This is a series of articles about competing in bodybuilding, bodyfitness, athletic fitness and classic bodybuilding. In the previous article we dove into the world of competition wear to find just the right outfit for show day. But that’s not all you need. Neither a pale complexion nor zebra stripes will do you any favors on stage – to look your best, you need a flawless competition tan! That’s why the fourth part of the guide shares what we know about competition tan colors. Whether you’re a beginner or already a champion, there’s something here for everyone.
Competition tan
The smell of Pro Tan or another competition tanning product, and the sight of bodybuilders tanned jet black, are a sure sign of a bodybuilding show. Unfortunately, they can also point to plenty of stressful, uncomfortable and doubt-filled moments among competitors, especially beginners. Hours-long, serious tanning sessions bring many thoughts racing through your head. There may also have been accidents, both small and big. Am I brown enough, or should we add one more coat? If so, should I add more Pro Tan, or just one coat of Dream Tan on top? Wait! I can see some thick, long hairs – am I allowed to shave? And why the hell is my tan turning green? Oh no, now it has a reddish tone!? Does it look messy or cheap? In the worst case, your goal of looking like a beautiful bronze statue of a Greek god can turn into a nightmare, because your skin reacts to the products you’ve applied, and as you pose and sweat the tan can start to run. After the show you hear that your poor, too-light tan cost you a few places. Competition tan can cause you more problems than you can even imagine!
That description didn’t sound all that tempting. Okay, I have both good and bad news for you. Let’s start with the bad. Whether you enjoy working on your tan or not, it’s a mandatory part of competing. Competition tan is something you can’t get out of. You can’t walk on stage with your normal skin tone, no matter how many hours and hours you’ve spent grilling yourself in the sun or in a tanning bed. You’re still not brown enough. The reason lies in the intense, bright stage lighting. If you step on stage with no tan at all, or if your tan isn’t dark enough, you look softer, the details don’t show and the sharpness is close to zero. After all the hard work we’ve put in, this would be the last thing we’d want to happen. But now the good news. It doesn’t all have to go the way described. The worst doesn’t necessarily have to happen. For that, though, YOU have to devote time and put in effort on your competition tan during show prep. You can start by reading this article, where we share the best hints and tips. Let’s begin!
Groundwork – part 1
To reach the goal of a perfect, flawless tan, and to head off every possible problem, mishap and the stress that comes with them throughout the whole prep, we definitely need to do some groundwork. I’m not talking about the last-week preparations YET, but about work that has to be done much earlier. A smart competitor starts early to reduce the risk of anything going wrong, not only with the tan but with the skin – the base the tan will be applied to.
The key to getting the best result from tanning products is year-round skin care. If your skin is remarkably healthy and glowing when you apply your competition tan, you’ll hardly run into problems whichever product you choose. Moisturize your skin and remove dead skin cells by exfoliating regularly. Never burn your skin. For most of us, proper skin care is part of everyday life; if it isn’t for you, learn to pay attention to it. Some hardcore bodybuilders may think these are too feminine routines and that regularly exfoliating and moisturizing your skin isn’t all that important, but the fact is that the slightly “feminine” men who take care of their skin are precisely the ones who are likely to get the best and most perfect tan. Year-round skin care pays off. Not only because of its importance in general and because it makes you feel and look better, but because it helps you when the show arrives. It makes your last-week preparations and the whole tan application process considerably easier, while reducing the risk of things going wrong with the tan. In most cases where the result is not a good enough competition tan, the culprit is not the color used to create it but the skin it is applied to.
When we talk about early groundwork, one question often comes up – do I need a base tan? In other words, is constantly going to the tanning bed necessary? No, you don’t need a base tan to achieve a perfect competition tan. Many choose a tanning bed for a base tan because sunbathing during the prep period is very soothing, but it isn’t mandatory. I still hear some competitors claim that you can’t create a good tan without a proper base tan, but that’s just a myth. If you choose the right product for even your palest skin and apply the necessary number of coats, you’ll get a perfect result without tanning. You may need to apply one more coat of color, but that shouldn’t cause problems. If you decide to tan a lot before the show, remember to look after your skin and don’t forget to use a moisturizing body lotion.
