So you wanna compete? The Dirty Details
After my last bikini prep, I said that I would probably never do another show or compete again (or at least not for a very long time). My main reasons being 1. My attitude/mental focus during prep is not the most ideal 2. The process of competing can be a bit expensive, and 3. The sport is very political, so getting to a place of earning that "pro" status or even placing well is really subjective.
Now that I'm considering entering into another show, I wanted to share some of the nitty gritty details that competitors go through so that a new competitor might know what to expect. Not everyone has the same experiences, but these are some pretty common things that happen to your body and your mindset during a prep.
1. Doing a prep means you're gonna be HUNGRY! And I don't mean light stomach growling or feeling like it's time to eat. It's more like a starving child from the hood, haven't eaten in three weeks kinda hungry. I used to get so mad (literally, it would piss me off to my core) when people who weren't on prep would talk about being hungry because I was convinced that they had no idea what hungry really felt like. I know that sounds crazy and you're probably thinking I'm a total brat, but I'm telling you that when you get to the last couple of weeks and your food intake is at it's lowest and your cardio/training is through the roof...you turn into a bit of a gremlin. By low food and high cardio, I mean around 60-90 minutes of straight up intense cardio six days a week that are completely separate from your intense 1-2 hour lifting sessions (also six days a week). This energy output is fueled by two meals of 4 egg whites, four meals of 4 ounces of lean protein, about six cups of green veggies, and ten almonds. It sounds like a lot of food (or maybe it doesn't) but paired with that much energy output and not much body fat...it feels like next to nothing.
2. You'll gain a whole new appreciation for the importance of carbs in relation to brain function and energy. Carbohydrates are a natural energy source for the body. Take those away, or reduce them to a crazy-low amount and your body will respond in several ways: 1. You'll lose weight because extra energy (carbs/fats) = extra stored fat. When you take away the excess carbs and start to be in a carbohydrate deficit, your body starts to shed that excess fat. 2. You'll start becoming extremely forgetful/mentally unclear. This is the main reason why I am amazed with people who successfully prep for shows while they're in school, because retaining new information and maintaining concentration gets to be nearly impossible during those last three or four weeks of dieting.
I've known several people go through prep so I know it's not just me...you'll put stuff where it doesn't belong, forget where you put your keys every two seconds, lose your train of thought mid-sentence, and fall asleep at inappropriate times throughout the day, oh...and you're gonna be freezing 24/7. Looking back on it, it's almost funny but it's the reality of what happens when you push your body to new extremes. It's a beautiful crazy process but it does have it's quirks.
3. There's a big chance you'll lose your period (temporarily). Women are meant to have a certain amount of body-fat in order to continue menstruation and when you drop into that lean-bean category, your body's hormones are all off-balance which will cause you to lose your period. Don't worry, this is a super common side effect and your body will get back to normal once you add back a little bit of body fat.
4. Competing isn't cheap. Let me lay out some of the potential fees that you're going to be looking at:
5. It's a subjective sport, you need to be happy with your results and try not to focus on the placement. Just because you look amazing, pose beautifully, and worked your butt off doesn't necessarily mean you're going to place, and that's completely okay!!! In this sport, you truly have to love it; love the feeling of being on stage, love the process of seeing what your body can do, love the environment of being around fitness-minded people, all of it. If you truly love it, your placing wont matter (that much)! Yes we're athletes and we all want to win but at the end of the day, you have to be satisfied with the effort you put into the process. It all comes down to the judges preference and the decision they make off of your 10 seconds in the spotlight.
6. You're going to have moments (even weeks at a time) when you want to quit. My coach once told me, if you don't question why the hell you're putting yourself through this at least once a week...you aren't prepping hard enough. Prep is hard. It's natural to want to give up at some point. Know this, understand it, and DON'T give in. I swear, you'll kick yourself if you don't follow through and push yourself even harder.
7. You're the brat, not everyone around you. I saved this one for last, because it's by far the most important. Give your loved ones a break and thank them for supporting you through this process. Yes, you're the one who's exhausted and starving...but you're the one who chose to do this. Your significant other, family, friends didn't choose this for you and it sure isn't there fault that you can't have that glass of wine or piece of cake. They're probably a little bummed that you're so limited in what you're able to do and that you're spending soooo much time in the gym being selfish. Let them know how much their support means to you and how much you appreciate them. I promise, after prep, your brain will return to normal and you'll be more grateful for all that they went through to support you.
I hope this helps anyone looking to get into a competition! There's so many amazing experiences that come from doing a prep and you'll meet so many amazing people along the way; this post is just to let you know that if you're experiencing any of these moody feelings or crankiness...you're not alone! Everyone has ups and downs during their prep and these are some common things to expect.
xoxo & happy prepping!
Kelsey
Now that I'm considering entering into another show, I wanted to share some of the nitty gritty details that competitors go through so that a new competitor might know what to expect. Not everyone has the same experiences, but these are some pretty common things that happen to your body and your mindset during a prep.
