Can I be ready to compete next year?

[SHANNON]

Hi everyone. I've been reading the forums for a couple of weeks now, and wanted to get some advice from the experienced competitors here on my situation. I'm a 26 yr old female, 5'7", 130 lbs, between 18 - 20% BF. I've been consistently working out for over 2 years now, after a few years off of weight lifting. I would like to compete in a figure competition next July. I've been working on cleaning up my diet. I was already eating frequent small meals, 3 main meals and 2 smaller snack type meals. I drink about 80 oz of water a day. I love to lift weights and I'm not afraid to push it in that area. Cardio is not my strong point. I walk every morning, and do a step class once a week. I also do a yoga/pilates class once a week, and I lift 3 x a week. I want to build more muscle, and of course I will have to lean out some more to compete. Right now, should I focus on building more muscle? That is what I was thinking anyway. Is it possible for me to be ready for this competition next summer? What advice can anyone give me? Hopefully I gave enough information. Thanks.

 

[BritChick]

You will easily be ready to compete by next summer!!!
I decided last November to try my hand at competing and hooked up with a personal trainer for a 16 week pre-contest program... I actually wanted to wait until this coming November to compete as I didn't think I would be ready in time but she assured me I didn't need that long, she was right. Just judging from you stats and info above you are probably so much closer to being ready than you even realize... I certainly was. My first contest was April, I now have four contests under my belt and am preparing for next season. I would recommend you either find a personal trainer or experienced competitor to evaluate your physique right now, figure judges do look for some very specific things, if you find out now what your strong and week points are you can work on making these changes/improvements over the coming months. Off-season is definately the time to grow, don't worry about the leaning out until pre-contest time, by the sounds of it you certainly don't need to anyway.
Let me know if I can help you in anyway and good luck with your contest prep.

 

[SHANNON]

Thanks BritChick. Your pictures are awesome! I would love to have abs like that. Another question for you. I'm one of the lucky ones that gets DOMS really bad. I'm sore for days after working out, so I'm really sore all the time. Do you have any suggestions for me in that area? Also, I've read a lot about creatine and glutamine. Sounds like glutamine might help me there. But I'm not really sure about creatine, and whether or not I should take it. Any experience with these supplements?

 

[BritChick]

Thanks Shannon. I tend to get a lot of muscle soreness too and it's always worse two days after training that specific body part... I actually enjoy this sensation though, makes me feel like I'm growning. (Hmmm... maybe a little bit of a masochist?! )
I use both Creatine and Glutamine and have done so for a number of years now.
I don't know how much the Glutamine helps but I take it anyway, I figure it can't hurt!
The Creatine has definately helped with my strength and endurance, if I stop using it for any length of time I definately notice a difference.

 

[Journey]

Hi Shannon! I'm from Alabama too! I'm about 5'8 and currently at about 21-22% bodyfat. I weight 135. I've just recently started going to the gym, (this is my second week) but I've been doing light weight training since January. I've lost 30lbs since then. I'm hoping to start competing around this time next year. It will be my first time ever, and i'm already so excited! I'm in college right now majoring in Psychology and Sociology...and I just discovered I don't care anything about those fields! I only have this semester and one more left though..so i'm going to tough it out! (then hopefully I will become a personal trainer) Those are my goals! Everyone I've talked to says I'm not far away from reaching them, and you have even less body fat than me, so I just wanted to reassure you that you'll be there in no time!! Nice to meet another Alabama Future Figure Competitior

 

[SHANNON]

Hi Journey. Where in AL are you? I'm in Mobile. Well, good luck with your future goals. It's very exciting to see your body start making these kinds of changes.

 

[Egoatdoor]

Hi everyone. I've been reading the forums for a couple of weeks now, and wanted to get some advice from the experienced competitors here on my situation. I'm a 26 yr old female, 5'7", 130 lbs, between 18 - 20% BF. I've been consistently working out for over 2 years now, after a few years off of weight lifting. I would like to compete in a figure competition next July. I've been working on cleaning up my diet. I was already eating frequent small meals, 3 main meals and 2 smaller snack type meals. I drink about 80 oz of water a day. I love to lift weights and I'm not afraid to push it in that area. Cardio is not my strong point. I walk every morning, and do a step class once a week. I also do a yoga/pilates class once a week, and I lift 3 x a week. I want to build more muscle, and of course I will have to lean out some more to compete. Right now, should I focus on building more muscle? That is what I was thinking anyway. Is it possible for me to be ready for this competition next summer? What advice can anyone give me? Hopefully I gave enough information. Thanks.

Its hard to get a good read without pictures, but your stats look good. I think you are probably doing too much cardio, including classes, for the "offseason", which can be compromising your ability to add more muscle. I would recommend reducing that schedule.

The issues I am concerned about is whether you have enough knowledge of proper pre contest preparation and two, if you know what your particular body needs to "peak" at the right time which is right when you go on stage. It can be very demoralizing to peak ten hours before or ten hours after the time you step on stage.

For the first, you need to read alot ( and from several different sources) on pre contest preparation. For the second, I usually recommend that a person do a "dry run" first, in which they simulate a pre contest prep, to see if a particular program works for your body and if not, what tweaks you may to throw in when the "real" contest comes up. I'm a guy and it took me 3 times to get it totally right. My first time was a "dry run" and I got it totally wrong. So in that vain, I wonder if next summer is too soon and possibly next fall or 2006 may be a better target.

 

[BritChick]

Its hard to get a good read without pictures, but your stats look good. I think you are probably doing too much cardio, including classes, for the "offseason", which can be compromising your ability to add more muscle. I would recommend reducing that schedule.

The issues I am concerned about is whether you have enough knowledge of proper pre contest preparation and two, if you know what your particular body needs to "peak" at the right time which is right when you go on stage. It can be very demoralizing to peak ten hours before or ten hours after the time you step on stage.

For the first, you need to read alot ( and from several different sources) on pre contest preparation. For the second, I usually recommend that a person do a "dry run" first, in which they simulate a pre contest prep, to see if a particular program works for your body and if not, what tweaks you may to throw in when the "real" contest comes up. I'm a guy and it took me 3 times to get it totally right. My first time was a "dry run" and I got it totally wrong. So in that vain, I wonder if next summer is too soon and possibly next fall or 2006 may be a better target.

Another option would be to hire a personal trainer for your first comp, there is so much more to competing than training and diet... posing instuction I think is equally as important.
Personally I would have found doing a 16 week dry run just too grueling! Why not follow through and compete at the very least you will have your first show under your belt and will have learnt a lot. It's only when you do a show that you really get to see what you are up against and where you need to improve.
I still say that from what you have posted so far you can be ready to compete next summer.

 

[Journey]

I'm in Livingston! Hope you didn't get hit to hard by the hurricane!