How do you plan your show year?

OldManLogan · Dec 31, 2025

I searched before I be posted, I promise.

Just super curious, since we’re all different as bodybuilders when it comes to our goals, levels of experience and approaches, what we enjoy specifically from the sport, etc-

What / how do you plan and structure your shows/ contests, prep length, training and schedule from a yearly/ long term standpoint?

Do you pick a show date target and reverse plan? How long do you like your off season? Do you enjoy putting all the effort into a single show, or do you do multiples ones through out the year? Are you an amateur or pro, and what are your goals- personal fulfillment? Self improvement? Loving the challenge? Going for the pro card? How long do you usually do contest prep?
Anyway, I was hoping to hear some great shared experiences from the folks in here who love the sport, and get to know each other a bit better.

TheOtherOne55 · Dec 31, 2025

Reverse plan man. Not that difficult. That’s what 100% of people do. There won’t be any diff answers than that, don’t over complicate this lol.

also, this thread is active riiight now and talking about how one structures the year…
https://www.professionalmuscle.com/...ason-and-offseason-to-prep-transition.189017/

OldManLogan · Dec 31, 2025

TheOtherOne55 said:
Reverse plan man. Not that difficult. That’s what 100% of people do. There won’t be any diff answers than that, don’t over complicate this lol.

also, this thread is active riiight now and talking about how one structures the year…
https://www.professionalmuscle.com/...ason-and-offseason-to-prep-transition.189017/

Perfect! Can we remove this thread since it’s basically a duplicate?

Thebiggestdumbass · Dec 31, 2025

Pick a show where the last 4-6 weeks of prep the only thing I have to focus on is bodybuilding

OldManLogan · Dec 31, 2025

For the record, I was asking more along the lines of- do any of you do multipkshiws a year? If so- do you line them up in a row, close to each other? Do you spread them out?
Again everyone is different and have different goals and approaches, even if the basic formula is the same (offseason, grow- otro, compete). that was kind of where I was going with this. An amateur might want to have lots of stage time as a priority versus growth, say. That kinda thing.

b-boy · Dec 31, 2025

OldManLogan said:
For the record, I was asking more along the lines of- do any of you do multipkshiws a year? If so- do you line them up in a row, close to each other? Do you spread them out?
Again everyone is different and have different goals and approaches, even if the basic formula is the same (offseason, grow- otro, compete). that was kind of where I was going with this. An amateur might want to have lots of stage time as a priority versus growth, say. That kinda thing.

If muscle mass is lagging then ONE SHOW A YEAR, to maximize the time of putting on as much muscle tissue as possible, for you an older competitor then possibly two shows to work on the conditioning and Peaking process while providing adequate time to work on putting on a little muscle mass as well (just my opinion on what I would do)
My 2 cents worth ^^ LOL