4 Tips To Help You Prepare For A Bodybuilding Competition

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Do You Have What It Takes?

Preparing for your first bodybuilding competition takes extreme physical and mental discipline. It is definitely not for everybody. Before you decide to go down the bodybuilding road, you must be prepared to:

• Diet for long periods 
• Put 110% into each workout 
• Prioritize your training over professional and personal relationships
• Stay motivated at all times

Fake tans, biceps, and skimpy bathing suits are what most people think of when it comes to bodybuilding. However, the hard work and dedication that these athletes go through often get overlooked. Many hours are spent in the gym, prepping meals, counting macros, and waking up early to get that extra workout in. Sounds like a lot to handle? The bodybuilding lifestyle is not for the faint of heart.

Do you think you have what it takes to start competing as a bodybuilder? From customized workout plans to regular check-ins, and around-the-clock support, our personal trainers can help you shed pounds, build muscle, hold you accountable, and improve your fitness in record time. To learn more, contact us by calling (403) 612-3538 or by filling out our online contact form.

4 Tips To Help You Prepare For A Bodybuilding Competition

Know Your Food Inside And Out And Keep Track of It

Before you begin to set up your meal plan, you will first need to determine how much weight you need to lose to lean out for the competition. Once you determine this goal, you will then be able to determine how many weeks you will need to prepare and diet for. Nutrition is a huge aspect of your physical form so you must be prepared to follow a strict meal plan following up to your competition. You cannot guess your calorie intake a day or how many grams of protein you are consuming.  There is no margin or error. Know exactly what you are eating and the percentages your macronutrients work out to. If you want to master your physique, you must have absolute, total control over your nutrition.

Drink More Water

In the past, it was common for bodybuilders to significantly cut back on their water intake in order to avoid bloating. While you still should not chug a whole gallon of water, you should still make sure you are drinking enough water while training. There are a few reasons why it is beneficial to increase your water intake while you are prepping for a competition:

• Better pumps: Consuming more water will help deliver nutrients to your muscles, which allow for a better pump and faster recovery.
• Fight off cravings: Drinking more water will help you feel full and will keep you from giving in to your cravings.
• Replenish your body: Going hard in the gym to prepare for a competition can reduce your water supply when you sweat too much. You will need to be extra diligent about drinking water to keep your body nourished.

Manage Your Sleep And Stress

You must get restful sleep while you are training in order to allow your body to recover.  If you are having a hard time with your sleep schedule and quality, your preparation and results will suffer. You will not be able to perform your workouts as well as you can and will tire out easily. Poor sleep is linked to bigger cravings as well. You might have a harder time sticking to your diet if you are not getting enough sleep. 

Incorporate mindful exercises such as meditation to keep your stress levels lower and improve better sleep quality.

Practice Posing

Do not show up to your competition thinking you will get away with copying the poses of other competitors. If you do not practice your poses, you will not have a chance at placing well in the competition.

Posing requires cardiovascular strength and endurance. If you cannot adequately show off what you have, judges will be quick to overlook you even if you are in better shape than the guy next to you. Just because you have the muscles does not mean you will win; you must prove that to the judges.

Get Ready For Your Competition With The Help Of A Personal Trainer

Attaining a stage-ready physique for a bodybuilding competition will take a ton of commitment and discipline. You will have to be meticulous about what you eat—right down to the exact number of macronutrients you consume a day—and be extremely aware of your body's recovery and training programs. Increasing your muscle mass and losing body fat percentage will not happen overnight. Nail your nutrition, work smarter in the weight room, and stick to a training plan you enjoy to help you reach your fitness goals.

To find out more about our personal training programs and how the DreamBody program can transform your body and help you achieve and surpass your fitness goals, contact us at 403-612-3538 or fill in our online contact form.

FAQs

How many weeks does it take to prepare for a bodybuilding competition?
You must first get your base build ready for competitions. This can take months and even years depending on how hard you train and how committed you are to your program. Once you are ready to compete, it is recommended you start dieting and training with the goal of leaning out at least 4 weeks before the competition.

How many days a week do bodybuilders train?
Bodybuilders will train 4-6 days a week to put on extreme levels of muscle mass. 

How many poses do bodybuilders have to do?
There are 8 mandatory poses that each competitor must do:

• Pose One - Front Lat Spread
• Pose Two - Front Double Biceps
• Pose Three - Side Chest
• Pose Four - Rear Lat Spread
• Pose Five - Rear Double Biceps
• Pose Six - Side Triceps
• Pose Seven - Abdominal and Thigh
• Pose Eight - Most Muscular