Preparing for a competition: the whole process from A to Z. Part 2

The years of training and the factors discussed in the previous chapter have led you to make the decision that you will participate in a competition? Very good. Let’s deal with everything you need to know right now.

Small things to make clear
Now that you decided to participate in a competition, you have to know two things:

1. A successful competition means the precise, step-by-step planning of the whole process in advance (nutrition, training, time management), without any errors or omissions, a planning which will be displayed at your place and assimilated.
2. The success of the initiative not only depends on this planning, but also on the way you manage external elements (friends, family, surrounding people, stress, work, unexpected events), which must not disturb the planning, or otherwise increase stress and anxiety, factors already presented in the process itself. This has the risk to turn into a failure on your final the D-day.

Obviously, preparing for a competition cannot be compared with everyday life, it requires enormous sacrifices – reducing social and family life, shortening time you go out with friends, restaurants and other gastronomic pleasures, getting used to shorter bedtime, being tired constantly…overtraining and undernourishment – and this was only a brief introduction to the constant status of a person who prepares for a competition. Living this way may be hard not only for you, but also for people close to you, both personally and professionally.

If you would like to become a champion, it will be hard. It will be an everyday fight against yourself and the world surrounding you, which will seem to fail to understand you and be against you. But – and you need to know that – all champions have gone through this. All of them, without exception. It’s never easy, and that’s exactly why it’s so stimulating.

Important highlights

I. Be prepared
A competition requires a certain level of physical and mental discipline. Have you ever attended to a competition? Before even starting the hard journey of preparing, turn into a spectator and watch a competition. Look around …

observe the physiques. Watch the category in which you want to participate. Assess the level currently existing. Start with national competitions, you will have all the time in the world to develop and level up if you want to – afterwards. It is “crucial” that your physique really has to be ready to be presented on stage, and it has to be realistic, so don’t go to the slaughterhouse. If it takes more time to make a progress – okay, so be it. Still better than the disappointment and the discouragement you feel when you don’t have the level on the D-day.

II: Know the criteria
Each category has an own evaluation criteria on several points (physique, presence, mandatory posing, free posing…). You have to know them, because they differ from one federation to another, from one competition to another. Your preparation will have to be optimized to achieve the required criteria, which will give you more chances to win. Learn this policy and act accordingly. You have to be at the good show at the good moment.

III. Preserve the appetite
Always be the top 6. It should be said that the top 6 is the only option possible. This goal is realistic and positive for every beginner; being the top 6 is generally considered as very “fine”, and there are only very little differences between the scores, because the level is homogeneous (this is what is generally observed). Telling yourself that “I will be top 6” will generate the enthusiasm and energy you need to maintain a good pressure through the whole preparation. Do not go and never – EVER – look at the photos and videos of your potential competitors in advance. This is VERY important, you have to stay untouchable. The competition takes place on the D-day, not earlier and not later, so you don’t need to take more pressure by collecting details of those who will stand against you on the stage.

IV. Genetics
Some people have a thing which may be considered as a perfect genetics – and also a rapid metabolism. But the majority of us have no such privileges. Ectomorph, endomorph, mesomorph – or a mixture, big or small… it’s very difficult to find the perfect body, but that does not mean you cannot make something of yours which comes close to perfection. Hard work, carefully monitored nutrition and recuperation, plus an adequate amount of supplements are more effective than beneficial starting generics.

V. Training partner
Do you have a training partner? And what about a supporting team? When you do exercises, ask your partner to watch you, and to correct or help you if it’s necessary. Doesn’t matter how good we are, we always need an external look to make sure that we’re doing things the right way. Make sure that your partner tells you how you really do things, and not what you want to hear, because that would be counterproductive. Your partner is not there to gently pet your head – if you are doing it wrong, if your form does not improve, then he must say that, without hiding anything. He has to help you, push you, but also open your eyes and correct the things in time, even if you will hate him at this point. It’s better to try again and correct now that being sure that you are good, and to be disappointed on the D-day because no one was brave enough to tell you the truth.

Develop a plan
Now that we finished some important chapters, it’s time to address the very heart of the preparation: planning the diet, the training, the supplementation – everything necessary for the smooth running of the preparation for the competition. Do not forget: everything needs to be written, defined, measured, validated and displayed on the wall, so you can follow it literally. Diet, overtraining, lack of sleep and the fatigue resulting from it tend to obscure your mind and make you forget things, and only the precisely written things will be there to bring you back to the right path.

I hope that the guide we will publish in the next chapter will be able to help you to prepare correctly so that you can win your future competition. Regardless of your level, an action plan is nothing but a must-do that will make your preparation to the competition more easier…don’t forget that many sports coaches charge very expensive physical preparations, just to do all the preparation work instead of you, maybe we could say it’s an unpleasant work, but actually it’s a very fascinating work, because it allows you to discover how does your body works, what are the reactions of it, what are the needs of it. You can learn a lot about yourself, and it’s worth it.