TJ
New Brunswick, NJ
Male, 33
As an avid lifter, I decided to compete in an amateur bodybuilding competition to showcase my hard work and appreciation for the sport.
I would base that decision on your fitness goals. But generally I would use a combination. Most people who want to lose weight think they only have to do cardio. That would be wrong. Weight training will add lean muscle mass which in turn, will help you burn more fat. If you only had thirty minutes to weight train I would suggest a circuit where you hit every muscle once. Your best bet alternating one day of weights, then one day of cardio, then weights, then cardio, etc. I really don't have any experience in yoga, but would like to try it out one day.
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As far as primping goes, it’s necessary to look good on stage. You are being judged for months of work, in a matter of minutes. The obvious primp that needs to be done is complete shaving of the entire body. Shaving should be started weeks before as to make sure you do not get razor burn or ingrown hairs. Nair and other hair removers work on sensitive areas of the body. The day before or morning of the competition it is necessary to spray tan. Specific products are made for spray tan for competitors that work better than everyday spray tans you would find at your local salon. For my competition, I found a woman that had extensive experience that came to the house and spayed the tan on in my kitchen. A good tan could make the difference between placing and not placing. Right before you go on stage, you do what they call "pump up." There are weights provided to get a last minute pump for your muscles to fill up with blood and look their best.
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It has completely affected my self-image both positively and negatively. The better you look and more compliments you get, the better you feel. However, I am constantly feeling that I can look better or do better. If you place 3rd in a competition, then I wanna work even harder to get to 2nd place next time, if not 1st. I am very critical of myself - and it can sometimes be obsessive.
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I don't have one specific but you have to give credit to Arnold for all his accomplishments. I'm also a fan of Victor Martinez despite his recent legal troubles.
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Usually no. I especially don't mind when a younger person has questions or needs advice. All too often you see people at gyms lifting incorrectly or just look lost. When I first started lifting, I had older guys at my gym helping me out and giving me advice and it was much appreciated. I have no problem returning the favor. However, if someone just wants to come up and talk to me about nonsense, then I have no patience for that. All too often people use the gym as social hour instead of its intended purpose, and no headphones or iPod can keep them away.
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In natural competitions the competitors are drug tested. The percentage probably depends on the level of the show. National shows and larger competitions have more competitors and higher stakes. Some competitors have sponsors and endorsement deals so it is imperative for them to do well and steroids might give them that extra edge.
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I actually don't even read them. For years I would read Muscle and Fitness or sometimes Flex magazine. If anything, the pictures were inspiring but often they gave me a false sense of what I could accomplish. Most of the models are at their peak and have exceptional 'genetics'. I would try to pick up new ideas for workouts and just realized it was all turning into the same thing. Everyone is trying to reinvent the wheel and come up with the next best idea. Not knowing what your level of experience in the gym is, but for novices they can be helpful to put a workout program together or give you the discipline to follow a program already written out for you by the magazine. As for valuable tips? I think everyone is different and what might work for someone, does not work everyone else. The magazines do hold some good information, but it can be confusing to sort out what actually works for you. The gimmicks for getting six packs, adding inches to your biceps, and increasing your bench press by 100 lbs all in one week are on the cover to sell magazines. But its not to say that the issue might not contain a good ab workout that you might never have seen before. You might not get the six pack in a week, but it's a good change to your routine ab workout.
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