Moving to the Mecca?
Raise a hand every one who have been to Gold's in Venice, CA. Yes, the famous one by Muscle Beach.
All the pros are stacked thick, and if you ever wanted to live the bodybuilding lifestyle, this is the place to be. But does this automatically make your training more effective? Is there a good reason for why every wannabe-pro who won a couple of local contests join the lemming-trail to southern California? As usual, there are pros and cons of "getting serious" vs. sticking to your local dungeon, regardless of your dreams and expectations.
First off, very few make it to the top. In order to do so, you have to be crazy in more ways than one, blessed beyond belief, and lucky to survive. The successful guys who packed their bags and headed for fame and stardom can be counted on your fingers and toes - the losers require a calculator.
Personally, I would never go for a pro career. Not only because I see little reason to put myself through the sacrifices, but because it's such a long shot. It's like emptying your retirement funds and put it all on the state lotto, in the vague hope of striking rich.
So, whether you have serious thoughts about giving the pro circuit a shot, or if you're just silently cursing the boring, uninspiring town you're stuck in, let's take a look at things from a more objective perspective.
Atmosphere: Of course it's more inspiring to be around other serious people, and chances are some of the positive spirits will rub off. The bad news is, that at the same time you might be picking up some bad habits. Keep in mind that the pros are hardly known for living healthy, well-balanced lives. If you live amongst them, you're running serious risk of getting your perspective skewed - what is normal to the pros around you might start being perceived as normal for you too.
Also consider that bodybuilders in Venice are a dime a dozen. If you're having dreams of the silver screen and modeling, get a reality check.
Climate: California is great, climate-wise. Plain and simple. It hardly ever rains, it's always sun around to get a nice tan, and the beach isn't far away. The BAD news is that as soon you leave the beach, you're in the cancer known as L.A. No offense to those who live in L.A., but it's the worst place I've been to in my life. The traffic is horrible and the air is so polluted that your Kleenex turns black if you blow your nose at the end of a bad day.
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