Here's some things that you need to understand if you want to do a prep (and you're not naturally a lean-bean):
1. Doing a prep means you're gonna be HUNGRY! And I don't mean light stomach growling or feeling like it's time to eat. It's more like a starving child from the hood, haven't eaten in three weeks kinda hungry. I used to get so mad (literally, it would piss me off to my core) when people who weren't on prep would talk about being hungry because I was convinced that they had no idea what hungry really felt like. I know that sounds crazy and you're probably thinking I'm a total brat, but I'm telling you that when you get to the last couple of weeks and your food intake is at it's lowest and your cardio/training is through the roof...you turn into a bit of a gremlin. By low food and high cardio, I mean around 60-90 minutes of straight up intense cardio six days a week that are completely separate from your intense 1-2 hour lifting sessions (also six days a week). This energy output is fueled by two meals of 4 egg whites, four meals of 4 ounces of lean protein, about six cups of green veggies, and ten almonds. It sounds like a lot of food (or maybe it doesn't) but paired with that much energy output and not much body fat...it feels like next to nothing.
2. You'll gain a whole new appreciation for the importance of carbs in relation to brain function and energy. Carbohydrates are a natural energy source for the body. Take those away, or reduce them to a crazy-low amount and your body will respond in several ways: 1. You'll lose weight because extra energy (carbs/fats) = extra stored fat. When you take away the excess carbs and start to be in a carbohydrate deficit, your body starts to shed that excess fat. 2. You'll start becoming extremely forgetful/mentally unclear. This is the main reason why I am amazed with people who successfully prep for shows while they're in school, because retaining new information and maintaining concentration gets to be nearly impossible during those last three or four weeks of dieting.
I've known several people go through prep so I know it's not just me...you'll put stuff where it doesn't belong, forget where you put your keys every two seconds, lose your train of thought mid-sentence, and fall asleep at inappropriate times throughout the day, oh...and you're gonna be freezing 24/7. Looking back on it, it's almost funny but it's the reality of what happens when you push your body to new extremes. It's a beautiful crazy process but it does have it's quirks.
3. There's a big chance you'll lose your period (temporarily). Women are meant to have a certain amount of body-fat in order to continue menstruation and when you drop into that lean-bean category, your body's hormones are all off-balance which will cause you to lose your period. Don't worry, this is a super common side effect and your body will get back to normal once you add back a little bit of body fat.
4. Competing isn't cheap. Let me lay out some of the potential fees that you're going to be looking at:
- Hair/Makeup: $75-150
- Tanning: $100-130
- Coach: 1,000 (for a three-four month prep)
- Nails: $5-30
- Competition Jewelry: $30-50
- Competition heels: $25
- Bikini: $400 (some are less if you find them used, some are way more)
- NPC Card: $120
- Show Registration: $100 per category (I recommend doing novice and open)
- Hotel (if your show is out of town): 300+
- Stage Shots: $100+
Some of these fees can be minimized; if I were to end up doing a show this season, I'm going to coach myself, stay local, and potentially try doing my own hair and makeup this time. Luckily, having already competed I don't need new heels, jewelry, or a suit for this show which cuts down a huge chunk of the total cost!
5. It's a subjective sport, you need to be happy with your results and try not to focus on the placement. Just because you look amazing, pose beautifully, and worked your butt off doesn't necessarily mean you're going to place, and that's completely okay!!! In this sport, you truly have to love it; love the feeling of being on stage, love the process of seeing what your body can do, love the environment of being around fitness-minded people, all of it. If you truly love it, your placing wont matter (that much)! Yes we're athletes and we all want to win but at the end of the day, you have to be satisfied with the effort you put into the process. It all comes down to the judges preference and the decision they make off of your 10 seconds in the spotlight.
6. You're going to have moments (even weeks at a time) when you want to quit. My coach once told me, if you don't question why the hell you're putting yourself through this at least once a week...you aren't prepping hard enough. Prep is hard. It's natural to want to give up at some point. Know this, understand it, and DON'T give in. I swear, you'll kick yourself if you don't follow through and push yourself even harder.
7. You're the brat, not everyone around you. I saved this one for last, because it's by far the most important. Give your loved ones a break and thank them for supporting you through this process. Yes, you're the one who's exhausted and starving...but you're the one who chose to do this. Your significant other, family, friends didn't choose this for you and it sure isn't there fault that you can't have that glass of wine or piece of cake. They're probably a little bummed that you're so limited in what you're able to do and that you're spending soooo much time in the gym being selfish. Let them know how much their support means to you and how much you appreciate them. I promise, after prep, your brain will return to normal and you'll be more grateful for all that they went through to support you.
I hope this helps anyone looking to get into a competition! There's so many amazing experiences that come from doing a prep and you'll meet so many amazing people along the way; this post is just to let you know that if you're experiencing any of these moody feelings or crankiness...you're not alone! Everyone has ups and downs during their prep and these are some common things to expect.
xoxo & happy prepping!
Kelsey
Comments
Post a Comment