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Published on Monday, 25 April 2011 21:39
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Written by Mindi Anderson
Figure First-Timers
By: Mindi Anderson
Snagging a glimpse of that first female physique athlete at the Gold's Gym nestled in an industrial cul-de-sac of Northwestern Indiana, my curiosity culminated into a passionate desire to sculpt my flawless body. Her grunts and gleaming muscles dripping with sweat piqued my interest while I peddled that stationary bike into oblivion. Groans exerted under pressure from instruction by her glycogen-swelled bodybuilding coach, she emanated Amazonian strength coupled with compelling femininity. The blending of both characteristics merged into one lithe body with her graceful command of each mitochondrial tensile strand. The search for attainment of such a physique drew me to the sport.
Getting ready for that 1st competition can be daunting to the uninitiated. Successful scheduling is key to optimal training, food prep, cardio, and beauty rest. Get help here through my two-part series on this organizational process, especially if you are unstructured by nature. In this first segment, I will list some tips about prepping for the show. (In Part Two, I will discuss tips related to Competition Day.)
- Emotional Support
- Post inspirational pictures of female competitors on your vision board or near the refrigerator. Refer to these as often as necessary to keep you on track towards your goals.
- If you heavily rely on social support, pick a friend to check-in with each week. Save up any negativity, self-doubts, or hungry emotions to dump on her/him. It helps if this person has also competed.
- Be pro-active. Ask for assistance in activities of daily living from friends and family. This is not selfish.
- Unsolicited negative comments from bystanders WILL assault you during this transformation. Prepare yourself emotionally before embarking on the journey.
- Relationships will be tested, as your life partner vicariously walks through contest prep with you. Ensure you both understand the imminent physical, emotional, and mental change.
- Health
- As a woman, your hormones will go "bezerk" when your body fat levels drop. Get a thorough blood panel and physical examination prior to starting contest prep.
- No contest trophy is as precious as your health. Too many girls have damaged themselves due to resulting health problems after a show.
- Take as many naps as you need in the days before a show.
- Working with a qualified coach during your immediate off-season is vital to mental and physical health.
- Meals
- Invest in a digital food scale to measure your food portions. Never trust your eyeball estimations, especially when your hunger pangs override common sense.
- 1 spoonful of Peanut Butter is not measured on a wooden spoon.
- Purchase a Costco or warehouse membership for buying your contest prep foods in bulk. You will garner media attention with those 5 lb. bags of frozen broccoli + 10 lb. of tilapia fillets at the cash register.
- Pack all your meals in plastic containers for the 3 days prior to a show. Mark each container with "Meal 1 - Thursday" or "Pre-Judging - Saturday" and the like. When you are fuzzy-brained, you won't be scrounging for that contest-day menu from your coach.
- Tanning
- White bedsheets are off-limits for 3 weeks after a competition, unless you are seeking to tie-dye them with self-tanner.
- If you are staying in a hotel, make sure to wipe off your pro-tan on their white towels and sheets. Room service will thank you.
- If you use a tanning bed + spray tan, your tan appears deeper, especially for fair-skinned natural blondes.
- Avoid tanning touch-ups after you have bikini-bited your butt.
- Do not use injections of Melanotan to get a deeper tan, as you will have needle marks on your midriff. These become unattractive blemishes once the tan fades.
- Make-Up, Hair, and Nails
- Matching facial make-up to skin color is a necessity. Do not underestimate how dark your facial make-up needs to be to match your coffee-colored skin.
- Hire a make-up artist, if you mistake a blush brush for an eyebrow comb.
- Vaseline on the teeth before going on-stage? Yes, it really works! If you are water-depleted, this will prevent that show-stopping lipstick from dotting your pearly whites.
- Gluing fake eyelashes onto your lids is best left to professionals. Too many girls step on-stage with one eyelash precariously hanging like a leaf fighting Chicago wind gusts.
- Get your manicure after your 1st layer of self-tanning, if possible. This prevents your nails from getting smudged.
- Either go jet black or platinum blonde with the hair. Do not choose blending-into-the-background mole brown shades.
- Pick a hairstyle for the show that does not detract from your physique. Long hair makes one look more feminine. Bodybuilding females may prefer a pulled-back style to draw more attention to musculature.
- Suit, Heels, & Jewelry
- Use word-of-mouth companies or an established suitmaker to custom-design your suit, if affordable.
- Ask advice from an artistic-eyed competitor for suitable cut and color for your 2-piece.
- Do not purchase your suit with your 6-weeks-out-from-a-show measurements. Trust me, you will drop those last stubborn pounds.
- Pack two pairs of earrings and bracelets, just in case you lose one at the venue.
- Ebay is a tremendous place to order your clear heels for a reasonable price.
Pick a few tips to assist you this competition season. Getting ready for a competition may be filled with plentiful dos and don'ts, but adapting them to meet your goals is key. Above all else, enjoy the process. Stay tuned for Part Two: Tips for Competition Day.
