Beginners Guide for Your First Figure Competition | Diet and Exercise | Real Life Fitness | PhitZone

A guide for the beginner in figure competition

A guest post by Angelique Kronebusch

It seems like everyone these days are talking about competing. I hear it all the time at the gym, girls dreaming of being up on stage and winning first place in their first show, or guys wanting to get up on stage and show off all of their hard work flexing in front of the judges.

Most people’s problem is that they have absolutely no clue where to begin, whether it is picking their first show or learning how to eat to lose body fat. Trust me-you do not want to go to your first show not knowing what you are doing. I have been there and it is not fun.

Do your due diligence

There are a few things you need to do before committing to your first competition. The first thing that should be done is picking your event. When you pick your event, check to see how much this will cost for a membership, first category and if you are entering a second category. Competitions are expensive and you must figure out your budget.

If possible, find pictures of past shows with the organization you have chosen. Check out You Tube as well, lots of past competitors like to post their videos on You Tube. This is a great way to learn what looks good and what does not. Check out top 5 and see what they looked like and how they walked and posed on stage.

Give yourself an appropriate amount of time to prep for the show. If your body fat is high and you want to compete in 1 month, this may not be attainable in a healthy way. Give yourself lots of time to shed the body fat and tighten up for the show. Why spend all the money to compete if you will not look your best?

Seek advice from a trainer with a competition history. A big mistake is to go to a personal trainer who has never prepped a client for a show. They most likely will not know what the judges are looking for and how to get your body in top competition shape. Look out for trainers out there who have done 1 show in their life and assume that they know how to prep someone. Everyone has different body types and body fat, and a program should suit the needs of the individual and their goals.

It’s won and lost in the kitchen

Learning how to eat like a competitor is 80% of the battle. Clean eating is the most important part of competing. If your diet is not 90-100% clean while prepping for the show, you may not get the results you desire. One small cheat per week is ideal, but if you are cheating every other day, you may need to step back and re-think your goals.

Do your research on where to find the right shoes and suits for your event. This is a very important step as well to look your best. Your suit should reflect the hard work that was put into yourself. To look professional on stage will not only make you look good, the judges will notice this as well and this will leave an impression.

Find a coach to help you walk and pose for your first show. The worst feeling is going out there and not knowing what to do. The judges will definitely notice and this will make you look bad as well. It doesn’t matter if your first show is figure or bikini, proper posing and great stage presence is so crucial for your big day.

You will also need a tan, and not just a tanning bed tan or a spray tan. Do research on tanning products out there, there are so many to choose from. A proper tanning product is very flattering and will also make a person’s body look more shredded under the lights. A white body is not flattering under those florescent lights and will make a competitor look washed out and not very muscular.

Do your research on final prep 1 week out. Competitors do a lot of crazy things to lose water weight a week before the show and a lot of them not too healthy. One thing that is very popular is the “water loading” technique. Again, seeking advice from an experienced competitor and trainer is very important for this method.

Sage advice

One important thing to remember is that everyone is different. Just because a certain method of prepping or eating worked for one person, does not mean the same thing will work on you. Competing is hard work and it is always a learning process. Only way to improve and learn what works for you is to keep trying and never give up!

About the author

Angelique Kronebusch is the owner of Angelique-Fitness and Personal Training in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. She is a competitive Figure Model, and captain of Team Kelowna. Angelique is also the fitness and health columnist for Kelowna’s Rage Fashion Magazine. Be sure to follow her on Twitter, and become a fan on Facebook.