National Level Bikini: When Are You Ready?!
Part of the reason the Bikini Class is so exciting is because more than any other class in the sport it allows for quick advancement through the ranks. Because the Bikini Pro Physique is very attainable by a large number of women in a short period of time, athletes with the right guidance can go from buying their first gym membership to pro status in less than 2 years, as compared to Bodybuilding where it takes closer to 10 years to accumulate the amount of muscle carried by top pros. But just because an athlete CAN advance quickly doesn’t mean that one should. I don’t want to downgrade anyone’s success but it’s relatively easy to get Nationally Qualified in bikini. A first time competitor with a “new” body can get nationally qualified pretty easily but still be very far from achieving a competitive national level physique. Very rarely is a first time competitor physically ready to be competitive at such a high level but they also run the risk of missing out on a lot of opportunities that can be taken advantage of by being a top local competitor.
Here are 4 questions to consider when making your decision to compete nationally in bikini.
1) Is my physique competitive with the TOP national level girls?
- Not many people go to Nationals with the hopes of doing bad. If you are not going to be competitive why go? Take a long hard look at your physique at your last show and compare it to the girls that are placing well and turning pro at national level shows. Make sure that you are confident that your physique can compete with the talent that you will be up against. Seek the advice of local judges, trainers, and other athletes if you need help assessing yourself. And always assess PHOTOS! The mirror has a weird way of distorting our self image, always make your assessments by looking at photos.
2) Am I missing out on local sponsors by moving to National Level competition?
- Competing is very expensive and sponsors can be a great way to offset those costs. Many businesses, fitness and non fitness related, will sponsor athletes in exchange for your services as a representative of their company! A lot of times if you are competing locally it can be much easier to gain sponsors because their customers are local and it’s not prudent of them to spend money on you wearing their shirts 100 miles from their customer base. Not to mention everyone likes to support the Hometown Hero!
3) Am I comfortable enough on stage to compete nationally?
- Stage presentation is a HUGE part of bikini. I work with a lot of athletes and it’s very rare that in their first few shows that they present their physiques to the best of their ability. There’s nothing wrong with nerves, but the more you are on stage, and the more you WIN the more confident you will be and the better you will do showing off at the national level. Don’t rush this process!
4) Am I financially prepared to compete nationally?
- Traveling around the country to try to gain pro status is NOT an inexpensive endeavor. Why spend all that money on airfare, hotel, rental cars, contest fees etc. if you are not 100% ready to compete at that level?! Make sure you are ready before you INVEST that much money into your competitive goals.
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