What You Should Know if You're Thinking of Doing a Bikini Competition
It's important to enjoy the process.
So many ladies go into a bikini competition prep with the end at the forefront of their mind. They count down the days until they can go crazy with food and be done! But for prep to be a worthwhile mission, you genuinely need to enjoy the challenge leading up to your competition day. It really can and should be fun!
It's going to be more uncomfortable than you expect it to be.
If I had a dollar for every friend that wanted to try prep once just to say that they've done it..... if you're someone who is dabbling with the idea of competing make sure you're doing it for YOU and nobody else.
Trust me, if you're doing it for attention or status or to build some sort of credibility with others that you are fitness, this process is not for you. You will be thoroughly shocked by how much work goes into this. It is a total lifestyle overhaul. You live, breathe, and eat all things prep. If you're doing this for others, you will find that the sacrifices you are forced to make to succeed will not be worth the reward you're hoping for.
If you thrive on structure, prep will make you SO HAPPY.
No, I'm serious. I am actually at my happiest during competition prep. I thrive on rigid structure. And I mean rigid. Competition prep will require your absolute 100% focus if you're looking to do well in the sport. It involves extensive time management and planning to ensure your meals fit your macros and you have the time for your intense workouts. When I'm on prep, it is my first priority. I am constantly busy, active, and challenging both my mind and my body. For the type a humans of the world, prep feels like Disney World- most of the time!
If you go into this process feeling secure and whole already, your confidence will multiply.
There's an important distinction to make here. I have had girls come to me in the past expressing that they wanted to compete to learn to love themselves or look a certain way. If you're going into a competition with fragile self esteem, it is likely this process will make you feel worse. Think about it- you're getting up in front of a group of judges and a crowd while wearing a bathing suit and allowing them to judge the way you look. It is not for the faint of heart and it is not for people who feel like they need someone else to validate their self worth.
Now, on the other hand, if you're going into the process in a place of self love or even just self acceptance, you will find that by the end, you feel better about yourself than ever before. Why? Not because of how you look (that won't last anyway- more on that later...) but rather because of the challenges you've put your body and mind to for the last 8-25 weeks. You will thoroughly impress yourself with your own discipline, drive, and strength of heart. I come out of a competition feeling like- if I can do this, what can't I do?!
Back to what competing does to your appearance- if you are competing to look a certain way, don't. You will NOT maintain that leanness.
You can absolutely hold onto whatever muscle mass you've put on through competition prep! In fact, it will be much easier than you think once you start eating again! However, the low level of body fat you must have to step on stage is not healthy or sustainable long term. This sport is extreme. You are not meant to maintain the body composition you have on show day, and if you try to, you can expect your hormones to get entirely out of wack and feel pretty drained most days. Plan on putting body fat back on when it's over.
This brings me right into my next point. The structure shouldn't end when the competition ends. If you are not planning to do another competition right away, you need to reverse out of your diet.
Reverse dieting is the process of gradually adding calories back into your diet until you have returned to a healthy caloric intake that you can maintain post competition. DO NOT SKIP THIS! I mean it!! Your body will go through metabolic adaptation during your competition prep, meaning it will adjust to your new, lower caloric intake and slow your metabolism down to match. This makes it harder for you to lose weight the next time around! For more info on this process, check out my post all about reverse dieting HERE.
Don't go in with the expectation that you're going to win.
Unfortunately, there's a lot more that goes into this than meets the eye. Firstly, the bikini division is very subjective. The criteria for the division is quite vague and winning is often based on the judges' personal preference. Some judges want the ladies to look softer. Some judges love the look of a more muscular, conditioned bikini girl. So don't go in trying to be what you think the judges want. It is ever changing! Create the body you love and your confidence will shine through on stage.
The sport is also quite political. Many coaches who have teams will sponsor the show. To be honest, I really don't understand how that's even allowed within the competing world but it is. You will absolutely see ladies win because they deserve to but you will also see some who very clearly won their place because of a relationship with a judge or having a spot on a well known team. This is why you need to go in doing this for YOU and you only - whether you place or not! Reframe this as an opportunity to compete with the old you. If you've bettered your physique and yourself, than you've won in my book!
Practice posing. Don't procrastinate it!
It matters! A lot. Practice so much that you could honestly do your routine in your sleep. Because when you get up on stage, you will have nerves! But if you've practiced, you'll practically be on autopilot and will not freeze up. Not only that but you'll just go up there feeling and looking a lot more confident. Even if your physique isn't as well developed as the girl's next to you, if your routine is superior, you can absolutely take the win! You want to look graceful, sensual, and at ease on the stage. Plus, practicing allows you to figure out your best angles. Even if your physique is not as good as someone else's, you could be more able to angle your body in a way that enhances your shape.
Soak up every moment!
Show day is SO much fun. My first show day ever was one of the best days of my life thus far simply because of the excitement of it, the friendships made, and the total rush of being on stage. Take lots of pictures, get to know the other girls, and live in the moment! It goes so so so fast and before you know it, you're being shuffled off stage to go eat all of the delicious treats you have been dreaming about!
I hope this was super helpful to you! These were all things I think every girl should know prior to her first competition. If you're serious about competing, I would absolutely love to be a part of your journey to the stage! You can apply for 1:1 prep coaching HERE.
