For many, competing in a bodybuilding show is a bucket-list experience. After all, who would not want to be a bronzed God or Goddess in the best shape of their life, basking in the spotlight in a bedazzled bikini or brief?
It is an accomplishment of which to be proud. Competitors will have had to overcome many obstacles to step on stage—lifting weights to put on muscle, dieting to lose bodyfat and remaining committed to the goal for months-on-end.
They will have had to overcome mental hurdles as well. Most are prepared for the emotional struggles that come with getting ready for the show. But often they do not expect the downward spiral of emotions that come post show, whether they stood at the top of the class or the bottom.
Since this is an area that is rarely discussed, I thought it fitting to express some of my thoughts about competing in bikini and figure competitions. I have battle scars from both victories and defeats. I am learning to put perspective on process and see the entire picture for what it is.
It is my hope my experiences may help you compete with a healthier mindset and understand that competition blues are common, even among seasoned competitors.
If you make the decision to compete, enjoy the journey from beginning to end. Learn about yourself and find meaningful celebrations. Above all, be kind to your fellow competitors. We have all traveled different roads, and, have different reasons for getting on stage.
Bodybuilding Contests: The Good
One cannot deny the myriad of good reasons that exist for bodybuilding contests.
Setting a goal, working towards it, and achieving it is empowering. Discovering how your body responds to exercise, weights and foods is fascinating. Watching your body change, especially in the last month, is a thing to marvel. Learning how to walk on stage with confidence and best present your physique to a panel of judges is rewarding.
You will become a mentor for many, even though you never intended to be one. You will be known for discipline and healthful living. You will be asked countless questions about training and nutrition.
People will be enchanted with your experience and curious about your “why.” Whether your reason is to tout weight loss, overcome a dysfunctional relationship, honor a loved one, or something entirely different, keep it close to your heart because you will need it when the road gets rough.
When you complete the journey, you will never see yourself the same. You know you can accomplish a mission if you set your mind on it. You have achieved a dream many have, but few realize.
Bodybuilding Competitions: The Bad
“Sacrifice” may be a more appropriate word than “bad” to describe the challenges of prepping for a bodybuilding competition. The training and diet regime looks grueling and ridiculous to most. Indeed, this life is not for everyone.
As well, a huge amount of time can be gobbled up tending tasks outside the gym and kitchen, especially for bikini, figure, wellness, or women’s physique competitions. To look one’s best, consideration must be given to stage attire, makeup and posing. Everything will be grossly expensive. At one point, I calculated it cost me $1,600 to compete in a single class at a regional show out of town.
The “bad” of bodybuilding competitions often comes after the show. Suddenly, the goal that has consumed you for the past 12-24 weeks is gone. You may have been so focused on what you will look like for 15 minutes (if that) of stage time that you missed opportunity to enjoy the experience. Often show photos are your only means of gauging your appearance and relishing the event.
In the days that follow, it is difficult to accept that you cannot look like this every day, or even hours after the show. Stage physique is fleeting.
I look as I do on stage for just hours each year, literally, depending on how many times I compete. Though the athletic look remains, the chiseled shoulder caps, abs and quads will be gone once I resume my normal diet. If I do not reposition my thoughts, I will struggle each time I look in the mirror. I will see myself as being fat even when I gain healthy weight. And because I compete regularly, I reason every pound I gain is a pound that will have to come off when I compete again.
This body dysmorphia is very common among bodybuilders and totally incomprehensible to the rest of the world.
Coupled with the gain in body weight is a loss of purpose. Though many resume a normal life with family and friends, some struggle without the very thing that has consumed every waking hour. Gone is the schedule, the routine. Suddenly there is no repercussion for eating everything that has been denied. The one familiar standby—the gym—has little purpose either.
The very act of competing can be emotionally damaging too. Though I understand this is a contest, I almost always cringe when people ask how I did. What they really want to know is: did you win? Did you beat everyone else? I do not do this to beat others and would be happy if everyone won first prize.
