This is a series of articles about competing in bodybuilding, bodyfitness, athletic fitness and classic bodybuilding. In this first part we try to answer the most common questions on the topic, dispel doubts and fears, and offer clear ideas on how to make a start on realizing your dream and take that first step toward competitive sport that judges the physique. Whether you are a beginner or already a champion, there is something here for everyone.
The beginning
Sound familiar? You have been training for years, your physique is clearly well above average, and your friends have long been telling you that you should be on a bodybuilding stage. Maybe you have dreamed of it yourself and thought about it a lot, but there are many fears and doubts that keep pushing you, again and again, to watch from the audience in jeans rather than stand on stage in stage makeup and posing trunks. Does that sound familiar?
I assure you that you are definitely not alone in your situation, but one of very many. Gyms are full of lifters with great physiques who are caught in the grip of doubt and hesitation, especially here in our Scandinavian region. Competitors are scarce at shows, yet the gyms are in quite good shape, full of lifters who doubt themselves and ask “would I even be good enough to compete on a bodybuilding stage?” Whether, how and when to compete? How to get started? I will try to answer these doubting questions.
Everyone can do it, and so can you…
The most common thing is that, although people want to compete and dream of being on a bodybuilding stage, they are not sure they will actually manage to reach contest shape. A frequent question is: can I actually pull this off? I will let you in on a big secret. Everyone who has ever taken part in a physique competition is a person… a human being. And who are you? If you are reading this text, then obviously you are a human too. Hence the cheering fact… every person who wants it enough is capable of getting into the kind of shape that can handle going on stage. Going on stage to flex your muscles in front of a large audience. If you have a dream of competing, real determination and desire, know that you are definitely capable of it.
At the same time, even though it is certain that you are 100% capable of making it on a bodybuilding stage, that does not mean it is simple or easy. For some it will be easier, for others definitely harder, because we are all very different. Training history, genetics, willpower and many other factors determine the nature of getting into contest shape.
To be completely honest, it cannot be denied that the lifestyle competitive bodybuilders (fitness competitors) must live in order to reach contest shape is probably one of the most challenging among all the disciplines’ contest-prep demands, if not the most challenging of all. So thinking it through thoroughly before making serious decisions is more of a duty than a recommendation. Although with enough willingness anything is always possible, always weigh the realistic options. Are you free of serious health problems, eating disorders and the like?
Maybe my claim “you can do it” gave you a positive push and you are sure you will take this on. Still, be very deliberate, and first get clear on the real requirements dictated by the relatively ascetic lifestyle of competitive bodybuilding. Know that if 25 kg of fat covers your muscles, the journey to stage shape and medals is definitely no picnic, but, I repeat, with enough willingness it is possible and realistic. Realistic for you too.
Would I be good enough…?
Once you have found the resolve and the will within yourself, a small worry still remains: “but what if I get laughed off the stage?” Am I good enough? I would ask, good enough for what? I have heard dozens of times talk like “I will only compete when I am good enough and have a chance of winning too.” Forget that attitude. Of course it is possible to assess what level you are at, but the decision to compete definitely should not be based on whether you have a chance of winning or not. A win and winning can never be guaranteed, because it does not always depend on you. I have heard a lot about people planning to make their debut once they are good enough. This “good enough” concept is completely wrong and should be ruled out, because it is a closed circle. Do you think the time will ever come when you are satisfied with yourself and good enough? The fact is that no such time will come. That there is always something lacking or something that could be even better is in our nature. If you think you will train until you have achieved a near-ideal physique and only then compete… that time will never come, you will die first. As I said, you can always be better… slightly wider shoulders, a bit more powerful quads, a thicker back, and so on. With that attitude you will discover one day that 20 years have passed chasing that ideal and you still have not made it on stage. You do not have to wait an eternity to compete; remember that no one on stage is perfect. You do not have to be perfect to compete. That is just how it is: some are bigger, some smaller, some leaner, some more massive. Some are disproportionate, some have wide hips, some have not bothered to put in the work to get in shape and their body fat percentage is clearly too high, and so on and so forth. Come to terms with reality and the fact that you will probably never be perfect, and you do not have to be. What matters is that you are prepared and confident. Even though beginners have managed to win titles, most newcomers are not a Kiivikas or a Vähi the first time out. But if you do not even try to compete, you will never find out whether you could have been, or what you could have been.
