Competing in a show is an amazing experience! It’s exciting to look forward to how far you will come in the short months! But there is a lot to consider in order to present your best. Such as how much and of what to eat, workout programs, posing, costs, tan, etc. So it does take some hard work, dedication, and numbers dialed in right, but having a great game plan will help you achieve so much more! Simple things like the slightest changes to a meal plan, and/or workout program can mean the difference between 1st place, or anything else! Because when it comes time to step on stage, and you know you gave it your all, your physique will show it! Here we will go over a few things you should know and expect.
# 1 Structure Your Workout Plan
There is no cookie cutter workout plan when it comes to detailed perfection! Structuring a workout plan that is going to provide the best results for you is necessary to deliver your best self on stage! So know what works well for you, and allow an adequate amount of time for your body to develop and transform into the best shape you can get into! People average about 12 weeks for a show prep. Workouts should start off at about 50 – 60% of your 1 rep max, performing around 12 reps. This puts you in the higher end of hypertrophy to benefit from the most muscular change. As the weeks go, and your progress continues, change up your workouts, weights, rep ranges, and decrease rest time. Also, don’t just implement cardio, but conditioning as well, to improve muscle tone, prolonged calorie burn, and improved body composition!
# 2 Dieting
Dieting is one of the most important parts of preparing to compete in any sporting event. Especially a bodybuilding or physique show as it is the quickest and most effective key to a transformation! Staying committed to a nutrition plan with all the numbers dialed in specificly for you and your needs will drastically improve your results! Remember, you need to eat an adequate amount to maintain muscle mass and strength. These things arn’t “skinny shows”! You need muscle size, and definition! A lot of people go with a 40/40/20 split for macros, while some simply go with a IIFYM diet, and others like to carb cycle. While some may be more beneficial than others, it’s important to know your body, and stay consistent when seeing results! I always recommend to get at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, around 60 – 75 grams of fat (depending on the person), and slowly decrease carbohydrates over the course of your prep. Then there is “Peak Week” which is a whole nother story, where diet and exercise change a bit.
# 3 Supplementation
Supplements can be very beneficial to your transformation if you are using the right quality products with the right quantities. The most popular ones, are protein powder, amino acids, BCAAs, and pre-workout. Protein powder should be taken right after your workouts for a fast acting source of protein for quick anabolic recovery. Amino acids and/or BCAAs can be taken during or before your workout, to help avoid muscle catabolism. They can also be used through out the day or between meals. Lastly, pre-workout is pretty self explanatory, but when you are depleting carbohydrates and overall calories, you’ll be happy to have the boost of caffeine for added energy during your workouts!
# 4 Tanning and Show Day
So the day finally comes. The few moments you have been training for months for! The last thing you want to do is throw it all away by messing something up on the last day! So make sure everything is packed (food, cloths, suit, pillow, cards, etc.) Make sure you are on time for your tan which is usually the day before. If everyone in the show is getting their tan from a specific tanning company, it’s usually a good idea to get yours from them to! That way you don’t run a higher risk of having a bad tan that stands out in a bad way. Lastly, back to enjoying the journey, enjoy the last few moments of this one! Your time on stage is where you can really show off what you have accomplished, and own the stage! It’s what the audience and judges want to see! And don’t get too nervous! Just go up, have fun, and deliver your best self! You worked hard for it!
# 5 Enjoy The Journey
You should be competing because you love to live the fitness lifestyle. You like to exercise, be healthy, and maybe inspire or show others how far you can go with it! Remember that for when the workouts and diet get hard. As you diet down, your energy levels will drop, and workouts will be more difficult. But that’s all part of becoming the best you can be! Dedicate yourself to your goals, and don’t allow anything to veer away from them. Because when you get up on stage, and you know you gave it everything you had, it is all worth it, and it can be some of the greatest moments of your life!
Having a helping hand can guide you through body transforming workout routines, amazing meal plans with a variety of options to effectively burn fat and build muscle, and the motivation to never give up when it gets tough!
You’ve put yourself to the test! Now make sure you bring your best self to the stage, and take home the gold with the best program made just for you! From diet, to cardio, exercises, abs training, and staying motivated to actually follow through, you’ll be proud of what you have created, and step up on stage with 100 percent confidence!
So to get started on the right program catered for your most optimal results, click here
