The Mindset of a Champion (What It Really Takes)

This podcast is brought to you by MaximusMark.com. Hey, hey folks, it's Maximus Mark and welcome to the show that punches you right in the face with information, but in a good way. It's Maximus Mark Radio. Now, today I have a very special podcast for you. It's not my traditional podcast. This podcast was actually recorded in 2008 and the podcast is with none other than Janet Kane. Now, I've been training Janet Kane since about 2006. Janet has won 2 Australian titles, both with the IMBA and the A&B. She's won a Miss Olympia title. Very soon, she's actually going to compete in the Australasians and, you know, she's obviously going to smash it there as well. So, this interview is actually done in 2008, as I've said, and what it really is about is the mindset of a champion. It's before Janet actually won all those titles. As I said, it's in 2008 and Janet won those titles in 2009 and 2010. So, it's a very interesting look at the mindset that it takes to be a champion. You're going to listen to and hear her mindset before she's won those titles and the mental processes that she goes through to be the very best in the world at what she, she does. So I really hope you guys enjoy this interview. It's a very unique look at someone's mindset, and I ask her all the hard probing questions about how she actually thinks when it comes towards competing, diet, and training to get up on stage to be a world-class athlete. So enjoy the interview, leave your comments below, feel free. I'm gonna be getting a lot of questions if people can share these interviews on Facebook. Yes, you may share these interviews on Facebook as long as you provide, give the links where you got it from. So in other words, you share the link that's on my website, MaximusMark.com, and you know, you can share it on Facebook that way. So enjoy the interview, leave your comments below, and speak— Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of the interview series. Today I'm sitting here with Janet Kane, absolute champion. She's just come off the big win at the all-female IBA titles. She came won the overall. I was there. She looked in absolutely phenomenal shape. So welcome today, Janet.

Thank you.

Thank you for your time.

Pleasure.

So we've got the pleasure of interviewing you and finding, really getting your mindset, getting inside your mind, why you do the things you do, and look forward to it. So plenty of value here. The first thing we want to obviously see is with everyone who's had great success as physique athletes, where did you come from? How did you get into bodybuilding? Where was your starting grounds?

It was actually a progressive start, really. I was a little bit tubby and lost a little bit of weight, challenged myself and lost 23 kilos.

I like the way you say it's a little bit of weight.

Little bit of weight, 23, massive weight loss. And so then head to the gym to maintain that shape and got into triathlons, did a few of those and kept fit and then started a family. And I was just actually looking for the next challenge and someone said that I should compete in bodybuilding and my expectation of bodybuilding was, you know, big hurly-burly girls and really didn't have the right perspective. So I went along to a bodybuilding show and was pleasantly surprised. I thought, wow, that's something that I could do. So it then became my next focus and challenge to train for something and for that and I, yeah, got started a couple of years ago and What was the first show you actually saw as a spectator? It actually was a Melbourne Title and all, an INBA show. And it was 2004 was the year I went to have a look at it. And I'd had one child at that stage, went along to the show and thought, well, that's possibly something I can do this year, next year. But we were planning a second child.

And we're back. As you were saying, Janet, you Janet, is your planning your second child?

Yeah.

Janet, we're joined by one of your children right here.

Never a dull moment. Yeah, it was something, it was whichever was going to come first, either a bodybuilding show or planning the second. And young Kelsey came along just prior to setting that goal, so I continued training whilst pregnant actually with the aim to compete once I'd finished feeding her, and that all came to fruition. I I did my first competition whilst still breastfeeding. I couldn't wait actually, but she was about 17 months old there. I was ready to give it away when she was 18 months and did my first competition and yeah, continued on. So anyone could do it. It was pretty amazing in my mind to be able to compete with bodybuilding whilst still breastfeeding, but it can be done.

It can be done. It just shows that it can be done.

It can be done.

So obviously, you know, a mother of two, you know, very busy life. You do run your own business as well. What would a day of the life consist of?

Good timing.

Showing me his toy. It's actually a little Yoda toy. So what would a day of the life consist of?

I've got a son that's in grade 1 and young Kelsey here we're listening to who's 3. So my morning's fairly busy with getting the children organized and ready. So that could start at 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning with these guys. And it's really getting Dylan off to school, and Kelsey and I head to the gym straight away. And she has a play in the creche, and I get my training done first thing in the morning.

So I understand, like, when you're competing for a show, you do your cardio sometimes on an empty stomach. Yeah, yeah. So you get up at what time? Would you get up to do your cardio?

Probably about 5, 5 AM. I would, I've got a little home gym here, so I would jump on the treadmill 10 past 5 and get 30 minutes of cardio work done and then get awoken by my little angels and start the morning from that point. So I would probably get 30 to 45 minutes of cardio work done, get the kids off to school, or one of them off to school, and then straight off to the gym to do my weight session and do another cardio session at the end of that one and continue on for the day.