Becoming a good competitor is a long process that cannot even begin if you do not compete. How did you learn to walk? By walking, of course. How do people learn to play the piano? By playing and practicing, naturally. You can only become a good competitor by competing. You will never know what you are capable of or where you stand compared with others if, well prepared, you do not test yourself on the competition stage alongside them.
You don’t have to be perfect and the best right away to compete in bodybuilding or fitness. It’s clear that there is only one winner and that nobody is ever perfect. But if you don’t compete, you won’t improve and you won’t keep progressing.
I’m not trying to claim that everyone should step on stage at all costs, or that it doesn’t matter what you look like. Of course, everything has to be planned, weighed up and thought through. You should always try to give your best. You may even be 10 kg lighter than the others, but if you’ve prepared well, know what you’re doing and have given your best, you can easily still end up in the finals lineup.
The right timing, excuses and the years ahead…
By now we’ve reached the stage where we know we can do this, and we’re ready to face contest prep and everything that comes with it. We’ve accepted that we will most likely never be flawless, even if we give it our best.
There is still one important aspect to consider… the right timing. I don’t mean timing in terms of your condition, but timing in your life. The decision to compete must not be made without thought. You have to take everything else going on in your life into account. If you’ve just started a new job (12-hour days), are starting military service, have just broken up with someone or lost someone, then this may not be the season to consider competing. Put things in order of priority. Preparing for a physique competition may be important to you and a big dream, but it is certainly not your whole life. It is only one part of it.
Good timing matters, but even so, always try to stay reasonable and don’t just start looking for excuses to put off competing. If you fall into the trap of looking for excuses, you’ll keep looking for them and never find yourself on a competition stage. It becomes an endless chain… one problem this year, another next year, and so on. Don’t fool yourself. Nobody is forcing you to compete, but if you truly want it in your heart, stop making excuses. Seriously, the “I’ll definitely compete next year” types will never get to put on posing trunks, because they will probably always find some “reason” to postpone competing again and “compete next year”. Life will always throw up obstacles, problems and arguments that could get in the way of preparing. If we treat every disturbing circumstance as a major argument against going ahead, we’ll just keep searching and waiting for that “right time”. Don’t wait longer than you really have to. Having your sister’s wedding in three months, where you’d have to skip the vodka and the tasty cakes because of your prep, is not an argument. Next time you’ll break an arm, and again it will go undone.
If you dream of showing a double biceps pose in front of a big crowd, make a considered decision, set yourself realistic goals and get it done without excuses.
Dispel your fears and plan thoroughly…
What happens if I plan and prepare as well as I can, but in the end it all goes wrong anyway? What if everything goes according to plan, but on contest day I’m still more watery than ever before? What if my breast pops out of my bikini while posing, or I forget my freestyle routine?
It’s a fact that everyone makes mistakes the first time, and they make mistakes the second and third time too, and so on. People make mistakes even after ten years of competing, and unexpected things and unpleasant surprises happen. I’ve seen girls fall at the Fitness Olympia, and I’ve seen a competitor at the World Championships do a half turn in completely the wrong direction without so much as blinking. I’ve also seen bikinis come off. And so what? Whatever happens, whether it’s your own blunder or just bad luck, it’s not the end of the world. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger; it only makes you better, gives you experience and prepares you for unexpected situations in the future. There’s no need to be afraid. Free yourself from fear!
I’d stake my life on it that not everything will go the way you’d like at your first competition. Your freestyle routine, makeup, how you look on stage, your posing: there’s always something that could be better in some element, and the chance of unwanted situations is high. That’s also why you shouldn’t put off competing for fear of failure. Mistakes are always made and they happen to the best. Know that and accept it. Every failure is an experience and a lesson in its own way. Take this, for example: if you don’t compete, you’ll never find out how to keep your competition makeup from turning green on your skin. There are plenty of examples like that.
The best way to reduce and avoid any kind of surprise is the most thorough planning. Although we know that things will probably never go exactly the way we want, it’s always worth spending time on planning. By doing so we reduce the potential for surprises, and there’s no reason to fear them.
Conclusions…
Anyone is capable of going from “gray gym rat” status to a shredded bodybuilder (classic physique bodybuilder, fitness competitor). The journey, with all its challenges, is certainly not easy, but if you truly dream of it, put yourself to the test and do it. Of course, you won’t be the Mr. Olympia winner the first time, but know that if you intend to keep going in the sport at competition level, competing is exactly how you get better and learn. Be aware of everything that competing in bodybuilding or fitness, or preparing for it, involves, plan thoroughly and don’t let your very human fears stand in the way of your progress.