Another thing you need to take care of in good time – actually one of the most important – is choosing the right tanning product. If you’re still a beginner in competition tanning, or if your tan turned out very poorly at previous shows, you should seriously focus on finding the right product for you, taking your needs and wishes into account. Do it early enough. The week before the show is stressful anyway; choosing the right color is something you can do as much as a year before the competition.
Choosing your competition tan
Jan Tana, Liquid Sun Rayz, Pro Tan, Dream Tan, Elite Tan and their many variants are just a few examples of the tans on offer. The range of tanning products available today is huge. So how do you find the right one? There is no single answer, that’s a fact. You may well get the result you want with any product, as long as you use it correctly. But first, not every body reacts to every product in the same way. That is why the choice is so wide and why everyone has to find what suits them best. Second, when it comes to competition tan, we all have our own needs and wishes. While some people like an ultra-dark product that can be applied quickly and easily on the morning of the show, others find it too damp and prefer more traditional alternatives, starting to apply the product several days earlier. In the end, the color you choose and its quality are simply a matter of personal taste.
If you have competed before, take note of these words: don’t change anything that doesn’t need changing. In other words, if your tan was spot on last time, there is no point in experimenting with alternatives. Stick with what worked! But if you are new to competition tan, or if your previous tan left something to be desired, you should put real effort into choosing the right color for YOU. As said, there is no one right answer. Even so, there are a few points you should take into account when choosing your color.
Your skin is the most important factor to focus on when choosing a product. If you have allergies or more sensitive skin, you must contact the company that makes the product to find out whether you can use it on your skin. Don’t take risks with new products if your skin may react to them. You spend time and put in a lot of effort preparing for the competition, so don’t ruin it by putting something on your skin that it can’t tolerate, whether because of an allergy or some other skin problem. The second thing to think about is your skin tone. If you are quite pale, and especially if you looked too light at previous shows despite using plenty of Pro Tan, it is wiser to choose a darker product, such as Jan Tana Ultra 1 or Liquid Sun Rayz. If you have tattoos or more serious scars that you want to cover as effectively as possible, you should use something like a Dream Tan product.
Your circumstances before and after the competition also play a big role. Will you be working “normally” before and after the show? Do you have a photo shoot the week after the competition? Or are you competing again the following week or the week after, and will need a perfect tan for that show too? There is no point in choosing a product that you have to start applying on Thursday if you still have to show up at work looking normal on Friday. On the other hand, if you need to get the “old” color off quickly and easily after the show because a new competition and a new tan are coming up the following week, you need a product that peels off easily and can be washed off without leaving marks. The original, traditional version of Pro Tan is a product you usually have to start applying early; it takes time to wear off and may leave marks. Dream Tan is well known as a good, quick last-minute option, and it is easier to get off. Liquid Sun Rayz, in turn, washes off easily, but if you want to keep it on your skin for longer, it fades quite evenly, which makes it the best option if you plan to do photo shoots the week after the competition.
Your personal needs and wishes matter too, because there is no point in making the tanning process any more uncomfortable than it already is. In addition to the facts above, you should consider what YOU want and what quality YOU prefer. What kind of look do you want to achieve with the color? Do you prefer bronze (like DT 1) or more of a copper shade (like DT 2 and Elite Tan)? Do you want to apply oil on top, or do you prefer a color where adding oil no longer matters? Do you want the process to be simple and quick, with your tan limited to two layers on show day, or does a 3-day tanning process suit you? Think about your past experience with tanning products as well. Are you a beginner? If you have no previous experience with competition tan, and especially if you have chosen a light-colored outfit for the show, it is safer to pick a color that is easier to work with – choose a Jan Tana or Pro Tan product over Dream Tan. It is your own choice which quality you favor and what you put first overall.
All in all, when choosing your color you need to consider all your individual circumstances, needs and wishes, and it is also worth getting to know the different products available and their quality before making a decision. But keep in mind that you can’t jump to conclusions – first you have to try the product on your own body. If you can afford it, get a few product samples well before the competition and try them out, for example during a photo shoot. The only way to find out how a particular product will look on YOUR skin is to try it.
