Serious Inquiry about competing...

[VooDoo Lady]

I have made the decision in my heart and head that I want to compete.

The problem is I don't know ANYTHING about it...for those of you who have already competed can you run down the vitals for me?

I know this is a general Q - but if you guys could just share your general wisdom/advice I would REALLy appreciate it!

VDL

 

[SteelWeaver]

Weelll .... you need to DIET!

(snicker)



Just messing with you, VDL. Sorry, I don't actually have any answers to the above just yet - I'm still on the diet part. All I can say is DAMN it's gonna be expensive! Tanning lotions, protein powders, tanning time, contact lenses, fat burners, vitamins, posing videos, posing suits, trainer if you can afford/find one, ...

The only thing cheap is FOOD, and that's only cuz you can't eat a lot of it

I posted a thread a little while ago called comp. prep game plan or something - you might want to give that a look ...

 

[VooDoo Lady]

I suppose what I am really looking for are resources for info about competing , (such as the posing video's you're referring to)...rather than the nuts and bolts of diet and exercise...


Thanks Steel....

VDL

 

[Sassy69]

There are some threads on it -- do a search on "posing", "competition", etc. There is a great vide by a guy named Russ Testo I think who is the "posing guru" and also a series of decent videos you can find at www.PerfectMuscle.com about posing, diet, etc.

The best thing you could do is find a trainer or someone who preps people for competition. Definitely learn as much as you can here and by asking questions, but I highly recommend having someone with you who knows the routine -- how to do the tanning, posing, etc. Its also very good to have someone with you the last week before comp to help walk you through some of the stres and the "how tos". If you don't know anyone, go to a local competition -- better yet -- go to the morning Pre-Judge and see what they do, talk to people in the audience. The night show is mostly just a show for the paying audience. The pre-judge crowd is usually much smaller and primarily made up of trainers, competitors and competitors' families / support groups. Talk to some of the people there, find out who is training the people who look the best / winning, get some names & recommendations.

I worked with 2 trainers - the first I met at my local Gold's and she was pretty good, but was busy supporting her husbnd who was also doing the show (left me to fend for myself & stumble thru the show) and the 2nd I paid a lot of money for and I sort of took on his own recommendation (I talked to him while shopping for Pro Tan for my first show) and he was more hype than anything. So just because they prep people for shows does not necessarly mean they are good - get some recommendations or see their results at a competition.

COntinue to see as many shows as you can so you get to know some people and lso get to know how "they do it".

Its not rocket science, but esp your first show you work SO hard for and it is so overwhelming when you dont' realy know "how" - so its good to have someone who can suport you - and it should be a helluva lot a fun - not a full day of stress because you don't know what to expect next.

 

[supergirl]

it took me about a year to mentally prepare for competition.. i thought i could do it last year and when it came down to doing it i bailed.. so after a year of preparing and studying and researching i am finally ready.. so this april is competition time...

i just started talking to everyone who would listen.. i picked brains bigtime.. i joined a new gym that has a lot of competitors in it.. i hired top dieticians and trainers.. i went to every show i could attend.. i watched and listened.. actually real world study rather than books and videos... and unfortunetly in this business like every other one, alot of it is who ya know

so my advice to you is get out there and mingle and let them see your face alot.. so when you do finally get on stage, you will already be somewhat known and not a complete newbie to the arena!!!

 

[VooDoo Lady]

Thanks so much for the replies thus far That's actually where I was going to start...actually GOING to some shows...thanks for the tip about going to the pre-judging too Sassy....

My goal is to compete next April or so (that seems to be when the majority of the shows are, I guess). LOTS of work to do before then......(specifically the lower half of my bod..there was a reason I didn't post a booty pic )

W6 - can you put your $1.25 in too please? What would your guidence be?

VDL

 

[Sassy69]

GO FOR IT GIRL!

I also like what SG said -- the cool thing about getting "in" is your network of people opens up soooo much the more you start talking to people who are really in there doing it. You can get a lot of good, practical information that isn't suspect (i.e. someone trying to get you to buy something) - like what tanning stuff they used (i.e. this brand blows, this one works better if you do this).

Most people will always tell you that the most important part of competition is the diet & training & the rest falls into place. Well that's all fine & dandy, but reality is, you still need to know what the hell is going on with the competition itself. (how to do you hair, gettign a posing suit, etc etc.) Its not the main part, but its still a necessary part of competition, and you are a lot less stressed out when you have a clue what is going on. Kinda takes some of the mystique away from the whole thing.