So there's not much space between your two, pretty much as soon as you get up it's pretty much go, go, go, go.

Straight away. Timing for supplementation is fairly important as well. Timing for supplementation, so there's a certain— at what point I get up and start taking my protein to, you know, make sure that I'm getting the best value out of the cardio that I am doing and not depleting.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

So what would you think are the 3 keys? Obviously the busy lifestyle, you know, you get all the things that you need to get done. What do you think, if you could just put it into 3 key vital elements that people need to focus on to achieve success in the, I guess, the mindset, the 3 keys for you that's been absolutely, you know, you need to achieve your goals?

Well, I believe it's imperative to have the right attitude. Everything comes from the right attitude. If you have what it takes in your mindset, then everything else comes. And people quite often ask me that, or comment that I'm a fairly motivated person and that they want a bit of my motivation. Well, motivation comes from within, and it all starts from the right attitude. So if you have the right attitude, everything else follows. So I would have to say that that's the major key. Then from that point, it's just being organised. I have a purpose for everything I do. And plan it. And if I plan the busy life of children and everything else that I do, then it doesn't take control of me. But I do believe nutrition is a major key. So attitude, organization, nutrition, and nutrition.

Absolutely.

Definitely.

Perfect. So what would drive you? Like, you talked about a little bit briefly about motivation. Is there a specific driving factor that gets you up in the morning? Obviously you don't need to get up and it just seems that you're full of spark 24/7.

Yeah, quite often getting up in the morning is determined by the bash on the head from a 3-year-old that says, "Mummy, Mummy, I want breakfast," and that could be at 5 o'clock. But really, I guess I'm a fairly driven person that if I've achieved something, I like to go that next step and achieve something that I haven't, so go where I've never gone, but also to be the best. And I don't believe we're put on this earth to just be. We've got to be the best at whatever we do. If you're going to do something, give it 100% or give it 120%. So if I have achieved something, I've been there before, I'd like to achieve something that I perhaps haven't done, and that gives me the reason to keep going and being in control of that myself. I have only myself to talk to, to answer to, and to be grateful with that result if I have achieved that, and when I have, because that is solely my responsibility. I have not— there's no room for excuses or for blame. I can be in control of whatever I do and be happy with the outcome.

Yeah, I'd just like to point out now, the mindset that you have is an absolute mindset of a champion, champion. And for everyone listening to this audio, you know, do take note of the way, you know, you process, process your thoughts. You know, it's, it's absolutely key. What are some of the effects, I guess, that bodybuilding has had positively on your life?

Bodybuilding is, is, it's a lifestyle choice. It's It's not something like a tennis game where you go and play a round of tennis and have a practice match once a week and off you go. Bodybuilding is a choice for nutrition as well as the workouts in the gym and sleep, so it really is a, is a fair commitment to excel well at. You can perfect one area and you can train really hard in the gym, but if there's no balance for everything else, then you can't really be the best that you can be. You're really missing a major point.

So, um, that's vital because a lot of people, um, get into the sport and they live to bodybuild. They don't use bodybuilding to enhance their lives, which I believe, and obviously you believe as well, is what the sport is all about. So use bodybuilding as a tool to enhance other areas of life, not to just be a bodybuilder who absolutely bench presses.

And if I can commit to something like bodybuilding and absolutely enjoy it then it's a real achievement, and that's one of the reasons that I do it. But it makes everything else in my life seem really easy to achieve. If I can accomplish something that is as committed and as rewarding, but yet it's equal to the hard work that goes in it, then everything else I do seems fairly easy. Except giving birth, of course.

Law of contrast.

It is, and I know I can achieve whatever I want to do. I can just go that little bit extra for something. And it's a real motivator. I know that we really don't even tap into what we can do. We don't tap into our full strengths of skill, I guess. And I know that I really haven't scratched the surface for what I can do, but a lot of it is a lot of self-talk. Got to constantly believe in yourself to be better. And it's relative to where you want to go. I mean, each step is a different challenge. My first show was, wow, can I get up there in a bikini after knowing that I was overweight? And it was just such an achievement to think I'm standing in a bikini, which was a feat in itself being 23 kilos overweight. I would never have done that. But to do that on stage in front of about 500 people and say, people to look at me and judge me in a bikini was mind-blowing. And to be up there and be proud of that was an enormous, enormous achievement. And to now get to that next step. So it's each step is relative to where you want to go.

And brings you to a new level.

Yeah.

Speaking about that, obviously, you know, social and saying, you know, every bodybuilder and every physique athlete and figure athlete deals with is the, I guess, the social network of people just not understanding. Now, obviously, you know, you and I have been very good friends. You've told me many stories, but one particular story that I'd like you to share with the listeners, I think you know the story I'm talking about, is you had a wedding. I'll let you tell the story.

