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What are your thoughts about competing, dieting, training, and the judging process??
 
What do you Love about competing???

I did a figure competition.
 
The training and dieting is definitely hard work and requires, discipline, time management, motivation, passion, commitment, and educational trial and era. 
 
I did not love the dieting and cardio, however I loved the feeling of reaching my goals and proving to myself that I can do anything if I much my heart and soul in it. The feeling of being on stage in front of hundreds of people and showing off your hard work is definitely a rush!!!!
 
I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment.  Nothing beats that feeling, especially when you look back at your competition pictures.  I highly recommend hiring a good couch to help guide you through your diet and workout routine.  Everyone is different and requires a personalized nutrition and workout routine to follow.    
 
You can easily damage your metabolism and health if you do not have an educational background in fitness and nutrition. 

i’ve never competed but i plan too. i was thinking about doing the npc eastern usa championship competition but didn’t feel like i was ready or have enough time to cut my bf and work on my posing routine.
there’s an npc show comin up in april at tribecca i think. i might just attend it to watch and get the feel for what a competition is really like.  like llulko said i’d wanna have a good coach and someone who has been through it to help me with my diet and prepare me.

That sounds like a great idea.  Get a feel for the show, decide what weight class suits you and puts your goals into perspective. 
 
I would definitely hire a good coach. They will be able to fine tune your diet and help guide you through your training so you don’t plateau too early. 
 
It’s better to get opinions from other professionals besides yourself because your own perspective of your body image may be deceiving. 

I have competed several times and the experiences were awesome.  The great thing about this sport is that you are really competing against yourself.  You learn so much about yourself and what you can accomplish.  Good luck and have fun!

Im deffiently looking to compete Im just not sure of the way to go about it I dont have experience in it at all. What kind of things to I need to look for and what should I do?

Choose the date and then let me know. I will assist you. I have completed 13 shows and trophied at 12. I compete in the Masters 50 group and Openlightweight - I know how to cut up.
 

I know the sports are different, but reading the comments I think that the feelings are the same.  The comment was made that in BB, you are competing against yourself.  In PL and OL, it is largely the same.  Sure there are other competitors, but mostly you are trying to lift more than you did last time.  Achieving a certain personal performance goal (in my case weight lifted) has, for me, been just as satisfying as winning a world or national championships if the weight lifted was less than my best.

And I totally understand the idea of contest preparation, even if it is different for me than for you guys.  Whether as a coach or an athltete, the process of monitering training and weight loss leading up to a “peak condition” at the right time is very satisfying to achieve.

This is why I think that everyone who trains should compete, in some form.  Compete in something, at whatever level you are at.  Those that dont do it cannot understand the extra motivation it gives you, or the satisfaction gained after having done it.

“What are your thoughts about competing, dieting, training, and the judging process??
 
What do you Love about competing???”
I have done 7 shows and this will be my third year of competition.
I enjoy being a fan at shows as much as I like being on stage. Training for me is the easiest part and I like being on a contest prep diet more than an off-season diet. Cardio and the night show routine are the things I dislike most.

i hate cardio too.. How often do you do it and what kind?
 
You seem like you live and breathe this sport..
 
You were really meant for it if you enjoy training and contest prep!!
 
What is your contest prep diet like??

Is body building a sport?  I think it is, I am just wondering what you all think?

 I start my prep with 30 minutes of cardio before meal 1, 6 days a week (no cardio on quad day) .  My goal is to drop 1-2 lbs of fat a week until my conditioning is where it needs to be.  When I fail to drop 1 lb in a week, I ad 10 minutes to each cardio session. Cardio got up to 2 hours a day for two weeks of last years prep.
 
Most of my prep cardio is done on a treadmill with the incline at 15 degrees. I try to keep my heart rate between 100-130 bpm. Being on a keto diet, muscle will be lost if the heart rate exceeds 130 bpm.

 
Of course it is…
 
what is the difference between Olympic lifting and body building as far as dedication, time management, training, recovery ect.
 
