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New member
I just got m bf% checked today by 3 point caliper and the trainer said it was 17%. That's sooo weird, I really thought it was around 22%. I guess its the looks and not the numbers that I ought to go by.
aspiring figure competitor - confused
- Thread starter jstar
- Start date
hey VLC !!! that is great. Do you think you will compete? I say go for it!!! You have 15 weeks and that is plenty of time to transform your body and by the sounds of it you probably don't have that far away to go. Besides then you can share your experience and help me 
as for me...I've got a better plan now thanks to Sassy, MS and other posts I've been reading. I am going to do the carb cycling type of diet, heavy lifting w/ plenty of compound movements and cardio 60 min 2-3 days week (nontraining days only). I'll stick to this for a while and see how it goes There's a show in Nov I plan to check out. (nothing sooner is coming around but that's ok). I do plan to hook up with someone who can help. Hopefully another competitor just to help with the presentation piece of it. I will keep my eyes and ears open. It is hard when none of your friends work out, no one shares my interests in competing. No one I know competes but I know I can change all that if I attend shows, meet people, etc. My boyfriend though works out and supports my goals so at least I can talk to him about how my training is going.
as for me...I've got a better plan now thanks to Sassy, MS and other posts I've been reading. I am going to do the carb cycling type of diet, heavy lifting w/ plenty of compound movements and cardio 60 min 2-3 days week (nontraining days only). I'll stick to this for a while and see how it goes There's a show in Nov I plan to check out. (nothing sooner is coming around but that's ok). I do plan to hook up with someone who can help. Hopefully another competitor just to help with the presentation piece of it. I will keep my eyes and ears open. It is hard when none of your friends work out, no one shares my interests in competing. No one I know competes but I know I can change all that if I attend shows, meet people, etc. My boyfriend though works out and supports my goals so at least I can talk to him about how my training is going.
Sassy69
New member
Hey jstar --
I totally understand your situation about people around you with interest in competition. I've actually lost a few friends and my mom wont' talk to me about diet any more because of competition. Especially your first show -it can consume your life and make people around you miserable because you talk about nothing but competition, diet , and all the stuff you have to do for the competition. Its good your bf supports you -- you might also have him help you keep it in perspective too LOL!
I totally understand your situation about people around you with interest in competition. I've actually lost a few friends and my mom wont' talk to me about diet any more because of competition. Especially your first show -it can consume your life and make people around you miserable because you talk about nothing but competition, diet , and all the stuff you have to do for the competition. Its good your bf supports you -- you might also have him help you keep it in perspective too LOL!
VeggieLifterChick
New member
Jstar,
Today I met with a personal trainer at my school who has done an NPC competition before and has experience with designing programs for bodybuilding, fitness, and figure competitors. She's going to guide me through it. We're going to have a very thorough consultation in a few days and she's going to do a 9-point calliper body fat test on me. She said she thinks just by looking at me in my gym clothes that I probably need to lose about 10 lbs of fat and that I seem to have the right body type/shape and enough muscle for figure. I'd eventually like to do a fitness competition too; she said for that I'd have to gain 10 more pounds of lean muscle mass and that I'd need at least a year to prepare for it (learn routine, gymnastics, etc). I'm really excited! Just to clarify: there's a competition 12 weeks from now that I am aiming for, if I'm not ready for that, then I'll do the one that is 15 weeks from now (November 9).
Today I met with a personal trainer at my school who has done an NPC competition before and has experience with designing programs for bodybuilding, fitness, and figure competitors. She's going to guide me through it. We're going to have a very thorough consultation in a few days and she's going to do a 9-point calliper body fat test on me. She said she thinks just by looking at me in my gym clothes that I probably need to lose about 10 lbs of fat and that I seem to have the right body type/shape and enough muscle for figure. I'd eventually like to do a fitness competition too; she said for that I'd have to gain 10 more pounds of lean muscle mass and that I'd need at least a year to prepare for it (learn routine, gymnastics, etc). I'm really excited! Just to clarify: there's a competition 12 weeks from now that I am aiming for, if I'm not ready for that, then I'll do the one that is 15 weeks from now (November 9).
SteelWeaver
New member
I agree with everything that's been said here. Especially the part about getting a trainer if you can. I did my first show without a trainer nearby (for lots of reasons, ranging from plain pig-headedness to logistical problems), and although I was getting lots of e-mail advice (for which I will be eternally grateful) nothing could have prepared me for how hard it was going to be. Doing it all yourself is just mind-numbingly exhausting, and you'll be enough of a bitch to be with as it is.
A trainer will be able to tell you objectively where you are, KEEP YOU ON TRACK, push you in the gym, and will also be able to handle the small stuff that takes so much time if you don't know what you're doing, and believe me, there is a lot of that small stuff!
I don't regret my decision not to find a trainer, because I believe the hard lessons I learned in preparing for that show will be with me for the rest of my life, and I found depths of strength in me that I have never had the opportunity to plumb before (this part was incredible) ... but having someone else push me through workouts when all I wanted to do was just give up and weep would have been much much much easier. Tap into their energy, kind of ... (And it would have been nice to have been leaner on the day, but whatever).
Anyway - I wish you both luck - competing is a thrill you just can't explain in words. For me it was worth multiples of the pain I went through - oh, what a high!
A trainer will be able to tell you objectively where you are, KEEP YOU ON TRACK, push you in the gym, and will also be able to handle the small stuff that takes so much time if you don't know what you're doing, and believe me, there is a lot of that small stuff!
