Help with first BB competition! Reps and thanks to helpful competitors.

Unholy · Jan 22, 2009

Hey all just looking to give you guys a quick update, as well as a little guidance I seek.

I have decided to get my feet wet in the bodybuilding sport this coming fall and I am planning on doing two shows. One is Oct 24th and the other Nov 7th First in Poughkeepsie NYS Natural BBing champs and the second is a Syracuse show which is WNBF pro qualifier. Both natural shows.

Currently I sit at 208lbs @ what I guess to be around 14% bf. A little help would be appreciated. I don't know exactly what to do with my plan of attack. I was originally planning on cutting for a few months, getting a few months of bulk in before the last 16-20 weeks of prep. Time is running out and I am debating on whether or not to bulk for a few months and start my prep 20-22 weeks out or if I should continue cutting before trying to do any kind of bulking. Another option is cutting straight through for about 40 weeks.

By my estimates I have about 177-179lbs of LBM right now and that would mean that I could realistically step on stage at around 185lbs diced.
Here is me 2 weeks ago.

Oct 1st start of cut and return to training after a few months of inconsistency.

Any advice, guidance, tips, criticism is appreciated.

I am trying to debate what the best course of action would be. 39 and 42 weeks out from 2 shows.

To slowly bulk for 19 weeks followed by a 20-22 week prep

To Cut for 8 more weeks, bulk for 12 followed by a ~20 week prep

To Cut for the following 40 weeks or so till show date.

Please help a brotha out.

pesty4077 · Jan 22, 2009

Best advice I can give you, hire a trainer that is experience with prepping for BB shows.

Baal · Jan 22, 2009

There are a lot of good trainers on these boards... Alex Azarian is doing mine.. www.prepbyalex.com great attention in full detail, very very reasonable prices.

oldfella · Jan 22, 2009

I would make contacting Phil Hernon your first course of action. He is in New York and will work wonders for you. Best advice I can give to you at this stage. You look decent enough and have some good muslce on you. Get with PHIL he will chisel out that physique and you will be amazed.

abolish the weak · Jan 22, 2009

Best advice I can give, if your going to try and get bigger, make a conscious effort to still see your abs. At least the outline of them, if they are blurry that's fine. Then make it 12 wks all bets off prepping for the show.

Unholy · Jan 23, 2009

No one has any advice about a route to take other than hiring a trainer?

Oldfella, I have just contacted Phil.

Abolish, thank you I think this might be a good route to take. Hopefully some more experienced guys can chime in and let me know what they think.

I am just at a point where I don't know whether making a conscious effort to get some LBM on me before prep time is worth it or if I should go all out in an attempt to come in super diced but possibly too small at my height of 6'0".

Phil will have some ungodly way of getting more LBM and dropping the waist line I have a feeling.

lilarnold · Jan 23, 2009

i would train my ass off and never miss a meal for the next 3 years....put on some size, and then reevaluate whether you want to compete after some time and consistency.

chris250 · Jan 23, 2009

I personally would hire someone to do your prep, or your whole offseason and prep...that would make it much easiler for you and you would learn more...

Steve123 · Jan 23, 2009

I don't think you need to take three years prior to competing. These are natural shows and the goal is condition, condition, condition!!!! The Pro qualifier might be competitive and you could feel out of place being the first show or two.

That said, I would not start doing 3+ shows a year either. Do one or two, take a minimum of 8 months to build nice and lean before doing more.

My advice, as others have already stated, is to get a trainer. Between now and then, you need to drop a significant amount of fat. Take the next 20 weeks to get yourself to around 10% fat.

If you do that nice and slow, you probably don't even need a trainer. HOWEVER, for the last 16 weeks you would benefit imensely from having a trainer. Going from 15% fat or so to 10% is easy. BUT going from 10 down to about 5 will take some attention to detail if you don't want to look like Tom Hanks from the movie cast away!

You also need to learn how to pose. I've seen some impressive physiques place low because they couldn't show it. Also posing brings out even more condition and developes an incredible mind/muscle connection (at least it did for me). It is never too early to start practicing either. you'll see first timers out there shaking and sweating and dripping with Dream Tan so bad they look like theyre bleeding!!!! Don't be that guy. Color, posing suits, what to expect the day of the show, peak weak.... you need help with all this shite.

Good luck bro but definitely get in striking distance and come back. You're close as hell so don't give up.

Unholy · Jan 23, 2009

Thank you for your help. I am thinking of hiring Phil.

Designbuilt · Jan 23, 2009

Unholy said:
Thank you for your help. I am thinking of hiring Phil.

Phil's a good choice, because his routine is nice and short and his diet/training is geared towards gaining lean weight and leaning out simultaneously

I think this is the most practical since, the overtraining long/marathon sessions are not an issue and being a natural it is so easy to overtrain.

Besides once you see nice consistent changes in body composition, you will be encouraged to keep going.

As far as someone who focuses only on contest prep, I would add more size before doing an all out hard core dry out diet.

Trust me, you will lose a lot of weight when you go on one and may even end up a bit discouraged if you do it too soon, (before you build up a good amount of muscle to show under the fat)

Marshal-1 · Jan 23, 2009

If you are sporting 179 LBM at 14% and are going in natural there is no way you are going to be shredded at 185. Not many natural guys can get in the 5-6% BF range without dropping some muscle to get there not to mention the water weight drop. I would not focus on weight just worry about conditioning but I would bet you end up in the low 170's. Other suggestion is pose, pose and pose some more. I promise you this will be much more challenging and difficult than you are planning on. Good luck and keep us posted.

jay_dub · Jan 23, 2009

It's cool to see you still plan on competing after seeing your transformation over on WBB for those couple years before you were banned.

You'll learn 100x more here than you ever did there. Good luck, I'll be watching for updates.

Unholy · Jan 24, 2009

Thank you all for the helpful advice. I am going to eat around maintenance and cycle my carbs. I will hire Phil as soon as I can spare the funds.

Unholy · Jan 24, 2009

Marshal-1 said:
If you are sporting 179 LBM at 14% and are going in natural there is no way you are going to be shredded at 185. Not many natural guys can get in the 5-6% BF range without dropping some muscle to get there not to mention the water weight drop. I would not focus on weight just worry about conditioning but I would bet you end up in the low 170's. Other suggestion is pose, pose and pose some more. I promise you this will be much more challenging and difficult than you are planning on. Good luck and keep us posted.

Thank you for the input. I know you are an experienced competitor so I will take your word for it. One thing though. I'm not 20 weeks out so I have a little time to add some LBM. I do realize that most people grossly overestimate the stage weight they think they will be.