Bodybuilding is “self competitive” just like Olympic lifting…
 
It is VERY much a sport
 

 
 
Do you follow keto diet year round or just for contest prep?
 
You never do hiit?
 
Do you take anything for energy?

  
 
 
Do you follow keto diet year round or just for contest prep?
 
You never do hiit?
 
Do you take anything for energy?
 
 
I keto for most if not all of contest prep. During the off-season I simply add complex carbs to a few meals. I am currently 13 weeks out and my diet is basically keto with 1/3 cup of oatmeal for meal 1 and 2 rice cakes in my preworkout meal.
 
No, I don’t do any HIT cardio.  I have problems holding on to muscle just doing steady state cardio.
 
I have my body fat checked once a month during off-season, every other week from 16 weeks to 12 weeks out, & every week from 12 weeks down to the last week. We use the 9-point Parrillo skinfold method. We don’t care about the BF%. Instead we chart the measures and look at the changes in LBM lbs and body fat lbs from week to week. We adjust the diet and cardio based on the numbers.
 
I use NO Shotgun for pre-workout and cut it out at 8 weeks out.
 
After dropping Shotgun, I will use MCT oil (Parrillo Cap-Tri or Ultimate Nutrition MCT Gold) in my pre-workout meal. MCT oil digests in the body more like a carbohydrate. It is burned quicker than carbohydrates and has almost no tendency to be stored as body fat. 
 

“1/3 cup of oatmeal for meal 1 and 2 rice cakes in my preworkout meal.”
 
How is this keto?? You are still consuming some sort of carbs?  How does this make your body adapt to using fat for energy?  
 
 
“No, I don’t do any HIT cardio.  I have problems holding on to muscle just doing steady state cardio.”
 
Really?? I thought that Hiit is better for retaining muscle.  
 
“After dropping Shotgun, I will use MCT oil (Parrillo Cap-Tri or Ultimate Nutrition MCT Gold) in my pre-workout meal. MCT oil digests in the body more like a carbohydrate. It is burned quicker than carbohydrates and has almost no tendency to be stored as body fat.” 
 
What does it taste like?  Do you had it in shakes?
 

Instead of saying”my diet is basically keto with 1/3 cup of oatmeal for meal 1 and 2 rice cakes in my preworkout meal.”
I should have stated “my diet this week is basically keto plus 1/3 cup of oatmeal for meal 1 and 2 rice cakes in my preworkout meal.”
I am transitioning to keto and the next change will probably be to eliminate carbs except for the preworkout rice cakes which will soon after be eliminated.
 
MCT oil in shakes works well and is tasteless. Parrillo’s Cap-Tri is offered in the regular flavor and also in butter flavor. I like to add Butter Flavored Cap-Tri to my egg whites when they are about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way done cooking.

 Instead of saying”my diet is basically keto with 1/3 cup of oatmeal for meal 1 and 2 rice cakes in my preworkout meal.”
I should have stated “my diet this week is basically keto plus 1/3 cup of oatmeal for meal 1 and 2 rice cakes in my preworkout meal.”
I am transitioning to keto and the next change will probably be to eliminate carbs except for the preworkout rice cakes which will soon after be eliminated.
 
MCT oil in shakes works well and is tasteless. Parrillo’s Cap-Tri is offered in the regular flavor and also in butter flavor. I like to add Butter Flavored Cap-Tri to my egg whites when they are about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way done cooking.[/QUOTE]
Rick you have a ton of discipline.  I wish my lifters had as much.

i agree!! I could never get rid of my oatmeal in the morning!! Rick you are the man!!
 
I have to lose 5 more lbs for my wedding in June and i refuse to give up my oatmeal.. i love it sooooo mcuh
 
It sucks because i just cant get this weight off.. I dont want to lower my calories anymore… I am sure its my cheats on the weekends but i am cutting that out.. I hope it makes a difference by JUne 18th
 
 
 

Thanks, Glenn and llulko. I’m very carb sensitive and have to get shredded to have a chance due to a less than ideal genetic structure.

I like the adrenaline rush it gives you after lifting monumental weights that you never thought you could ever do. Its something that will stay with me for a lifetime.