I don't regret my decision not to find a trainer, because I believe the hard lessons I learned in preparing for that show will be with me for the rest of my life, and I found depths of strength in me that I have never had the opportunity to plumb before (this part was incredible) ... but having someone else push me through workouts when all I wanted to do was just give up and weep would have been much much much easier. Tap into their energy, kind of ... (And it would have been nice to have been leaner on the day, but whatever).
Anyway - I wish you both luck - competing is a thrill you just can't explain in words. For me it was worth multiples of the pain I went through - oh, what a high!
Hey everyone! I am so glad everyone is talking about how hard it is to train without support, whether it be in the form of a trainer or just having friends and family support your goals. Like Sassy I just can't talk to my mom about food/diet either. I did get her to make some better choices but I could never get into talking about carb cycling or having protein at every meal, etc. It is a boring topic I guess if your not dedicated to improving your appearance or setting physique goals for yourself. I am very shy too and I just don't feel like bringing up these topics with friends because a lot of people like to judge you and say 'you look fine' why do you obsess about your diet/training....one of my friends is doing weight watchers and not exercising but losing weight. I tried to tell her when she's asked for advice that she needs to lift and do some cardio but she only wants to add walking on her treadmill to the mix...she'll come around I tell myself...I have come to the conclusion that if I am truly dedicate then I am going to find others who are too and get their help and offer them help too along the way. Online it's easy, this board is great but yes I truly do need to find someone who I can meet with in person to get that edge and not lose my focus as I have done so many times before.
Today I feel so good!!!! So inspired!!!! I
I just got back from my old gym where I used to train for the past 7 years. I also worked there as an instructor for 2 years (not a pt; i'm not certified). I know many people there but unfortunately I decided to switch gyms about 1.5 yrs ago due to location, cost and crowedness.. ( I switched jobs so my new gym is closer, cheaper and less crowded) anyways I saw several people I knew which is always nice, including a woman who trains there who did my bodyfat analysis. She is very good, knowledgeable (the only beef I have about my current gym is that the trainers are not as knowledgeable). So in talking to her I shyly mentioned that I am thinking of entering this figure show next May. Her eyes light up and she tells me she is thinking of doing a bb show and is training w/someone at the gym who is an ex-bb. We just started talking and I told her how last year I went to a bb seminar and I was going to compete in the novice division and I talked myself out of it and she was just like why? you should definitely go for it. And that another girl I know that works there is competing in fitness and just placed in the top five in the fitness atlantic...wow! Anyways we were both excited to learn the other was competing so she offered to do my bf test leading up to the comp and I offered to give her some copies of the stuff from the seminar. I am thinking of switching back gyms so we can train together!! I am really excited because I really want this and I don't want any negative people to stand in my way. Today I feel one step closer 
Here are my bodyfat results :
136 @ 24%
LBM: 103.4
Fat: 32.6
Today I feel so good!!!! So inspired!!!! I
I just got back from my old gym where I used to train for the past 7 years. I also worked there as an instructor for 2 years (not a pt; i'm not certified). I know many people there but unfortunately I decided to switch gyms about 1.5 yrs ago due to location, cost and crowedness.. ( I switched jobs so my new gym is closer, cheaper and less crowded) anyways I saw several people I knew which is always nice, including a woman who trains there who did my bodyfat analysis. She is very good, knowledgeable (the only beef I have about my current gym is that the trainers are not as knowledgeable). So in talking to her I shyly mentioned that I am thinking of entering this figure show next May. Her eyes light up and she tells me she is thinking of doing a bb show and is training w/someone at the gym who is an ex-bb. We just started talking and I told her how last year I went to a bb seminar and I was going to compete in the novice division and I talked myself out of it and she was just like why? you should definitely go for it. And that another girl I know that works there is competing in fitness and just placed in the top five in the fitness atlantic...wow! Anyways we were both excited to learn the other was competing so she offered to do my bf test leading up to the comp and I offered to give her some copies of the stuff from the seminar. I am thinking of switching back gyms so we can train together!!
I am really excited because I really want this and I don't want any negative people to stand in my way. Today I feel one step closer Here are my bodyfat results :
136 @ 24%
LBM: 103.4
Fat: 32.6
Sassy69
New member
Hey Jstar!!!!! Congrats you are one step closer! Its sooo cool to have supporting people around you. Esp on low carb days!!!!!
RE: talking to my mom -- what I meant was I used to call her and cry about low carbs, misery, etc etc while I was training for my first show because I had a sloppy falling out w/ my trainer & no one else around was interested in my training. So now she just views the whole thing as the cause of my 4 month "mind fuck". I can respect that I guess. That's why I'm tellign you how important it is to have supportive people around u just to whine to and then have them slap you upside the head and tell you to suck it up and focus on your goal. It will makethe whole process more enjoyable & less stressful.
I still think my mom is pretty cool tho
RE: talking to my mom -- what I meant was I used to call her and cry about low carbs, misery, etc etc while I was training for my first show because I had a sloppy falling out w/ my trainer & no one else around was interested in my training. So now she just views the whole thing as the cause of my 4 month "mind fuck". I can respect that I guess. That's why I'm tellign you how important it is to have supportive people around u just to whine to and then have them slap you upside the head and tell you to suck it up and focus on your goal. It will makethe whole process more enjoyable & less stressful.
I still think my mom is pretty cool tho
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