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The Bump to Rump Video Series: Exercise #1 Smith Machine Lunges
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Muscle and Body Magazine Best Body Contest 2013…Please Vote For Me!
Please go to http://www.MuscleandBodyMag.com during the month of June to cast your vote! There’s still time to vote!
Why Do Some Competitors Quit Competing?
I love the drive that competitors have and certainly understand it first-hand. There is something exhilarating about preparing for a contest that no other goal delivers for me, so I plan to continue competing for as many years as I possibly can. However, I have spoken with people who have chosen to abandon the stage for a multitude of reasons, which I will discuss here.
Contest Placings: Some individuals get so fed up and discouraged by poor contest placings that they decide to throw in the towel after a while. Those who are realistic will acknowledge their own shortcomings as competitors and harbor a positive attitude, while others may harbor resentment over being passed over by opponents who usually have won their placings fairly.
Not Into It: Though it surprises a contest addict like me to hear, some people have told me that after doing one or several contests, they realized that competing wasn’t something that resonated with them.
Cost: I will tell you honestly that it is VERY costly to compete. Even a local contest has expenses which include entry fees, tan, suit, and accessories. Expenses can become dramatically higher if you factor in makeup and hair services, coaching and training, posing sessions, food, and supplements. If you travel for contests, there are numerous travel expenses which include flight, hotel, rental car, bag fees, gym fees, and incidentals. Believe me, it all adds up. So I am not surprised when people step back from competing for financial reasons.
Physical Demands: It is a challenge to keep up with the intensity of training and cardio which molds a physique into contest-ready shape. Injuries and illness can put roadblocks into contest prep, as can overtraining. I have seen some competitors train so stubbornly and intensely, then exhaust themselves to the point that they are too drained to even think about stepping onstage.
Life events: No one is immune to the impact that a major life event such as a wedding, divorce, job change, move, or death in the family can have on the natural patterns of life that we become accustomed to. Such events can really throw a wrench in the works, and only the most stubborn and determined individuals can stay on track during trying times.
So You Want To Compete?
Now that the newer NPC and IFBB divisions of Men’s Physique, Women’s Physique, and Bikini are in the mix, there are more opportunities than ever before to jump onstage at a bodybuilding contest. However, it is important to give yourself enough time to sculpt the right type of physique. You may believe that because you are in decent or even great shape now that you will rock the stage, but you need to consider the playing field. By no means am I trying to discourage people from competing. As a matter of fact, I get giddy when someone mentions an interest in competing. But I will state very plainly that just because someone looks fantastic when going through a typical day does NOT necessarily mean that he or she will have the right type of conditioning, proportions or symmetry for a bodybuilding contest. In addition, many other factors come into play, such as:
Color and cut of suit or board shorts
Spray tan
Presentation onstage
How the other competitors look
It is not enough to hire a trainer who has little to no experience training competitors. There is a HUGE difference in perspective between the average trainer and someone who knows contest prep. You will also need a posing coach so that when you step onstage, you will know how to walk, hit your poses and do your transitions in such a way that you stand out in a good way.
My advice to ANYONE who is thinking of competing is to hire a coach who specifically knows how to do contest prep for the division YOU are interested in, to give yourself enough time to prepare so that you can be at your very best, and to make sure that your reasons for competing are realistic. Please do NOT compete because you want to get a first place or overall win right out of the gate! If you do, I can almost guarantee that you will be frustrated and disappointed. The experience of competing can be rewarding and exhilarating as long as it is not muddled by unrealistic expectations.
Make contest prep about YOU and focus on reaching a personal best. Most importantly, HAVE FUN when you are out there!
All Those Bodybuilding Organizations!
I realize that it can be confusing for those who are not involved in bodybuilding, or who are just learning about it, to sort through all the bodybuilding federations and organizations which exist. Though the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB), the National Physique Committee (NPC), and the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBFF) are the organizations which come to mind for most people, others are lost in the sea of abbreviations which denote other organizations. Some of the other organizations you may have heard of are Muscle Mania, ABA, PNBA, INBA, and CBBF. There is also a site which lists all the bodybuilding organizations which are designated as natural:
http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/orgs.htm
If you are thinking of entering a competition and are against doing so in the NPC (which is without a doubt the largest, most competitive and most highly respected amateur bodybuilding organization in the world), you may want to investigate the events which are hosted by other organizations. However, I will ALWAYS stand by the NPC and the IFBB and recommend that people compete at those events. While I can understand switching organizations because one format may be a better fit for a competitor, I am puzzled by the fact that some competitors switch only after they do not get a desired placing at a national event. I have competed for five years in the NPC and have NEVER consider jumping ship in order to get a coveted placing. Do I want to achieve Pro status? Absolutely. Will I shift allegiance to reach my goal? NEVER. The NPC and the IFBB feature the BEST bodybuilders around, and the fact that these organizations are so competitive actually enhances their appeal.
In keeping with my complete allegiance to the NPC and the IFBB, I am posting links to NPC News Online and to the IFBB Pro site:
I go for the best and the greatest challenges and feel that those who are truly driven and competitive should do the same.
Muscle and Body Magazine Best Body Contest 2013…Please Vote For Me!
Please go to http://www.MuscleandBodyMag.com during the month of June to cast your vote! Every vote counts!
Fitness People: A Different Species
Janet West at almost 52 years of age with me at 46! Taken at the Arnold in March 2013.
Fitness people DO NOT GIVE UP. They will work tirelessly at reaching their goals, whether they be new athletic achievements, weightlifting records, or contest goals. They are beasts in the gym, working through the pain of intense workouts that would make most people walk away. They have a language of their own which I now know fluently and feel completely comfortable speaking. They experience frustration and anxiety when they are unable to get to the gym. Plastic and glass storage containers are their standard dishware, and they know all too well what it is like to eat meals in cars. Fitness people find it very difficult to eat meals in restaurants and strike their non-fitness friends as being ultra-picky.
The differences between fitness and non-fitness people become glaringly obvious at big fitness events such as the Arnold Sports Festival, when bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts and athletes of all kinds descend on Columbus, Ohio and bump elbows with middle America. Fitness people look like real-life superheroes, beautifully muscled, spray tanned, and wearing body-baring outfits which the average person would not even consider wearing out in public. To put it bluntly, fitness people are spectacles, walking wonders, and incredible sources of inspiration. It is truly an honor to be included in this amazing community.
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