If you are entering a bodybuilding competition you could sure use some tips and tricks to help you win. Whether it is the NGA, NPC, Muscle Mania, IFBB or any other organization, most of them follow the same basic schedule so you can prepare in the same way.
In most cases a bodybuilding competition will be one full day which is the show, with a competitors’ meeting the day or evening before. So you need to plan to stay over because the competitors’ meeting is usually mandatory.
You will probably be psyching yourself up for the competitors’ meeting already but when you are planning your training and supplements, be careful not to peak too soon. Do not forget that it is the day of the show itself that is the important date to plan around.
During the pre-show meeting the organizers will explain the process to everybody. You probably know the rules already but there will be a reminder of those plus the poses or moves that they want to see from competitors. They will probably give you some tips about how to act on and off the stage. Pay attention to this because you can be sure these are points that the judges will be looking out for.
The competitors’ meeting gives you a chance to take a look at what you are up against in terms of the other people competing. In most cases a bodybuilding competition will involve different events or classes so you may not be directly competing against all of the others present. Anyway, there is no need to form your own judgments or compare yourself to others. Avoid getting drawn into chat about who looks good and who doesn’t. Leave that to the judges and concentrate on preparing to do your best.
On the day of the bodybuilding competition itself, there will be a morning and evening show. The evening show is when there is a big audience and that is what the public sees, but the morning show is just as important for competitors. A large part of the judging takes place at this stage.
There is usually a lot of waiting around at a bodybuilding competition because the judges will be seeing different classes or divisions. If you tend to be an impatient person, it is worth mastering some simple relaxation techniques to keep your muscles loose and warm. Stress will lead to muscle tension and stiffness.
The main difference between the morning judging and the evening show is that in the evening, each competitor will perform their own routine alone on stage but in the morning, the judges are likely to ask to see different competitors stepping up or back to compare them against each other. So you can expect to be ordered around a lot and you need to keep calm through all of that.
The judges have often made up their minds before the evening show even begins and only an exceptionally good or bad performance at that time can make a big difference to the outcome. However, that is no reason to relax. You still need to perform well and please the judges as well as the crowd.
Finally there may be an overall contest where the winners of each division are judged against each other. The overall winner is likely to go home with a pro card. But even if you do not win, the buzz around a bodybuilding competition can keep you motivated for months, both before and after.
