Can You Be an Elite Athlete and Still Be Human? | Offseason Struggles & Growth

Can You Be an Elite Athlete and Still Be Human? | Offseason Struggles & Growth

Can You Be an Elite Athlete and Still Be Human? | The Reality of Offseason Let's Get Deeper Podcast EP.24 I think one of the biggest misconceptions in bodybuilding is that successful athletes don't struggle. Social media often shows the highlight reel — the perfect check-ins, the motivation, the discipline, the progress photos. But behind every pursuit that matters are moments of doubt, discomfort, growth, and navigating what it means to be human while striving for something exceptional. In this episode, I'm sharing a more honest offseason update. After spending the last month in Melbourne with friends and family, I found myself navigating lower motivation, athlete guilt around flexibility, body image challenges that come with building phases, and the reality of outgrowing friendships and seasons of life. This is a conversation about learning to stop making normal human experiences mean something is wrong with you. This episode isn't about having all the answers. It's about recognising that growth often looks less like perfection and more like self-awareness. You can be disciplined and still struggle. You can be committed and still find things hard. You can be grateful and still feel challenged. Those things aren't contradictions — they're part of the experience. If you're navigating offseason, body image changes, athlete guilt, friendship shifts, or simply trying to pursue big goals without losing yourself in the process, this episode is for you. 🎧 Listen on Spotify 🎥 Full episode available here on YouTube Thank you for being here. X Charli

How Bodybuilding Healed My Perfectionism: The SECRET on How To Overcome Fear Of Failure

Hey my beautiful Let’s Get Deeper Fam 🤍 Welcome back to another episode of Let’s Get Deeper — today’s conversation is all about perfectionism, bodybuilding, self-worth, and the freedom that comes from realising perfection was never actually attainable in the first place. In this episode, I open up about something I realised recently: I’ve somehow ended up in a sport where everyone is striving for perfection while fully knowing it doesn’t exist. Even at the highest level of bodybuilding, there is always more feedback, more growth, more improvement, more work to do — and strangely, I think that’s exactly what drew me to it. We talk about: * why perfectionism can sometimes be less about ambition and more about fear * how society praises perfectionists without questioning the pressure underneath it * the difference between pursuing excellence vs punishing yourself for being human * why bodybuilding changed my relationship with failure and “not being enough” * learning how to hold massive standards while still carrying compassion for yourself along the way This conversation goes far beyond bodybuilding. It’s about relationships, work, identity, growth, and what happens when we stop expecting ourselves — and other people — to be flawless. I really think this is one of the most honest and important conversations I’ve had in a while, and I hope it feels like a big sister chat reminding you that your worth was never dependent on being perfect 🤍 — 🎧 Let’s Get Deeper Podcast New episodes weekly. — 📸 Follow My Journey Here: IG: @charli.lilagan 🎙️ Listen to Let’s Get Deeper on Spotify Deep conversations on mindset, growth, bodybuilding, healing, and navigating life as an IFBB Fit Model Pro. — #LetsGetDeeper #Perfectionism #BodybuildingMindset #SelfWorth #HealingJourney #PersonalGrowth #MindsetPodcast #WomenWhoLift #BodybuildingLifestyle #HighAchiever #SelfDevelopment #MentalHealth #GrowthMindset #FitnessPodcast #IFBBFitModelPro

Why Detaching From Your Goals Will Make You More Successful (Let's Get Deeper Podcast)

Wanting something badly isn’t the problem. Being attached to it is. After watching the Pittsburgh Pro and seeing how quickly placings can change — athletes unplaced one week and top 2 the next — I was reminded of something powerful: Success in bodybuilding isn’t about needing the outcome. It’s about detaching from it. In this episode, I share my reflections on why attachment to results creates fragility, why outcome obsession fuels burnout, and how detachment actually makes you more dangerous as an athlete. This is a grounded conversation about identity, resilience, emotional regulation, and what separates competitors who last from those who spiral. This episode isn’t about lowering your standards or caring less. It’s about caring deeply about your effort — without tying your self-worth to a placing. Because the moment you stop needing the win to validate you… is the moment you become powerful enough to achieve it. If you’re in prep, coming off a show, chasing a pro card, or navigating disappointment, this episode is for you. 🎧 Listen on Spotify 🎥 Full episode available on YouTube Thank you for being here. X Charli

4 Practical Tools for SUSTAINABLE Discipline in Bodybuilding: Discipline vs Dysfunction

Why 100% Adherence Isn’t the Goal | Discipline vs Dysfunction in BodybuildingLet’s Get Deeper Podcast EP.20Being “100% on plan” sounds elite.But what if chasing perfect adherence all the time isn’t discipline — it’s dysfunction?In this episode, I share a very honest reflection from my recent check-in where I felt anxious about having more social time and an extra off-plan meal — only to be reminded that longevity in bodybuilding requires balance, maturity, and a life outside of the sport.This is a grounded conversation about the difference between discipline and rigidity, why 100% adherence 100% of the time can actually be a red flag, and how building a full life makes you a stronger athlete — not a weaker one.In this episode, we explore:Feeling “off plan” & the anxiety around adherenceWhat my coach said that changed my perspectiveDiscipline vs dysfunction — where’s the line?Why 100% adherence isn’t sustainable long termIdentity beyond bodybuildingLongevity vs short-term perfectionNervous system health & performanceHow to audit your mindset around controlWhat real elite athletes understand about balanceThis episode isn’t about encouraging sloppiness or lowering your standards.It’s about understanding that extreme rigidity is not the same thing as excellence — and that the athletes who last are the ones who build bodybuilding into a full life, not shrink their life around bodybuilding.If you’re in prep, reverse dieting, offseason, or navigating the mental side of adherence, this episode is for you.🎧 Listen on Spotify🎥 Full episode available here on YouTubeThank you for being here.X Charli

How I Handle the Urge to Quit - Because Feeling ≠ Failing (Let's Get Deeper EP.19)

In this episode, I talk about something we don’t normalise enough — the moments where you feel like quitting.Whether you’re deep in prep, navigating post-show, building in the offseason, or chasing something outside of bodybuilding… there will be moments where the voice in your head says, “This is too hard.”This episode is about that voice.I share the truth about what it actually means when you feel like quitting, why feeling overwhelmed doesn’t equal failing, and how to respond in a way that builds resilience instead of regret.We talk about:• The difference between discomfort and misalignment• Why the urge to quit often shows up right before growth• How to regulate your emotions instead of reacting to them• The identity shift required to stay when it gets hard• Practical tools to stop self-sabotaging in prep and in lifeIf you’ve been questioning yourself, doubting your capacity, or sitting in that uncomfortable in-between where you don’t know whether to push or pull back — this conversation is for you.Feeling like quitting doesn’t mean you’re weak.It means you care.And how you respond in that moment? That’s where your next level is built.—If this episode resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it and tag me so I can say thank you 🤍🎧 Listen to the podcast on Spotify🎥 Visual chapters of this journey are shared here on YouTubeInstagram: @Charli.LilaganThank you for being here.X Charli