It was quite funny, actually. I was challenged fairly early on with people not understanding the food and the restrictions that I put upon myself with my diet. As I know, it's 80% of the result is nutrition. So I would carry around my own food wherever I would go and feel a bit embarrassed if I was going somewhere and somebody offered me food and I said, "No, thank you, I'm okay." And it's really just because they couldn't understand the content and the nutritional value of whatever they were offering and the detriment to my physique. And I used to take, um, be concerned that they would be offended that I was being fairly true to myself and what I wanted to achieve. And people around me began to understand my level of commitment with that. It came to a real head when the night before a show I actually went to a friend's wedding and where most people I know would have not only gone to the wedding but they would have eaten the food that yes was paid for and provided and socialised in the extent of as you do with weddings and drink and really have a merry time. Well, not only did I go looking rather tanned as you do before a show. Contest colour. Oh, the contest colour. I was very, very funny and a lot of faces that were looking at me quite perplexed because people think, what? Well, that's a spray tan gone wrong on that girl, because I was very dark. But also, I took my own water. Not only did I bring my own food, I actually took my own water because I didn't want to be drinking sodium, and I was on water rations, so I didn't want my water glass being topped up unbeknownst to me. So I had my own bottle and it was measured, and people knew then, I think, the level of commitment that I had when I could attend a wedding and watch everybody eat what I couldn't and still enjoy the night and have a smile on my face and know that I wasn't missing out. It was my choice to do that because the next day was really critical for what I was doing.

One thing I'd like to point out, one couple of keywords there was it was your choice. A lot of people go along to these sort of things and, oh, poor me, such a sacrifice, why do I have to But at the end of the day, it is your choice. You do it and to have that attitude going to a wedding. I know I've been to a wedding. I've had a sort of similar experience a week out from comp. But one of the things I just wanted to highlight with this story is I get a lot of clients who, they start getting into training and, you know, they get a social event happens and, you know, it might be in the middle of a transformation challenge or a comp and they stop and they get caught off and they get thrown off by these social challenges. And I just wanted to, you know, share that story with everyone because it is such a brilliant story to show because it is no different.

That's right.

I think Olympics or being true to the Olympic Games or being true to yourself, which is more important? I believe being true to yourself is always the—

And it was a key also. I constantly say this is my choice when people say, "Oh, you poor thing, you can't eat it." I do actually word back and say, "Well, this is my choice. It's what I trained for and it's very important." So that's fine. I've become to like boiled plain chicken breast and food like that because it is my choice. But it was interesting that it was a bit of a turning point for some of my closest friends to realize my dedication and to appreciate what it is that I do and to offer because it's manners to offer for food. But when I say no thank you, to actually now accept that no. And now I actually get the calls of, 'Janet, we'd like to cater for you. Can we put this on too?' And it's much more appreciated.

And often it's always the game of frame control. Who's the strongest frame? They can offer you the food and you can say, 'Yeah,' well then they have the stronger frame. If you say no, well then you are now taking a stance for the stronger frame. So yeah, exactly what about—

At the same token, gee, some of those foods smell fantastic and you've just, you've got to be strong at it. But it is, if I've had my own food there, it's a bit easy to to abstain.

Absolutely. So for the record, you have 2 kids, you're a mum, you run a successful business, you have an opportunity to make excuses with all the busy and active life that you lead. A lot of people make excuses. You could, let's face it, you could make excuses and say, you know, I'm busy, I've got a family, I've got a business to run, I've got little ones. You don't make excuses. What's the difference between you and them?

I think that comes back to one of your earlier questions about attitude. If the attitude is right, be happy with the level that you can commit at is probably a good point. If people do have a fairly busy life, don't feel like it's all or nothing. You need to have a good balance and be happy with whatever level you can commit to and then make no room for excuses. People make room for excuses and think about all the reasons why they can't do things. I think people perhaps can concentrate a little more on the reasons they can do things and what needs to change so they can achieve those little extras, and it's just a choice. Do I choose to park further away and walk to somewhere, or do I choose not to? Do I choose to eat something that's of good nutritional value for me, or do I choose to eat something of no value that I have to exercise a lot more to get it off? And I don't believe there are reasons for excuses in anything. People perhaps students see themselves as failing before they've given themselves a chance to try. And if you give it a try and be happy with what level you can do, then of course you'll start seeing some results and that will perhaps motivate you to keep going. But I very rarely have a negative word or an excuse. And Mark, you know what I'm like when I'm training. There's no room for saying the word can't do or no.

Just doesn't happen.

It's— you can't let yourself fail before giving something a go. You may not achieve as much as you would like, but let's give something a try. And why be like everyone else that can't do it? I don't believe that excuses are a way to feel good.

No.

Believe in yourself first. If you believe in yourself, then there are no room for excuses.

A lot of people have different motives, or they see competition as different. Some people see competition as a measuring stick. Some people have the attitude of