A guide to deciding if bodybuilding is for you.
As with many things in life, you don’t know until you try. That’s how I felt with bikini competitions. I didn’t know a ton about them and I was curious to see if I had the self-discipline to put myself through a very structured meal plan and exercise regimen. I’ve always loved exercise, and I eat pretty well but in no way have I ever counted my macros or slaved away on the stair-master at 5 am. I figured the best way to find out if I could do a show was to register — so I did!
Since a bodybuilding competition requires a lot of money and even more time, I decided to put together a guide with some of my own experiences to make it an easier decision for others to make.
Step 1: Hire a coach (6 months away from the show)
Do your research. You want a coach with experience in bodybuilding for all classes, especially the one that you are doing (for me it was bikini). Make sure that you have someone to help you with the diet, the exercise program and the posing, and to guide you through all of the logistics of preparing for a show. If you’ve never done a competition, you’ll have no idea where to start.
If you can, talk to someone who does competitions and find out if they know of any good coaches. The diet that you are about to start is going to be restrictive and you want to make sure the coach you hire understands nutrition and has experience giving out programs to bodybuilders.
Step 2: Register for your amateur body-building membership. (4-6 months away)
In British Columbia this is your BCABBA membership (http://bcabba.org/) but there are other organizations as well.
Step 3: Register for your show of choice. (4-6 months away)
Think about the timing of the show and where it is located. I would recommend doing a show in your area so that you don’t have to worry about travelling. You need to be focused on this for 4 months so pick a show that you will have time to train for. Social events where food and alcohol are involved will be do-able but unless you have a cheat day/meal (this depends on your coach), you will likely be bringing your own food and you will not be drinking (ideally). Travelling on vacation will be even more challenging so try not to have a big trip planned within the 4 months leading up to your show (maybe plan one for after!).
Step 4: Buy heels and start posing practice! (4-5 months away)
You need to be able to walk around in 5” or 6” heels; be sure to get heels that are allowed at your show as some shows have different requirements. Talk to your coach about what shoes to get before buying them.
Step 5: Prep Begins (4 months out)
If you don’t already have one, buy a food scale. You will be weighing all of your protein, carbohydrates and fats so you will need one. You will also be consuming tons of water so a 1L water bottle is recommended!
Finally, get a cooler and awesome Tupperware – you need this for your meals! The more organized you can be, the better – I prepped my meals for the week Sundays and Wednesdays to avoid having to cook and measure food every day.
Step 6: Contact a suit maker, select fabric, jewellery and connectors for your suit.
(4 months away)
Your coach will be able to give you guidance on this. Pick a colour that looks good on you but also one that stands out (nicely) on stage! The suit maker will help you decide what connectors to choose; your body type may look better in one over another and then, of course, your personal preference matters too. Expect to spend at least $250 on a custom made bikini. There may be an option to rent a suit but I believe this is still around $200.
Step 7: Book hair, make-up and spray tan appointment for show (3-4 months away)
If possible, book all 3 of these appointments with the same company. There will likely be a main company that is hosting the show – if they have a good reputation and aren’t too pricey (relatively speaking) go with them; they will be doing touch ups at the show and this will minimize planning and coordinating appointments on your end.
Step 8: Book a photo-shoot (optional) for the week before your show or the day after. (2 months away).
I did a little photo shoot with a friend but I know a lot of competitors who do photo shoots. You have trained for a long time to look this lean so if you want some professional photos done, you should do it! You will have to consider timing because you need to coordinate waxing/shaving between your show and the photo shoot. Note that for show day, you need to be body hair-less other-wise your spray tan won’t go on properly.
Other Things to Consider
The steps listed above are just suggestions to demonstrate the amount of planning and preparation required for one event.
When deciding whether or not this is for you, you have to be mentally prepared to do things like carry a cooler around with you for the day, weigh all of your food and workout every day of the week (sometimes twice a day).
Your social life will change quite a bit. For example, if friends are going out to dinner, you will have to bring your own meal or eat beforehand. For some people, this is not realistic and for others it’s not a big deal, it’s just something that you do need to think about before registering.
You also have to prepare yourself for what comes after a show – it is really hard to stick to such an extreme routine for 4 months, get a very lean physique and then try and go back to regular diet and exercise after the show. You have to be prepared to put on weight afterwards and you have to be very careful when you start adding restricted foods back into your diet.
My Bikini Competition Experience
I trained very hard for my first show in 2015 (Popeye’s) because I was determined to see what it takes to compete. I started a bulk phase 8 months away from the show which meant I was following a meal plan and exercise plan to mentally prepare myself for the prep phase (4 months out).
In the bulk phase, I was able to have all of the fruit and vegetables I wanted; I just had to make sure I was consuming 30 grams of protein, 6 times a day. The idea behind this was to build as much muscle as I could before starting Prep. Once Prep started, I was still trying to add muscle to my physique but because I was slowly reducing my carbohydrates and fats, it was much harder to do so, especially close to the show. Prep becomes more about maintaining the lean muscle that you put on during the bulk phase and reducing your body fat to reveal your muscle.
During prep, my overall fat consumption was pretty low which meant giving up things like nuts and avocados. What I didn’t realize is that this dietary change made a difference in my mental function – it was more difficult to concentrate at work and I did feel a bit spacey at times. Fats are your brain food and they help you feel satisfied after a meal. While I was never hungry during prep, I was in a constant state of wanting something else after eating. I also noticed that my ability to think quickly was reduced and I believe it was due to the change in my diet.
The week before the show is called peak week – your diet is changed entirely based on the progress that you’ve made. For me it meant switching from white fish to salmon and steak every day and a few other changes to start drying me out for the stage. The purpose of peak week is to get rid of any bloating and minimize water retention. You want to look your leanest on show day and that comes down to playing around with your salt, water and carbohydrate consumption. This is an interesting process and you will notice big but temporary changes in your physique (mostly due to dehydration).
As I mentioned before, I wanted to compete for the experience and to learn from it. But I lucked out and placed 3rd in the local show, which gave me the chance to compete at a more competitive level. It was a great experience but I did feel burnt out in my training and it was more difficult to push myself the second time around. My goal to learn about competitions had been achieved and I now knew if I set my mind to it, I had the ability to compete and achieve extreme physical results in my appearance.
I am really glad that I competed in both shows because I learned different lessons. The first show taught me that I was able to do it and I could help others achieve this goal – it taught me a different approach to training (training for appearance versus function) and the effects of meal timing and macro-intake. The second show taught me that while I appreciate the hard work people put into these shows, for me, it was purely about the experience and not something I would want to shape my life around. I would prefer to help others decide whether or not this is a goal of theirs and, if yes, help them reach the stage or at least answer any questions that they may have.
If you or someone you know is interested in competing, I would love to give out more information and additional tips. I am all about sharing and I hope that I have given you a better understanding of the bodybuilding world. Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you have—I am happy to help!
What IF you could?
Camille Hindley, BA CMNS, ACSM-CPT, FMS Level 2
Events Manager
Innovative Fitness – Four Seasons
Cell: 778.231.4292/Phone:604.609.5450
www.innovativefitness.com
Like IF –www.Facebook.com/InnovativeFitness
Follow IF – @IFDifference
Watch IF – www.YouTube.com/InnovativeFitness1
