That is the question - but not the only question one should ask when considering to venture into the world of competition. Whether it be bodybuilding, figure, fitness, or bikini - you need to take a good, hard look at your inner self as well as the current state of your physique before you begins to prep for this 16 week long endeavor.
#1: Who am I competing for?
If the answer to this question is "not me", then I highly advise you leave the idea of competing behind for now. You should not compete because a significant other or family member thinks you should do it, or because someone in the gym or a friend told you you to. Competing is a very personal decision and it should be something that you look at and say, "I want to do this to challenge myself and see what I'm made of". If you look at a competition as something you do for someone else, then I say don't even go through the hard work because you won't enjoy it, plain and simple.
#2: Do I have Support?
Competing is a very selfish endeavour. When in prep, your world must revolve around you, and often times family members and significant others feel neglected. Gone are the days of sitting around the TV eating popcorn and watching movies. Sunday dinners with the family? Forget about it, unless you bring your chicken breast and broccoli to the gathering. If you have kids, prep can be very challenging with all the snacks and 'kid meals' you need to prepare in addition to your own. If your loved ones don't understand what you're going through, there will be resistance, tension, guilt and anger to deal with that only intensifies as your contest date draws closer. If you do not have this support at home but still want to compete, consider joining the Rx Girl forums for support from other competitors who understand. It's been a life - or rather 'contest prep' saver for many women who just don't have a support network at home.
#3: What category should I enter?
If the first and second questions have been answered and you feel like you're ready to go forward - then the next decision to be made is what category to enter. Do you go into fitness? Figure? Bikini? Bodybuilding? Open? Novice? Masters? Many questions to answer but all pertinent ones. Do your homework and look into restrictions on categories like age, height, etc., then sit down and really think about your physique and what you have to work with. Are you more of an X shape or a Y shape? Thicker or skinnier? Do research on what is required for the category you've chosen. For example, if you chose fitness, be sure you have your bases covered with the fitness routine with some experience in tumbling and strength moves. Bodybuilding has mandatory poses that will be done during pre-judging that need to be practiced daily, and figure and bikini (as well as fitness) require that you walk on stage in heels with mandatory turns and a certain walk.
#4: When should I compete?
Ok, you have a category (or possibly categories if you're a real go-getter) picked out. Now you need a date, so check out your local NPC website for a list of competition dates to see what's feasible. Be sure to give yourself enough time to diet - and don't be scared to pick a date in say, January, for a show in November. More time is always a good thing. It's better to be ahead in prep than to be behind and try to crash diet and cardio your way to the end.
#5: Who should do my prep?
This is possibly the most difficult and most important question to answer. Do your homework and ask other competitors who you think look great on stage about their coaches. If you belong to a board such as Rx Girl and you see others compete and you like their results - ask them who they used. Visit websites of some of your favorite athletes and to see if they do prep for other competitors. Even if you don't see any contest prep information on their site, don't be afraid to email them and ask. The Rx Muscle forums have many members who offer contest prep services. Examples are Dave Palumbo, John Romano, Tammy Patnode, Chris Aceto, PJ Braun, Aaron Singerman, Steve G and Tim Gardner, just to name a few.
#6: What should I wear?
You have your date set, your prep coach selected, and your category chosen. You are mentally prepared and you have your support life-line in place. So, what do you wear? Suits can literally make or break a competitor. The wrong cut or the wrong color can all have a profound affect on the look of your physique. Bodybuilders will want to go with a plain, solid colored two piece for pre-judging, but can break out the bling for the night show. Figure will need to go with fully decorated two piece suit. Fitness will need a fully decorated suit for their physique round and a costume for their routine that is eye catching, yet easy to move in, and bikini competitors need a cute 2 peice suit that flatters their curves. Figure, fitness & bikini get to have more fun - and the added hazard - of heels. My personal suggestion (one passed along to me from an IFBB pro) is to get plain, 4" clear heels. I would avoid straps unless you feel uncomfortable without them. Anything flashy can take away from your look because remember - the judges are right at your feet and you will not want to draw their attention away from all your hard work. AVOID PLATFORMS!!! Judges are not fond of stripper heels.
#7: How will I fund this?
A major question to answer and often a big hurdle for those who have limited funds. This is not a cheap sport to compete in, but deciding on a budget from the start helps. Learning ways to skirt costs helps tremendously, so check out ebay, the divaexchange, or Rx Girl's suit exchange for used and new suits. While a used suit may not be the absolute perfect fit, odds are it will be a good one. If you're not comfortable with that idea then shop around for someone to make your suit(s)...again, don't be afraid to ask around to other competitors and don't forget that you can also get plain suits and decorate them yourself with crystals. Sometimes this is cheaper than having someone do it for you, but it depends on the designer. Another idea to cut competition costs is to put some feelers out there for sponsorship. Even if all all a company can contribute is a tub of protein - it's something! ...and every little bit will count. Food and supplementation are big expenses to consider. Chicken Breasts, vitamins, and protein powder add up! You also have to budget for your prep coach unless you're lucky enough to have a friend do it or you feel confident enough to do it yourself. Don't forget other improtant expenses like makeup, tanning supplies, bikini bite, and of course - entry fees, NPC card fees and travel expenses for the show itself.
Bottom line: competing is a serious commitment both mentally, pnysically, and financially. many people don't realize how tough it really is until do their first prep. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.
Ready to start your competition journey? Here are some links that can help:
to compete, or not to compete?
Subscribe to RxMuscle on Youtube
