There have been many negative undertones running viral about competing in the sport of Bikini. Many focus on how competing can be unhealthy for both the body and the mind. From my experience, most of these critics either do not fully understand the sport or had a bad experience with extreme methodologies and/or unethical coaching. In fact, I wrote a post myself about "How to Avoid 'The Dark Side' of Bikini Competitions" that was inspired by the surge of blogging surrounding eating and metabolic disorders brought to light by some former competitors.
Well, I am here to tell you, from first-hand experience, that there are just as many if not MORE reasons for why training for a competition can be an excellent way to IMPROVE the health of your mind and body. The key is it must be done intelligently with sufficient pre-preparation, contest preparation, and recovery planning (a topic for a future post). Fortunately, the understanding of the sport and female specific fitness is rapidly evolving in the right direction and proper guidance is becoming easier to come by.
I have compiled a few great reasons why, in my opinion, you should compete in a bikini competition. This post is for those women out there who are on the fence about competing and need some re-assurance about taking on the challenge.
Consider my top 5 compelling reasons for why you should compete in Bikini:
#5 - Goal Setting
Registering for a competition and setting a date will help you stay motivated throughout your training. When you set deadlines you force yourself to actually begin planning and strategizing how you will successfully accomplish your goal. Plus, you'll know that the difficulties that accompany a contest preparation are only temporary. Your big day to shine will come and the lessons you learn will last forever!
#4 - Accountability
Being held accountable will drive you to stick to your commitment and not give up, even when confronted with the natural mental and lifestyle resistance that accompanies any challenge. It is in our nature to not want others to see us fail after saying we are going to do something. There are many ways you can be held accountable such as your coach, team, supportive family and friends, and even a statement made public with a personal blog or frequent progress posts on social media.
#3 - Networking
When you become a competitor you enter a world of like-minded women and men. You will be amazed at how many wonderful people you will meet backstage while getting ready to go on stage. Most competitions also have vendors that are fun to network with and may offer potentially interesting opportunities. While there are "bad apples" in every industry, the great majority of the people I have met are fantastic. If you are aspiring to enter the fitness modeling industry, competing is a sure fire way to get attention of professionals in the industry. And, by the way, you do not have to win to get noticed. Jamie Eason is a great example!
#2 - The Final Product
No, you will not be able to sustain your stage ready physique you create, but you will certainly enjoy and be proud of the incredible transformation. Here's the really good news: post-competition your body will be transformed by the lean muscle mass (your curves) that you built and the proper nutrition habits that were forged in the process (as long as you are willing to continue a baseline of healthy eating and training). These structural and mental improvements will help you maintain a healthy, lean body long term and even set you up for more improvements. Your before and after pictures will also motivate others to follow your footsteps and chase their dreams as well!
#1 - Self-confidence
The confidence you will gain by competing is by far the most compelling reason to go for it. You will amaze yourself as you finally begin the journey and religiously train and eat to help carve your curves. You will be pleasantly surprised with the new found swagger that accompanies action; the pride that accompanies the doing of things that most others wouldn't dare. By taking on the commitment to do something that you thought you'd never be able to pursue, your self-confidence will skyrocket and you will finally realize that you really are capable of achieving anything that you set your mind to. With your hard earned sense of self-confidence gained from the process of following through, you will feel more empowered to take on new challenges that come your way.
XOXO,
Abby
Want to read more? Be sure to check out...
"Inspiration"
"1 Week Out From My First NPC Show"
"The Ups & Downs of Competing"
These are all great reasons to take the plunge. I'm looking into NPC bikini comps in Texas right now!
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