Figure competition is an excellent way to test you. It will help you to find where you stand in relation to your training. It will help you to build discipline find your limits and learn more about your body. You need to take figure competition seriously. The following tips will help you to prepare yourself for the next figure competition.

Find out how much time you need to get ready

If you are participating in a figure competition in the near future, the first thing you need to do is to find out how long it will take you to get ready for that. It will depend a lot on your present condition and where you should be for the competition. You need an honest evaluation of the work necessary to reach that level where you stand a chance to win the competition. Competition prep meal plans may range from six weeks to 20 weeks and more than that. Your body fat percentage is a very important and key indicator. As a woman, you will need less than 13% body fat level to show six-pack abs. A bikini competitor has a body fat percentage of 8 to 13%. The average woman may have 25 to 31% body fat. This will give you an idea about how much work you need to do to reach that level where you can show your six-pack abs in the competition.

You’ll also need to work on your mental strength and will have to keep it ready for the competition. There will be lots of emotional disturbances because you will need to follow a rigid diet all the time which is going to affect your mood and energy along with which you will undergo constant critiquing of your physique. It is not an easy task to handle all that pressure when you’re working so hard. So mental training to make you mentally strong is very important.

Learn to be lonely

You will need to follow a very strict diet when you start preparing for figure competitions. You may start eating healthy and exercising regularly one year before the competition. During this time, occasional cheating and eating some of the foods which are not allowed may be acceptable. But as you reach near the competition dates, when there is only four weeks to the competition, the diet will become stricter. You’ll be isolated from your friends and family members because you will not be able to eat the foods they are eating and spatially will not be able to eat out in the restaurants and bars. You will also have to focus more on your exercise and diet and so will have less time for other social activities.

Managing your expectations

If you don’t win your first show, don’t be disheartened. Like any other sports, it may not be possible for you to win in the first time in a figure competition. However, you’ll be able to learn so many things by actually joining a competition. If you look closely, you’ll be able to see the progress you have made while preparing for the competition. Expecting to high and then not winning anything will definitely make you feel disheartened and you may lose the motivation to keep going for the next competition. Take part in the competition without any expectation that all and then if you are awarded it will be much sweeter for you.

Have fun

This is a process of completely transform your body and looking more beautiful. It is hard but if you know how to find pleasures, you can have lots of fun during the process. It will amaze you to see how you can transform your body completely.

References

1. Figure Competition Secrets
2. Advancing Women’s Health and Safety
3. Dietary Intake, Body Composition, and Menstrual Cycle Changes during Competition Preparation