Reigning six-time Figure Olympia champion Cydney Gillon has cemented her place in the history books as the current greatest Figure competitor of all time. In a recent video posted on YouTube, Gillon shared some tips for competitors who are new to bodybuilding.
Cydney Gillon first gained attention for her stellar X-frame and proportions as a Figure competitor in 2014. She placed fourth at the IFBB Toronto Supershow. Then later competed at the Mr. Olympia contest, where she placed in the top ten in her debut.
Gillon scored her first win in the IFBB Pro League at the 2015 Wings of Strength Chicago Pro. She continued competing in various shows over the next two years, winning the 2016 Pittsburgh Pro and improving her standing to third at the Olympia. In 2017, Gillon took home the top prize at the IFBB Rising Phoenix Arizona Pro. A few months later, she finally won her maiden Olympia title by dethroning former two-time queen Latorya Watts.
She repeated history again the following year when she successfully defended the titles at the 2018 Mr. Olympia and the 2018 IFBB Rising Phoenix Arizona Pro. Following the season, Gillon went on a rampage that saw her win every show she participated in since 2019, including the Olympias and two Arnold Sports Festival titles.
Her latest appearance happened at the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest two months ago. During the prejudging, Gillon did not miss the mark and stood out as the clear winner on stage next to fellow standouts Jessica Reyes Padilla, Lola Montez, and Jossie Nathali Alarcon Becerra. Eventually, she emerged as the champion once again. She extended her lead as the winningest Figure athlete in Olympia history with her sixth victory in a row.
Cydney Gillon shares tips for budding bodybuilders
In a recent YouTube video, Cydney Gillon shared some tips for aspiring bodybuilders who are just getting started in the sport.
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She stressed the importance of loving yourself to ensure a positive experience.
“Focus on yourself, that’s going to be very crucial but in that same breath you have to make sure that you love yourself through and through before you start a sport that is subjective and that is literally meant to judge you on a high platform,” said Gillon. “So, if you have all those outside factors coming in, you’re trying to make sure that you don’t lose that self esteem and that it’s a positive experience for you, you need to know who you are on the front end and be stable in that. Having the mentality where you can take the criticism and grow from it.”
Gillon encouraged others to take in constructive criticism, as well as taking accountability for your work, and not comparing yourself to others.
“Besides having that self love, recognizing that no matter what you do or how you do it, you are going to have to work. That’s the second thing. In the midst of that work, you need to focus on yourself and make sure that you are giving 150 percent. Don’t prepare yourself to complain. Sit with what you’ve been able to do and be honest with yourself in terms of how much work you’ve actually put in to what’s happened. But also recognize that everybody is not going to win and you have to be okay with that.”
“Do not compare yourself to anybody else, especially if it’s an Instagram picture. People photoshop it left and right, people getting all these filters, angles, everything. Nothing matters until you are on stage that day. That’s all that matters. That’s all you can judge and it’s literally it.”
“My main thing I want you to take away is focus one yourself, allow this journey to be nothing but positive. That all starts with that self love and knowing when to take those critiques and where to place them and how to move through life while navigating the sport.”
You can watch the full video below:
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Cydney Gillon gave fans a look into her approach to cheat meals following her latest Olympia win last December. She shared her method of using ‘food festivals’ as mental breaks to make sure she doesn’t burn out for future shows.
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