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Published on Monday, 02 May 2011 10:09
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Written by M.E. Anders
Figure First-Timers - Part Two
Tips for Competition Day
Clutching your chicken breast and white rice-filled Tupperware containers, you dazedly wander around the house on competition day. Wondering what to pack and how to prepare yourself for that debut show, you want to break down with a cry-fest. All of this training, dieting, and family stress has led you to this crowning day, but you cannot even enjoy the moment. Do not worry about what to expect at the venue. Read my competition day tips below to prepare yourself mentally for the endless backstage waiting and glorious minutes on-stage. If you have not read part one, click here. http://www.rxmuscle.com/rxgirl/rx-girl-articles/3011-figure-first-timers-part-1.html
- Forgettable Packables
- Make a check-list of all the items you need for the day of the show (see Part One of this series).
- Bring Clean & Clear pore wipes to stop sweating makeup. Usually, the pump-up room is quite warm.
- Bring an inflatable princess bed, so you are known as the "diva" backstage. Yes - I have really seen this.
- Towels of all sizes are a godsend backstage. They can be used to touch up makeup, pad the floor, or double as a snooze pillow.
- Pack a change of clothes for post-night show festivities. Unless you want to sport brown splotches, choose DARK-colored clothes.
- Pack a set of silverware in your gym bag, so you are not relegated to caveman finger-style eating backstage.
- Before & After Show
- Give yourself at least 4 hours to get ready the morning of the show, ladies. You will need every second!
- Arrive at least 30 minutes early to the competitor's meeting, so you can stake claim to your "spot" in the pump-up room.
- Make sure you plan your after-party in advance, so the restaurant is not closed by the time the show is dismissed at 10:30pm.
- Leaving your luggage backstage between pre-judging and the night show is risky business. A desperate girl might snag your bikini bite.
- When Backstage...
- Do not prance in heels on that oily floor, or you'll have a few gorgeous bruises beneath that olive skin.
- Be careful where you wrap your warm-up cable. You may just pull down a beam with your hulk-like muscles.
- Be considerate of other competitors when talking on your cell phone. If you need to make a lengthy call, avoid dialing while getting oiled.
- If you are an introvert, plug in your iPod and zone out while waiting your turn to go onstage.
- If you are an extrovert, don't bother those of us crouching in the corner. We are carb-depleted, thirsty, and DO NOT want to talk to you. J
- Oil & Bikini Bite
- Only let a bodybuilding hunk do your bikini-bite. You may just get a date from his "sneak peek." J
- Avoid the body glitter, please. The males backstage get upset when they pick it off their oiled skin.
- Baby Oil or Gloss? Jan Tana Glaze reigns supreme.
- Judging, Promoters, and Expeditors
- Do not try to butter up the judges prior to the show. It does not give you a higher placing.
- Show respect for the promoters and expeditors. They have a tough job keeping the show running seamlessly.
- Don't expect the judges to give you feedback after the show via e-mail, unless you send them pictures.
- Feedback WILL vary from show-to-show. Be aware that you could place 1st in your class at one show. At the next competition, you might only make 2nd call-out.
- Personal Presentation
- Practice posing in heels every day for 30 minutes prior to show day.
- Visualize yourself turning Pro. How would you present yourself on stage if you WERE a Pro? Practice your presentation with that image in mind.
- If you are a snoot backstage, word will spread through the ranks. Your reputation will follow you through this tight-knit industry.
- Competition Networking
- If you want to network at a show, make sure you don't cover up while flitting from supplement booth to promoters to fans. If you got it, flaunt it!
- If you are professional, you will bring your business cards to the show. You never know who might need your services in the future.
- Longevity is key to a career in the sport. Be cautious whose advice you take.
- Smart girls volunteer to help local promoters at shows in which they are not competing. Get your name known as a servant, as well as, a classy competitor.
- Send Christmas cards with a tasteful photo of you (from prior shows) to the judges and promoters. They love it!
- Post-Contest Thoughts
- Remember that genetics plays a major role in physique athletics. You will not completely know your potential in the sport until you have competed once and experienced your 1st off-season.
- Purchase an assessment from an unbiased coach, as to setting future realistic goals. Most women are not genetically able to sustain the X-frame of a pre-pubescent teenager.
- Be mentally prepared to GAIN weight. Attempting to stay at contest weight year-round is damaging to your health and hormones.
- Wise coaching will transition you smoothly through this acclimation back to normalcy.
Through these tips, my wish is that you will feel more confident for contest day. I liken the experience to a wedding day of sorts, a moment in time that you can live only once. Savor the smell of Jan Tana on those oily bodies. Hog that mirror to admire the physique with each detailed muscle fiber. Etch that chiseled six-pack into your memory. Relish the experience, so you can reflect with positive recollection.