I was also going to say - the best info I've found about compeitions is the local bb newspapers -- sometimes you have to look hard to find them -- ask at different gyms in the area or if there are any personal trainers w/ private gyms or something who might have it. The "season" is generally March - Thanksgiving, so there's plenty of dates to choose to see and also to pursue. When you are picking dates, its also nice to see which ones have dates on the previous & following weeks -- that way if you don't hit the one you want, say you need another 4 weeks of dieting, you have a plan B date. Do the show you are ready for, not the show you are "trying" to get ready for.

Also check the organization who is sponsering it - NGA, NPC, etc etc -- check if its tested / not tested / natural. Then when you go see, you can get a feel for what your competition would look like, so you know what you need to train for to be able to do it. Also understand what the other competitors are likely to be doing for "supplementation" or not -- it really kinda sucks when people who are obviously juicing show up at tested shows. Even if the testing is the cheesie voice stress analysis or lie detector, it still sucks for the people who are natural and targeted that particular show because it is tested. My second comp was a tested show & the girl who won was obviously getting some help- she even got called for testing (they usually do a random testing of competitors before the comp) and still passed. These tests are not that rigorous so its not unheard of, but it still sucks because its the principal of it all -- there are untested shows - this is where the "uber natural" belong.

So -- just keep asking, looking, and go see some pre-judging as well as night shows.

 

[SteelWeaver]

VDL - I decided more than a year ago that I wanted to do the Gay Games, so I set about trying to find out EVERYTHING I could about contests - I spent hours on the internet, read anything I could get my hands on, engaged a trainer back home (we worked via e-mail for a while but it just didn't work, although she got me on the right track, anyway), and I read read read, trained trained trained.

Then I realised I didn't want to go in front of thousands of people if it was the first time, so decided to do this local show for practice. I watched 3 shows in the same venue I will be in in May over the course of last year, visited some of the affiliated gyms, joined one of them (you have to be a member of a JFBB-affiliated gym to enter the contests), and through my gym owner am getting to know some of the people in the sport here.

I think going to watch the comps gave me the best idea of what I need to know. It makes a huge difference when you actually see people running through the poses, the individual routines, etc. Just how the whole thing works.

I will be visiting the chairman of the JFBB to ask him about various rules etc. (he coaches at one of the core gyms - it's a small world here) and if there's anything special I need to know about what EXACTLY will happen on the day, and will be looking up one of the competitors who knows someone I know to get more "female" info - posing, colour, make-up, hair. One of the guys at my gym has competed, and is friendly (he said he'll come watch and cheer me on ), and he kicks my butt sometimes when training, and helps me when I'm posing during sets.

Still scouring the internet, and I found Elite - Elite has been a rock-solid base of support for me - I've learnt an amazing amount here in a short time, "met" fantastic people - this is a great forum - particularly for those up us who are relatively isolated for whatever reason.

I also have watched some videos for posing ideas - I'm going to try and order "Perfect Posing" - don't know if it's any good ... but I have a lot to learn, so ...

Anyway, just thought I'd add another few cents on your topic here.

I have been completely and unwaveringly focussed on this for more than a year - once you've made the decision it just means wading in, girl.

Go for it!

 

[VooDoo Lady]

Thanks folks!

New@ - anything to add

W6 -

Anyone else?

VDL

P.S. This is me picking brains

 

[NY Muscle]

so my advice to you is get out there and mingle and let them see your face alot.. so when you do finally get on stage, you will already be somewhat known and not a complete newbie to the arena!!!

shes right, it all boils down to politics...its who you know not how good you look, most people will learn that the hard way.
ive had friends who lost shows because no one knew them and even the guy who won came up to my buddy (at the 2001 BEV FRANCIS) and said he deserved the trophy and not him, and i have had friends win (mostly females) because of who they know...or better yet which judge they fucked (VERY true story)..most of the judges are ex pro bodybuilders and just a bunch of horny motherfuckers...i hung out with 2 VERY VERY well known judges at the 2001 womens extravaganza in NJ, and the stories we exchanged and the things they have done (all night long the 2 of them pointed out which of the girls on stage they fucked)...one guy actually told me *see that bitch up there, she will never win, thet girl wouldnt fuck me*...its a shame...and the guy who told me this is a VERY FAMOUS bodybuilder, one of the most well known and most recognized names, he no longer competes, he is just a judge.

and the politics are on EVERY level...even local shows...if you want to win, start training at the gym that is running the show, get to know the owner, let them see you, if not, the one who wins is gonna be the one all the judges (who train or work at the gym) know...trust me i seen it WAYYYY too many times..


if you can hadle the bullshit politics then good for you, good luck...personally i hate the politics that has ruined this industry.