In order to compete successfully and look your best on stage you must possess the 3 D's: Discipline, Dedication, and Determination.
As everyone who has done a bodybuilding show knows, it requires a lot of discipline. The way I look at things is you have to go into a different state of mind, and as I like to phrase it, you need to "turn on the light switch". This means that for the next 12 weeks you eat, sleep, breathe, and even dream about the competition. You will always be having to carry pre-measured food with you, worrying how you are going to get your next meal, and when are you going to train. These are all things that as a bodybuilder one practices on a daily basis, but prior to a show, you have to take it to the extreme. For instance, whereas as long as you eat a meal every 2-3 hours if you are not competing you are okay, prior to a show it is best if all meals are consumed at pre-determined times. You also have to adapt yourself to training with low energy levels that come as a result of the low single digits (below 6%) of body fat.
Getting ready for a bodybuilding competition also requires an abundance of dedication to be successful. After hanging around the gym and speaking to people who have dieted moderately for a show, you see them turn out okay on the day of the competition. On the other hand, I have seen those individuals who have dieted hard for 12-13 weeks before their show and that makes all the difference in the world. They are completely shredded and look absolutely amazing.
Last, but not least, you need to have a ton of determination. I truly believe that if you are going to do a bodybuilding show you have to be 110% determined to accomplish your set goals. Without determination, believe me that you will decide at some point to not go any further as many times your mind will start playing tricks on you and beg you to give up. Those times are the ones where you will have to dig deep and be determined enough to stick to the plan and go through it no matter what.
If you are looking to do a show, always remember these three things and your outcome should be fantastic.
We know that bodybuilding is a lifestyle that is practiced all year round, whether you compete or not. However, what is the difference in training and dieting when one decides to enter a bodybuilding show and you only have 13 weeks to get ready for it?
Preparing for a bodybuilding show is quite rigorous as you have to take it up a notch and follow an even stricter training program and diet regimen. Here is where you really get to learn that Spartan-like discipline.
In addition to the extra rigorous training and dieting, you must also tan about 3 times a week in order for your skin to darken and appear your best on stage. Posing needs to be performed at least 30 minutes to 1 hour every day as well, since you need to train your nervous system to flex the muscles as hard as possible without shaking. This also takes an enormous amount of endurance.
And let's not forget about the fact that as you go down into the low single digits of body fat you'll lose all energy and motivation but you still need to take care of your life responsibilities (such as work and school) and continue with the training and the diet.
Like you say, "the show must go on", so it's not like you can drop work or studying and just concentrate on training. It is as much a mental challenge as it is physical.
Could you please describe for our readers the bodybuilding training routine, diet and supplements stack that you used to prepare for your show?
Below is the training routine I used for my show, as well as my diet and supplement stack.
I trained six days a week, training each muscle group twice. I like to do 4 sets of 4 different exercises keeping a 6-10 repetition range. Perfect form is key in order to achieve results. I like to have a split where I pair push and pull exercises. For instance:
Monday/Thursday: Chest/Biceps
Chest:
Incline Dumbbell Press
Incline Dumbbell Flyes or Dumbbell Pullovers
Decline Press
Dumbbell Bench Press or Chest Dips
Biceps:
Hammer Curls
Straight Bar Curls
E-Z Curls (Outside Grip)
Dumbbell Curls
Tuesday/Friday: Back/Triceps
Back:
Lat Pull-downs
Low Pulley Rows
T-Bar Rows
Bent Knee Deadlifts or One Arm Rows or Wide Grip Pull-ups
Triceps:
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions (Use both hands)
Skull Crushers
Triceps Pushdowns with Rope
Triceps Pushdowns with Bar
Wednesday/Saturday: Shoulders/Legs
Shoulders:
Arnold Presses
Shoulder Shrugs
Behind the neck press
Front Raises
Rear Delt Flyes on Machine
Lateral Raise Machine
Legs:
Leg Curls
Seated Calf Raises
Hack Squats
Leg press
Leg extensions
Walking Lunges w/ Dumbbells
Bodybuilding Pre-Competition Fat Loss Diet
Meal 1:
Cantaloupe
1 cup of Oatmeal
40 grams of protein from 100% Optimum Nutrition Whey
Meal 2:
Chicken
Rice
Apple
Meal 3:
Chicken
Sweet Potato
Meal 4:
50 grams of protein from Nature's Best Isopure
1 Tablespoon of Flax Oil
Meal 5:
Steak
Broccoli
Meal 6:
40 grams of protein from 100% Optimum Nutrition Whey
1 Tablespoon of Flax Oil
Bodybuilding Supplements
In addition to the bodybuilding supplements that I already mentioned on my diet plan above, here is a list of other supplements that helped my preparation:
- Basic Supplements like Multiple Vitamins, Minerals, and Vitamin C.
- 6-OXO from Ergopharm
- Lean Mass Complex from Prolab
Prolab Glutamine and Creatine
- Prolab Metabolic Thyrolean
- SAN ThyroCuts II
- Vyotech's Viraloid
