Well, congratulations and kudos to you; competing is definitely an exciting first step toward reaching your fitness goals, and the process can be a very rewarding journey as well.

However, with anything in life there are always pros and cons, and competing can be an experience that can quickly turn sour, but for the most part it’s a positive experience that affects your life for the better.

I’ve been competing as an IFBB pro since 2012. I started my amateur journey the beginning of the summer in June of 2012, and two months later, I earned my pro card. These past four years have been a whirlwind of a ride with ups and downs, but competing and being in the fitness industry in general have been amazing. I have learned so much while finding my passion, and I love everything I do.

However, as I know from experience and not having anyone to teach me the ropes at first, you need to answer certain questions before diving into the world of competing.
-Why do you want to compete, and what is your motivation?
-Are you mentally strong enough?
-Can you balance all your priorities? And how will you do that?
-Can you afford it?
-Who will help you through this?
-Are you prepared to deal with what happens after your competition?

Before you decide to commit yourself to a contest prep, think about why you want to compete. The demands of competing are not for the weak. With the growing numbers of girls wanting to compete in bikini, physique, figure, and bodybuilding, many competitors start off with good intentions, which later turned into wrong ones. Bodybuilding is a subjective sport, and you will put more time, effort, and resources into it than you will ever get back. Thus, you need to be motivated to get onstage for the right reasons: that competing is a choice you made for yourself to improve, challenge, and/or take your fitness level to new heights of training. It definitely shouldn’t be for anyone other than yourself, and please don’t use competing and your placing as a way to gauge who you are and how good you look. That kind of mind frame won’t get you anywhere.

Are you strong enough mentally? What is your plan?
Most competitors think that as long as they’re in great physical health before they begin prepping for a show, they’re good to go, but nobody takes into consideration how important it is to also have a healthy and stable mind. Contest prep can lead to serious issues such as a love/hate relationship with food, low self-esteem, body dysmorphia, and insecurity issues. With that said, if you know you’re highly emotional and have a poor self-image, then competing may not be the right fit as it will more than likely magnify these issues, not fix them.

Also, what are your end goals and expectations? As I mentioned, bodybuilding is a subjective sport, and it can be hard to accept negative feedback and critique from a panel of judges, especially after you’ve worked your butt off for weeks to bring your best package to the stage. At the end of the day, we all want to win, but in this sport you also have to learn how to lose. For me, I try to take the emotion out of it and look at the feedback I get as just another to-do list and keep it moving. Remember to always love your body no matter what. A placing does not define you, so be happy with the package you brought to the stage.

How will you balance priorities?
Contest prep comes with a whole lot of demands, and at times you will feel like you’re pulled in all different directions. Over time, your family and friends will start to feel neglected, so how will you balance it all—family, friends, work etc.?

As with anything in life, we can only handle so much and at some point, something needs to give. We aren’t superwomen/men, even though we think we are and that we can handle everything. Trust me, you can’t, and at some point you have to either find a balance or give something up. So think about what is important to you in the long run so you can avoid tunnel vision during your weeks of prep.

Can you handle the cost?
Competing isn’t cheap, so you need to make a budget of some sort and take the time to price out everything needed:
-Federation/membership fees (NPC, WBFF, OPA)
-Registration fees for each division at a show
-Competition suit, shoes, and jewelry
-Tan, hair, and makeup
-Travel expenses
-Coaching fees and food/supplements needed per week or month
The list goes on and on, and the costs can add up real fast even at the amateur level, so be smart with what you spend your money on.

Who will help you?
Any serious athlete has a coach/trainer to help them get to where they need to be. As a new competitor, hiring the right coach is very important. My suggestion is to do your research and seek out information on a whole bunch of different coaches and their methods of prepping and training. When you speak to them, treat it like an interview as if you were the one hiring.

The key is to hire a coach who knows what he or she is doing and has the credentials and experience to back it up. Ask tons of questions and see if you can speak to past clients to see how they felt about working together. There are thousands of competition prep coaches/trainers out there and finding a good one will take time, but it’s well worth the effort. Remember, you only have one body, so be good to it.

Can you handle the post-competition?
Yes, post-competition rebound and excessive weight gain does happen, and if it happens to you, what’s your plan? Can you handle the way you look 10 to 20 pounds heavier? Ideally, you want to have a post-contest plan or some sort of reverse diet in place, which will help you ease back into a balanced lifestyle and ultimately get you back to eating normal amounts of food while scaling back on your day-to-day training and cardio and resetting your body back to its homeostasis.

Be real and honest with yourself. Be motivated to get onstage for the right reasons, such as for self-improvement, challenging yourself, and being able to push your training and cardiovascular endurance even further. In addition, weigh out the pros and cons so you can ensure a positive contest experience, one that will teach you about yourself, your abilities, and your inner strength.

When I first started competing, I became a total hermit. Competition prep challenged my social life, and it definitely affected my relationship at the time. I became selfish with my time, and all I could think about was prepping my food, when I was going to get to the gym, how I looked etc. In the beginning, it was all about me, and I forgot that I had a partner who had been there from the beginning. Unfortunately the outcome was not what I wanted, but it was definitely a learning experience. Moving forward, I know now how to have balance and do what I do while still keeping the ones I love happy.

Finding that sweet spot isn’t an easy feat. Competing as we know it is a very self-centred time, and it’s hard to find that balance while not isolating yourself from the ones you love and the rest of the world.
Lastly, when it comes to fitness and coaches and supplements, do your own research about what it takes to build your best physique. Knowledge is power, and educating yourself will help you understand what sacrifices must be made in order to be successful in this industry.

Gigi Amurao
IFBB Bikini Pro, CPT, Health & Fitness Online Coach
www.GigiAmurao.com [1]
IG: @gigiamurao [2]