A bikini competition is an excellent goal to set if you are ready to make a transformation for yourself. It is also a very powerful way to give yourself incentive to learn how to lead a healthy, self-empowered lifestyle and increased self-esteem. Unfortunately, there is also a dark side to the sport that I would like to urge you to avoid at all costs.
I have witnessed many women in the sport decide to compete and end up wrecking their bodies and seriously jeopardizing their health by over-training and under eating because they are in "beast mode" or they are following the guidance of a coach who utilizes EXTREME, reckless measures to get girls lean; fast. The best approach to train for a Bikini competition is to always prioritize your health and work with coaches that encourage a healthy, balanced method of prepping.
It all boils down to differentiating between committing to excellence versus going down the slippery slope of obsession and the "at all costs" mindset.
Being committed and being obsessed are polar opposites. Commitment is always taking the high road and having patience with your body and mind. You hear about so many girls who now speak out about their metabolic conditions or eating disorders because they were so eager to win their pro card that they often did what ever they could to get it... NOW! They rushed, extreme dieted, and over trained their bodies to the point of total metabolic hormone disruption.
This does not represent the sport at all. This behavior represents the decisions that these individual athletes made to get a placing. They became obsessed and took a costly attitude toward competition. Commitment is not bragging about doing 3 hours of cardio per day and seeing veins popping out of your stomach 8 weeks out from your show. Commitment is not about missing your period for 6 months and having no libido. Commitment in a sport is not justification for permanently disconnecting yourself from your loved ones and social life. Those are decisions based off of fear and obsession...not commitment.
Commitment is trusting the process of understanding your body and slowly breaking down the mental obstacles and habits that prevent progress. It's getting your body to where it needs to be for a competition without causing devastating physical or mental damage. It WILL be difficult and takes some resolve to happen since transformation is a long, obstacle ridden journey. Taking the time to educate yourself in proper nutrition and exercise to figure out your body will set you apart from the other competitors who just follow a generic plan made up by their coach. The reward goes beyond winning a few competitions. Consistency and patience will get you stage ready. More importantly, when done with a longer term mindset, competing in this sport will make you a happier, healthier person who leads a fit lifestyle without sacrificing everything else life has to offer.
It took me nearly 5 months to train for my first show. I am grateful for every single day that I had. This longer time frame allowed me to focus on building more muscular structure and learn more about the proper nutrition that fueled my workouts, built/maintained lean muscle mass, and cut body fat. I was successful because I followed a sustainable way of prepping for a competition. When I did my own preps I never burned out, lost my period, or disconnected from the rest of my life. I never tore a muscle or weakened my immune system. My metabolism was on fire and that is exactly why I can maintain a lean body without the unwelcoming eating disorder issues. Since competing I have learned what my body needs to maintain a leanness that I am personally happy with, fuel my strength workouts, and most importantly support a healthy functioning body.
The point of this article is to encourage you to resist the urge to race to the finish line. Learn how to transform your body the right way and the changes you make will lead to a sustainable "trophy" body that you can be proud of. Every competition should be a celebration of your commitment to excellence in health and fitness, no matter your placing. For those after a Pro Card, a longer term approach will also allow you to remain in the sport long enough to reach your potential as a professional athlete.
The image at the top is my personal journey thus far. I have competed in several shows and continue to hold onto my sanity and health while maintaining a lean, strong body. I've chosen to compete casually over the course of several years, due to my commitments to other aspects of my life, but I truly feel that if I competed more often I would have a Pro card by now. Maybe I will still earn it, depending on my circumstances and timing. Either way, regardless of my placings or success, Bikini is my sport and always will be. Whether I end up Ms. Bikini Olympia or not (probably not lol), I'll always be proud of my accomplishments thus far and continue to lead a deeply healthy, fit lifestyle. These are the trade-offs and choices we all need to make.
Do it the right way; because you're worth it. No matter the long term outcome, you will always represent the sport well and walk away a better person.
Abby
Learn more about Bikini competitions:
"Should You Compete in a Bikini Competition?"
"Inspiration"
"Why I am NOT a Bombshell...I am ME!"
"How Competing in Bikini Improved My Life"
Great post Abby! I'm glad you made it "real" for people. It's all about balance and being healthy. Working out and eating the right way make helps you be the best in all areas of your life, and hey If you get a cool trophy along the way so be it! :) Kristy Saunders
ReplyDeleteHi what do i need to be a bikini competitor??? I really wi
ReplyDeleteHi Kristy! Thank you for reading my blog and the feedback. I certainly agree that training and proper nutrition increases the quality of your life overall. I know that everyone around me benefits from me taking time to hit the gym and eat plenty of veggies ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra! It is great that you are eager to compete. I HIGHLY recommend hiring a coach who is well educated in physique competitions and can help you prepare for the stage as healthy as possible including training, nutrition and posing. Sometimes you have to hunt around for different coaches for each one but some coaches can help with all 3 which tends to be more cost effective.
ReplyDeleteFor now focus on training the body 3-4 days per week and lifting to encourage lean muscle gains. The lean muscle will help burn off fat but I wouldn't rush right into just "fat burning mode" talk to a coach first and get your body composition checked out to see what you need to focus on. Sometimes girls overdo the cardio in the beginning and end up losing lean mass so they are even more set back than before they started.
I hope this advice helps and good luck!!!
Great blog! You have done well.
ReplyDelete