Prep work – part 2
If you have successfully completed the part 1 prep work, you have ideal skin to apply the tan on and you have managed to pick the product that best matches both your wishes and your needs, you still have more prep work to do ahead of the competition, especially in the final week. That week is very important for your competition tan, so plan it carefully!
To apply the tan, you have to remove all the hair from your body. This means all visible hair. Even if your body hair is light and very short, you still have to shave it off, because if you don’t, the tan will look sloppy. It is your own choice whether you wax, use a razor or go for some other option, but be careful when doing it so that you don’t damage your skin in any way. If you are hairier than average, start shaving regularly a few months earlier so that your skin can get used to it, and so that you have less hair to remove before the competition. Whatever you do to remove every last hair from your body, remember to leave at least one full day between shaving and applying the first layer of tan. Your skin needs it. Always use a new, clean razor to avoid possible infections. I don’t recommend shaving after the tan has been applied. If your hair grows back at a notable speed, choose a color you can start applying on Friday (the competition takes place on Saturday – A.K.) or on the morning of the competition day; in that case you can shave on Thursday or on Friday morning.
After shaving, you need to prepare your skin for the color. Before applying the competition tan, you have to exfoliate to remove dead skin cells, which ensures a smooth, even finish and prevents patchiness. If you have looked after your skin year-round, one exfoliation session is enough. If you haven’t, you will probably need to do it twice. Be sure to moisturize your skin, but be careful with body lotions. It’s important that your skin is even, smooth and well hydrated, but don’t overdo the moisturizing – it can make applying the tan harder or, at worst, completely impossible. Also, most products already contain moisturizers, so you may find you don’t need any extra.
Pre-competition shaving, exfoliating, moisturizing and even washing – the whole process plays an important part in getting an even, good-looking tan. It’s hard to give specific instructions, because everything depends on something. One thing is certain, though – I strongly recommend using the kits that most companies in the tanning business sell. In addition to the competition tanning product, these kits include everything else you need for the prep work, and the products have been developed to work well together. On the other hand, you can’t know how a competition tanning product will react with your skin if you have previously used random prep products on it. That is why I recommend using products from the same manufacturer for hair removal, pre-exfoliation, pre-moisturizing and creating the competition tan. Even more importantly, I strongly recommend following their instructions, since they are the professionals in their field. Also pay attention to your deodorant and any other products you use on your skin during the prep. For example, if you use a stronger deodorant, you should stop using it a couple of days before applying the competition tan, so that the amount of chemicals in your skin is minimal. This helps you avoid a reaction with the tanning product and armpits that turn green.
All in all, do the prep carefully and thoughtfully, follow the instructions exactly, and keep in mind that most problems with competition tans come from incorrect or insufficient skin preparation.
Applying the competition tan – facts and tips
Once you’ve done the prep properly, it’s time to apply the competition tan – and do that properly too! When and how to do it depends on the product you’ve chosen. Still, I’d like to share a few tips and key points worth remembering while you apply the product.
If you use the right product the right way, the chance of failure is very small. Don’t use old bottles of color that have been stored in various conditions, and don’t use an old applicator mitt that may still have old color in it. I’m not surprised if your tan turns green when you use a bottle bought in northern Finland 3 years ago that found its way there through a friend living in Spain. In other words, make sure you order completely new products and store them carefully until you start using them correctly. Using them correctly means following the instructions from the professionals. And even more importantly, DON’T mix different tanning products together unless you are completely sure they work together. I don’t understand competitors who explain how they applied 8 layers, each in a different color, or, even worse, how they mixed different products together before applying. I’m sorry, but how can you simply mix perfectly good competition tanning products together and do it better than the people who make a living from it!? Trust the products you’ve chosen and don’t start playing chemist at some random moment during the application.
