Are You Thinking About Competing? Read This!!!

Have you admired the physiques on stage or in the pages of magazines ?

Have you often said to yourself “I would love to get up there on that stage?”

Have you often said to yourself ” I want to look like that?”

I have worked with 100′s of competitors over the years.  I have also worked with many who aspired to acheive the end goal but just could not make it to the finish line.   As Contest Prep Expert, a National Champion and an IFBB Figure Professional..I know what it takes to get to the stage.  I take a very up front approach as to what is required to get there.  I share the good, the bad and the ugly.  I also know that if you have to be chased around to stick to your diet and do your training then you just need to accept that right now…you do not have what it takes to compete.

I am going to shed some light on my top 12 things to consider before you decide to go through the process.  This knowledge will assist your preparation and increase your confidence that you are truly ready to take action.

All to often people get into this process without a clear picture of the committment involved.  Competing in a physique sport that requires such balance and low body fat levels takes a 24 hour a day commitment to your diet and your training program.  This is not a light weight process but an intensive process of forcing the body to mobilize fat and spare a maximal amount of muscle to create a perfect stage look.  This is all done in a period of 12-20 weeks.  If you are in bodybuilding then you also must master the posing routines.  If you are fitness then you must master the routine round and the posing and stage presentation rounds.  If you are in figure or bikini then you must commit the time to present on stage in a feminine, confident and polished fashion that is specific to what looks best on you and what the organization requires.

Competing is also not just about creating a great body.  It is about standing out from your competition on stage.  Each category  has their respective requirements but you better pay attention to your presentation, your suit, your skin color, and your hair, make up and jewellry if you’re in  figure, fitness, and bikini.

Here are  my top 12  things to consider before competing.

1. Be sure you have excellent time management skills. Unless you do not have a job, or a family.  If all you have to do is eat, sleep, train and prep for a show then you are one of the few.  Most competitors require excellent time management to be able to plan and stick to the daily show prep plan.  Contest prep will place an extra 9- 16 hours per week into your normal schedule depending on the category you are in.  This will be just for training, cardio and or routines.  In some cases…you will be at the gym 2 x per day.  Then there is time for meal prep, sleep, eating your meals that will be at least  5-6 day, and therapeutic treatment such as massage or chiro to help you stay your best.

2. Make time for morning cardio. Expect that no matter what time you work that you may have to be up to do morning cardio on an empty stomach.  How critical early moring cardio is will depend on your own metabolism. This is one of  the best times to burn fat.  I am up at 5 am to do cardio and sometimes train before my son wakes up for school at 7.  You need to be committed to this goal.

3. Expect to miss out. Birthdays/ Xmas/ Easter.  If you are going to whine and complain that you will be dieting through Xmas or your birthday then you are not ready to do this.  People forget that fun is not about food.  These events are about family time together.  It is a short term sacrifice for a worthy goal!

4.  Expect to need more sleep. You will start to feel more tired and will need more sleep.  In fact this is critical to the fat burning/ muscle sparing process.  You need 7-9 hours every night and you need to get to bed before midnight.  Staying up past midnight will make you hold water, slow fat burning, increase muscle loss and lower immunity.  It also increases the risk of binge eating.  A short 20 minute power snooze in the day can work wonders on your tired body.

5.  Say goodbye to booze. This does not fit into a contest prep plan.

6. Expect to be more hungry. You should be a bit hungry at certian times but not so hungry that you could chew on your own arm.  If you are this hungry or your sleep is interupted by hunger then you need to consider a slight boost in calories.

7. Do not expect the scale to drop in a linear fashion. Our weight is not just fat weight.  Our organs, fat, muscles, bones, and water all contribute to our weight.  It is not uncommon to see the scale hit a stand still but you will still notice your clothes getting loser and your body appearing tighter.  Remember muscle also is more dense then fat and it ads to weight.  Early out in a diet…it is possible to add muscle to your body which will affect the scale.  I do not worry about the scale.  Focus on how your clothes are fitting, how your measurements are changing and what the mirror is telling you.

8.  Expect to have “fat” days. Everyone has them.  My statement about the mirrior is not always such a good idea.  If you are someone that fixates on the negative or perhaps does not have an accurate perception of yourself then it would be wise to have someone who knows what they are looking for to take a look at you.  For you…looking in the mirror could do way more harm then good.  If you are making progress, sticking to your diet, and training hard then recognize that these “fat”days are usually brought on by a few things.

a- stress- any kind.  Even the smallest blip can cause stress when you are in this state.

b- fatigue- lack of sleep

c- a bad mood- will happen when you are preparing for a show.

d-pending menstruation- if you are a lady of course!  Water weight gain happens to us all to some degree!

9.  Expect to be more forgetful and not very creative. Your brain’s primary fuel is glucose which comes from carbohydrate.  Carbohydrates are always manipulated in contest prep.  How much or how little you have will depend on your metabolism and what your body needs.  This lack of fuel to the brain will change your mood, make you forget the silliest things and will zap you of all your creative energy.  I suggest writing everything down.  I also suggest shelfing any major projects until after your show -if possible.  I will put most of my writing and deep thinking projects on hold when I preparing for a show.  You will be shorter on concentration and focus too.  This is normal and I would be lying if I told you that this does not happen.

10.  You will not quite be yourself. People may notice that you are quieter, more tired, more anxious or quicker to temper.  Your basic personality will dictate what will happen.  If you have a hot temper and loved ones then be prepared as odds are good that  you will get a lot worse during this time.  If you do nothing to improve this then you may not have a family when you are done.  I would first work on improving this problem.  Hot tempers can be managed with proper skills.  Consider working on that before you compete.  Really know yourself and be honest with yourself about what you are really like.  It is always tougher when there are other people such as spouses and or children to be considerate of.

I get more quiet  when I prep for a show.  I am a perfectionist and I know this about myself and being more quiet helps me to manage any anxiety that I might experience.  I have developed these skills over the years to keep this perfection ghremlin at bay–especially during contest time.  I find that a little quiet time in my car, inspiring  music, positive self talk and personal responsibility is all I need to keep on track, keep my family and my life in order.   I also put a strong sense of responsibility on myself and will never blame someone unfairly for my own mood or attitude.  If the name of your game is to blame everyone else and make everyone tip toe around you then trust me you will not benefit anyone in the long run…even yourself.  Reconsider your competition goals if you cannot get this under control.  The sport may not be for you.

11.  Make the decision to compete for you and not because someone wants you to. This needs to come from you in order to succeed.     Internal motivation for a desired goal is the most enduring form of motivation.

12. Plan Ahead. If you are in Fitness, Figure, Fitness Model or Bikini then be sure to order your suits and heels plenty of time ahead.  8-12 weeks is a good idea.  Suit designers can  get busy so if you do not  get in early then there could be a problem.  Leave plenty of time to polish routine, posing and presentation.  Usually no less than 8 weeks out.  Enter the show, book your hair, make up and tan.  Last but not least…leave enough time to diet and train so your body is stage ready.  Usually 12-20 weeks depending.

There you have it!  I have delivered a no holds barred explanation of  some crucial things that should be considered in the decision process before you compete.  If you have gone through all this and taken them into consideration then there will be no surprises along your journey to the stage.

Competing can be a wonderful experience and one that helps to shape your character and bring life long memories.  It is a lot of hard work but my attitude is that all things worth doing are hard work.