that life is never really about putting all your eggs in one basket. Watson has a career, he’s an entrepreneur, and he has a family. In fact, a big part part of what brings him joy in bodybuilding is having his family by his side.
The truth of the matter is, Zane Watson has more than one thing that fulfills him in his life. He believes he can succeed as a pro bodybuilder without throwing those other things away. But he also doesn’t want people to accuse him of being lazy. When he dedicates himself to a show date – he will “disappear” for three to four months during his contest prep. He has a competitive spirit in him and he wants to win.
That being said, Zane Watson reiterates one final time, “eat, sleep, breathe bodybuilding 365 days a year is not something that I live by.” There is never one right way to do something and find success. Yes, some will live 24/7 bodybuilding and fully succeed – whether that’s through winning Mr. Olympia or building a following for lucrative sponsorship opportunities. But there are also workhorse bodybuilders who find success while also making time for other things in life.
There’s a fine line between passion and obsession. Each person needs to decide what ultimately works for them. But the key is to be honest. When reflecting on your life – decide what you really want and the “why” behind doing it.
You can watch Zane Watson go into full detail about his relationship with pro bodybuilding in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!