Don’t try to do it alone – get someone to help you apply the product. Although I have seen some pretty mystical things, such as some Eastern European bodybuilders giving themselves a perfect tan with Dream Tan, I would still recommend getting help from an experienced person. Applying a competition tan isn’t rocket science, but that doesn’t mean the best choice is your mother, whose only experience with sodden gloves comes from gardening. Find someone who knows the job and knows the products. That way you don’t have to suffer through the stress, because if something goes wrong, an experienced person knows how to fix it. The best option is definitely a spray tan service, if you have access to one. It’s easy and stress-free – you’re looked after from the moment you are completely pale until the moment you’re ready to go on stage. I warmly recommend this option, because the people doing it are experts in their field who know their products BEST.
A frequently asked question is certainly how many layers you need to apply. There is no specific answer. It depends on the product you use and on you, your skin and your base tan. Your friend might get a perfect tan with 2 layers of their product, while you might need 8 layers of yours. In any case, the main mistake competitors make is probably not getting dark enough. In other words, they don’t apply the right number of layers. This is largely because stage lighting is surprisingly bright, especially for beginners. A tan that looks dark in a hotel room may still not be dark enough under stage lights. And as we already learned earlier in this article, stepping on stage with too light a tan can prove fatal.
In the bodybuilding world they say that the darker you are, the sharper you look on stage. The rule of thumb here is to add one more layer after you think you’re already dark enough, or even better – after an experienced person says you’re dark enough.
We can also give a few smaller tips on the application process. First, make sure you apply the color evenly across your whole body. Don’t use too much color on your ankles, elbows or knees, because these areas will look darker. You can leave those spots uncovered and apply color to them only with the final layer. Also follow the instructions on washing between the different layers. Pay attention to the clothes you wear after applying the color. Choose dark clothing that is definitely not too tight. Remember, whatever happens, don’t panic. During the application process the color may seem to have a greenish or reddish undertone, but in most cases that can be the case until the color dries and develops fully.
All in all, to get the perfect competition tan, you need to have the color applied properly with the help of an experienced person. If you don’t start playing chemist yourself, use the right products and apply them the right way, following the instructions and making sure enough layers go on, you can’t go wrong, especially if you’ve also done the prep work properly. Don’t forget to allow enough time for the application process. Rushing your tan the night before the competition, hungry and tired, will certainly not give you the best result.
The finishing touches: the details
Now that you have an even, sufficiently dark tan on, it’s time to focus on the details and make everything perfect. After all, you have to shine on stage! You do that with posing gloss or posing oil. A completely matte color doesn’t look its best, especially on bodybuilders, and it will leave you fading into the background in the lineup. Whether you need posing gloss or oil depends on which tanning product you use. Some products, such as Dream Tan, already contain posing oil, and in most cases you then don’t need a separate oil. Find out which oils and glosses are available. Again, I would prefer to use products from one and the same manufacturer and follow the included instructions, for oil and gloss too. That’s because some oils and glosses make your tan run. To prevent that, use products made to work well together, or use a tan that already contains oil. Whichever product you choose to create the glossy effect, don’t overdo it, especially with oil. Some competitors go too far and come on stage literally dripping with oil. It looks awful, and you lose sharpness because of it. A thin, evenly applied layer is all you need.
One important detail is your face, or more precisely the contrast between your face and body, which shouldn’t be too strong. Make sure your face is dark enough. Most male competitors apply the tan to their face as well. That can work, but with inexperienced competitors the result is often terrible. I would never use most tanning products on the face, because they leave a muddy impression. There has to be another solution. Nowadays almost all companies that make competition tan also produce separate products for the face. They’re worth a look. If you end up deciding to use make-up, as female competitors do, make sure to choose sufficiently dark shades.
Now you’re ready to go on stage. All you have to do is let the tan set properly, wear it well and shine. Be careful not to smear the tan on your competition outfit. A smart competitor also thinks of the organizer and the hotel, avoids smearing tanning products on anything, and cleans up any mess themselves.
Summary
The perfect tan is a must on competition day, since it plays an important role in how you and your body look on stage. A proper glossy tan helps you stand out in the lineup and brings out every detail, all your muscularity and sharpness. You can’t afford to get the tan wrong. If you do all the prep work properly, choose a suitable prep method and the right tanning products, and make sure the products are applied to your body the right way with the help of an experienced person, you increase your chances of a good result and reduce the risk of failure.
Author: Anne Pietilä, translated by Andra King
Come train! ArtGym
