Before you ever talk about contest prep, you need to earn the right to prep.
First Things First
The first thing that prospective natural bodybuilders and figure competitors must realize is this: you cannot begin a successful contest prep campaign without having a real foundation to work with.
Stepping on stage when you are nowhere near ready is the recipe for a total disaster. Before my first offseason, I still had the sprinter body I built during college at West Chester University. And at my first show, the 2011 NGA Mr. Natural Philadelphia, I finished 7th out of 12 in the lightweight division. My then skinny carcass got cooked.
It took about 3 years of training to move away from the pure sprinter body to a body that could realistically compete and place at a show. And at the 2014 NGA Mr. Natural Philadelphia, I placed 5th in the middleweight division. That marked the first placing of my career. And I was not happy afterward because I knew that my goal was not 5th place. My goal was to be crowned Mr. Natural Philly.
Timelines For Bodybuilding And Figure
Prospective natural bodybuilders should answer these questions before starting prep:
• Do I have decent muscle development in the legs?
• Do I have decent muscle development, thickness, and width in the back?
• Do I have symmetry between the upper and lower body?
• Do I have enough muscle mass to start prep?
• Am I lean enough to start prep?
I didn’t list chest, arms, or shoulders here because most prospective natural bodybuilders already have a decent base in those areas. The real gaps usually show up in the legs, back, and overall symmetry.
Prospective figure competitors should answer these questions before starting prep:
• Do I have enough muscle development in the legs, especially the glutes and hamstrings?
• Do I have enough back development with visible width and shape?
• Do I have decent shoulder development?
• Do I have symmetry between the upper and lower body?
• Do I have enough overall muscle mass?
• Am I lean enough to begin prep without needing to crash diet?
For veteran natural bodybuilders and figure competitors who compete on a regular basis, 16 to 28 weeks of contest prep should give most competitors enough time to get lean enough for the stage.
When I won Mr. Natural Philadelphia in 2022, I spent 26 weeks prepping for that competition. I 100 percent believe that if you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. You don’t want to leave stones unturned.
Contest prep could take you 6 weeks, or it could take you 32 weeks based on where you currently are. The more body fat you’re carrying, the longer your prep will take. The leaner you are, the shorter the prep.
If you are a man, and you are sitting at 15 percent body fat, you’ve got no chance of giving a good showing on stage in just 6 weeks of prep. You’d have to almost destroy yourself to get into that condition, and you still wouldn’t be stage ready in 6 weeks.
Now if you were that same man, and you were at 9 percent body fat, you could definitely be ready for the stage in 6 weeks. If you are not ready, there is absolutely no shame in choosing a later show.
Delusions Of Grandeur
Many competitors overestimate their current condition and their ability to get lean and what is considered lean for the stage. I’ll use my iron brothers as an example, as I’ve seen natural bodybuilders on stage at 12-15 percent body fat.
12-15 percent body fat is very healthy for a male athlete. But 12-15 percent body fat on stage on the day of the show will have you standing out like a skunk in a perfume factory.
In comparison to a competitor who is ripped, you will appear smooth. You simply won’t be lean enough to seriously compete. Muscle definition, symmetry, and size are what the judges are looking for. A guy who is bigger, much smoother, and has decent symmetry will always lose to a smaller guy who is symmetrical and ripped to the bone.
This is why taking photographs to gauge your progress throughout the year, in the same lighting and location, will let you know exactly where you are.
The Last Rep
Bring objectivity to your journey, and you’ll give yourself the best chance to stand onstage with pride. If you are looking to level up for your upcoming contest prep, my 21-Day Fit program is the ideal starting place.
I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer & Barber
Fitman
