Thinking of competing in a bodybuilding contest? Here's some good advice, as well as some do's and dont's, on looking, and performing your best, in your first foray into the world of physique competition.

Choosing The Right Contest For You!

The first prerequisite for deciding to enter a contest, is to resolve to be stricter, and more dedicated, about your training, and diet, than you have ever been before. If you do not commit to training and eating more diligently, than you ever have previously, don't bother to even begin the prep work involved in attaining your best shape ever. There are times during contest training when you will feel weak and listless, and you will not want to eat the same repetitive meals. If you can hack it,and be serious in your intent, then you are of the right mindset to compete. Anything less than 100% commitment will just not cut it if you expect to do well ! Now that we've established that you are "hungry" let's begin.

In choosing a suitable contest to enter, think about your present stage of development, and of course the fact that you have no prior experience in this type of endeavor. Obviously you want to create a good impression,and have an enjoyable experience competing. Don't pick a national qualifier, or a state title event, instead opt for a small local show, preferably with a novice division. I would also suggest crossing over into your weight class, or height class, along with doing the novice class. You never know who'll be there, so go for it while you're hopefully in the best shape of your life thus far. You may just manage to place, and you will also be getting much needed experience to use in future competitive outings. Look at this first contest as a learning experience only, as most everyone who ever competed has messed up somewhere along the line, in their first show. Pick a contest well in advance, to give yourself ample time to prepare for the event,and preferably one that is not too far away. Having never "dieted down" previously, you should give yourself at least 16 weeks to get ready. Don't expect to win, or even place, these are just bonuses if they do happen to transpire. Do, however, train with a winning attitude. Have fun in this first outing, and learn as much as you possibly can.

Removing Body Hair!

I love to compete but one of the things I hate most about competing, is the fact that in order to display your physique, it must be devoid of bodyhair, to be able to see the muscles you've so painstakingly built. I've found the best thing to do is to just simply shave it off. Some guy's use one of the many preparations commercially designed to remove hair, but some of these do not do a thorough job, and can also irritate the skin,causing a rash .Your best bet is to get a package or two of triple edge blades, and some shaving gel. I find the Gel type much better than the traditional shaving cream. You will undoubtedly use a package of these razors or more depending upon the amount of bodyhair present. Do your initial shaving with a "beard trimmer" type of shaver, then jump into the shower or bath, and finish up. Shaving in the water is much easier. Be very careful around sensitive areas like the shins, joints, and especially the nipples. Take your time, and afterwards check your handiwork out in a brightly lit area to see any spots you might have missed. You will have to get someone to help you with your back, and possibly the back of your legs. Start shaving weeks, or even months before the event, to insure that your skin get's accustomed to it, as it can also cause a rash, irritation,or razor bumps. Once you're into shaving for some length of time, you will very seldom experience these things at all again. More hirsute gentlemen, may have to use hedge clippers,or a power saw , and replace blades several times,for best results !!

Putting On The Tan!

Years ago bodybuilder's were seen on stage with a naturally dark tan, provided by natural sunlight only. This is far from good enough nowadays, as most contests of old had a single light fixture, hanging above the contestant. In contrast,today's contests have extra bright, hot lighting, all across,above,and at the foot of most stages. This lighting tends to wipe out most of your definition and muscularity,thereby requiring that you have as dark a skin color as possible, to show the physique to it's best advantage. For best results, get a good base tan in a tanning booth .This tanning will vary from contestant to contestant according to how well you tan in the first place. Start early, and get a good dark tan. Most tanning salons today have standing tanning booths, and I feel that if you have access to one, you are far better off. They seem to give a much more even,and darker tan while leaving little if any unexposed areas.

There are three or four good tanning agents used by most competitors to get the much sought after bronze look. The one I feel is best is called Pro-Tan. I have used three of the four that I know of, so I will give you my opinion of all three. This is not to bash the products I do not use, as I'm only talking from my own personal experience, and by no means am I putting down the other two products. Some of you will find ,I'm sure that they will work good for your particular skin type.

• Jan-Tana Competition Color - To me this product goes on streaky, and gives my skin a green tint.
  
  
• Dy-O-Derm - Never tried it!
  
  
• Pro-Tan - Looks great on my skin type.Gives a reddish bronze look to the skin.
  
  
• Dream Tan - looks totally fantastic, just not on me! I've never see a product look as good, but in my particular case it seemed to hide my definition. I've see other people that looked simply great with it on, just as I have with the aforementioned products.

Since I use Pro-Tan ,I will explain what I do for best results with this product only. I think also, that it is the one to go with in your first show, especially if you don't have an experienced competitor advising you on how to best apply the agents. It is by far the easiest to apply if you have no prior experience.

If your contest is on a Saturday, as most contests normally are,I would start applying the tanning agent on Wednesday,you will need 3-4 coats at least for best results. Pro-Tan comes in a plastic spray bottle with an applicator attached. From my experience I find it best to forego spraying, and I pour small amounts at a time into a bowl, and use a bigger sponge for faster, more even, results. Be careful around the hands,feet,and joints of the body, as the solution will make these areas appear darker than the rest of the body. Wear rubber gloves, and old clothes, while putting on the solution, as it will stain anything it touches. It will all come out in the wash though. Be sure to give each coat ample time to dry, as a buildup of the color will occur if you don't. Apply another coat on Thursday morning,another on Thursday afternoon, and the last one on Friday morning. Touch up ,and even out any built up areas, or streaky sections. Don't worry too much about achieving perfection, as wearing clothes will take off most of the build up, and from the audience you will look great, as long as the tan is somewhat even. On the day of the show, or late the night before, spray a bit on sections of your face, and use the applicator supplied to even it out. Nothing looks worse than a guy with a golden tan and a ghostly white face!! You will no doubt get plenty of stares by the general public, but shrug it off, they could never do what you've accomplished thus far in their entire lifetime anyway. Once you get to the show you'll feel fine as everybody else will look just like you.

Train hard,and stay focused!!

Tim Westcott

• In Part-II- I will deal with dieting for the contest, cardio, and training.
  
  
• Part-III - I will deal with posing, presentation, and what to eat on the day of the contest, as well as what to bring with you to the show.

Disclaimer:This article is based entirely on my personal experiences competing and my opinions only and should be taken in that context. I'm not saying all of these tactics will work for everyone but they do give a good outline of what to do and expect in your first contest.