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10 STEPS TO HELP YOU START YOUR JOURNEY TOWARD COMPETING
1. Get to know the sport you’re in
If you’re a complete beginner, start by getting to know your favorite discipline. Competing and reaching the stage is much easier once you understand what the whole thing is really about. Start by going to competitions, at first as a spectator, and watch competition videos online too. Talk to people who are involved in the sport. There are no stupid questions; everyone started out once and was a novice. Read magazines and get familiar with everything related to competing. Learn and stay curious!
2. Make the decision
If you’ve been watching from the sidelines for a while and already get what this is all about, it’s time to make a decision. If you feel the time is right, don’t hesitate: make a firm decision and start preparing. A decision you stick to is the real beginning.
3. Assess your reality accurately
You’ve decided to compete, and now you need an overview of where you currently stand. Before any further steps, you should get a clear picture of what shape you’re in, how much muscle and how much fat you have, and what your strong and weak points are. It’s important to stay honest here, so don’t settle for a couple of good shots taken in dim light. Take whole photo series in proper lighting, on different days, in different basic poses. Analyze them yourself and ask others to assess them, such as an experienced competitor, coach or judge.
4. Choose the division and category you’ll compete in
Your choice of category and division obviously rests largely on the previous step, that is, on your real current situation. Choose the division and category you’d like to compete in. Analyze which category would make the most sense for you. For example, if you’re 2 m tall and weigh 90 kg, but you’ve decided you still want to be on the competition stage, think first about whether you really want to compete in bodybuilding. Perhaps classic bodybuilding would be the more sensible choice for you. The categories are not the same in every division, so once you’ve chosen a division, find out more about its categories. You can start in one category, and nothing stops you from competing in a different one next time.
5. Choose a competition
After the division and category, choose the specific competition you plan to enter. Try to work out how long your preparation will take. If you have to lose 20 kg, it makes no sense to plan to do it in 6 weeks. It’s good if you can enter your chosen competitions in a category with competitors of more or less your own level. If a competition has, for example, a masters class and youth and junior classes, be sure to pick the category that fits you. Open competitions with general categories are of a high standard, and it’s harder for a beginner to compete in them. Again, special categories are unfortunately less common here in Scandinavia, but if you have a choice, go for the competition that has more competitors at your level, or at least has such a category.
Translator’s note: here in Estonia we now have the Reval Cup and the South Estonian Cup competitions.
6. Bring different experts into your preparation
If you’ve assessed things correctly, you obviously understand where you’re heading. It’s clear that help is welcome in an undertaking like this. Maybe you don’t need help with everything, only with certain aspects, such as getting into shape, posing and so on. Once again, talk to people who are inside the sport, ask for advice and consult.
7. Rules and formalities
You’ve chosen a division, a category and a specific competition, and you also have a team. Now it’s time to learn the competition rules. You need to know the rules that apply to you on stage, but also the ones that apply to your team. For example, it’s important to know the rules on competition attire. Your posing coach can’t put together a 2-minute free routine for you if the permitted routine length is only 1 minute. So… rules, rules, rules.
Don’t forget to register: many competitions require advance registration. It’s awful if you’ve prepared for 20 weeks, got into great shape, and then miss out on competing simply because you forgot to register.
8. Put together a game plan and follow it
Before you start preparing, put together a clear “game plan”. When will you start your diet, when will you start posing, do you already have posing trunks, when will you get them, when will you get your makeup done, when will you register, and so on. Even if it seems you have plenty of time, say 20 weeks, those 20 weeks fly by. Get out a calendar right away and set dates for when you’ll do each thing.
9. Get your attitude right
You decided to compete yourself. Nobody is holding a gun to your head or forcing you to do it. Don’t complain and moan non-stop about how hard it is or how hungry you are. If you do hours of cardio a week and are in a calorie deficit, of course you’re tired and drained. That comes with the territory and has to be endured. But if you’ve made the decision to do this, then take on the challenge and don’t unload your whining and hardship on others. It was your own THOUGHT-THROUGH choice.
10. Start putting your decisions and plans into action
By now you’ve made a lot of decisions and have set out on the journey to the competition stage. You’re ready to start preparing for your first competition and to put your plans into action.
In the next part, we’ll talk about the next important step in pre-contest preparation: posing. It’s the most important component of being on stage!
Author: Anne Pietilä” translated by Janar Rückenberg
Come and train! ArtGym