Fortunately, time and healthy relationships appear to be the healer of all wounds. As well, with a realization of what is happening, corrective measures can be put in place long before needed. Often it is good to take a short mental break from competition for perspective. Make sure the next thing is lined up to maintain purpose.
The Ugly Side of Bodybuilding
Though there are good and bad aspects of competitive bodybuilding, there also is a side that is downright ugly.
I will not delve into the dark side of bodybuilding other than to say it exists and is widespread. Whether someone chooses to use drugs or undergo cosmetic surgery is a personal choice. I stay in my own lane and compete by standards I chose more than 25 years ago.
The damage the ugly side creates is unrealistic expectations. In discussions about bodybuilding, 99% of people outside this world think the sport is regulated like others, with routine testing for drugs. It is not and never will be. Most newbies dream of getting on stage looking like their mentors. They follow their training and diet regimes and wonder what happened when they fall short of expectations.
Damage comes when drug use becomes so common, one assumes everyone does it. A bikini competitor recently told me she talked to three coaches to prepare for her contest. The first question each asked: are you willing to take “things?” She did her research and told them: why would I take something illegal? Their response: everyone does it and you will drop weight quickly.
No, everyone does not. Though this world is much smaller, there are bodybuilding federations in which you can compete without the use of drugs. Their challenge lies in the fact that the look of competitors at national level, untested shows entices, seduces, and lures.
Other Ugliness
Another potentially ugly side of bodybuilding is the depression that sets in when expectations are not fulfilled. There can be just one winner in this particularly subjective sport and a host of things that can go wrong before you step on stage. Competing can destroy if perspective is not maintained.
After one of my friends did not win a recent show, she told me, “I did what they wanted. I changed my posing routine. I leaned out. I rounded out my shoulder caps. What happened?”
Nothing happened. She looked stunning; her performance was stunning. I would not have changed a single thing. The judges simply chose another physique THAT day.
I advised her to remember her why. Coming out of a dysfunctional relationship, this competition was a way to prove to herself she could do it on her own, mentor others and solidify her reputation in the fitness world. She achieved everything she set out to do that day in grand style.
What broke my heart is that I realized that was ME talking. I have been in that dark corner myself a million times, including my most recent show. I believed I did not look my best due to several factors and felt I had let myself down.
As I was taking off my makeup in the lady’s room, a woman came in and told me, “You look great!” I uttered a half-hearted thank you and said I did not do my best. She said, “Are you kidding me? We were just talking about you and how amazing you look. You are more beautiful than women half your age. I can only dream.”
I told her she must have been a messenger from God sent to remind me of my why—to encourage others to age gracefully and in a healthy manner and to be a light in a dark world.
Though my friend and I had forgotten our “whys” for a few lonely hours, I am happy to say we are both now back on track.
Is a Bodybuilding Competition Right for You?
Competing in a bodybuilding show is an experience that can be immensely rewarding.
If you do decide to compete, be mindful of the nature of this contest. It is not a race, where the fastest time wins. It is not a football game, where touchdowns and field goals win games. It is a physique competition placed by a panel of judges with differing opinions. You will compete with people who have both superior and inferior genetics for THIS event. You cannot control what those people are willing or not willing to do to win. And the rules seem to change just when you make changes to your physique.
Surround yourself with people who care about you, people with whom you can be transparent, people who will give you perspective, people who will hold your heart if you cry.
Decide ahead of time what you will and will not do. The more you win and the more competitive the contest, the harder the choices will be. I did not feel the stress of competition until I started winning. Suddenly, there were people whispering in my ear, “You could be really competitive at a high level if you ……” Don’t allow the glitz and glamour of this world to drag you down a road you never intended to travel.
Consider your why. Does this align with your mission? Perhaps a photo shoot would be equally suited to your goals? Or maybe organizing a fitness group for others would allow you to follow your dreams?
Above all, make health and fitness a lifelong journey, regardless of the physique that is vogue at the time.
