You think you're serious? You think you're ready? Preparing for a contest is by far the most grueling and difficult part of bodybuilding and other physique contests. I have competed for a decade. I attend many of the NANBF and NPC shows. I have written for several bodybuilding magazines/websites, and I've coached over a dozen clients, three of which have pro card wins and pro titles in the last two years alone. Not that I'm trying to impress you with my iron-game resume, but if you know you're not actualizing your potential to win, then take notes...this is what I do best. My intent here is to give you a precontest strategy to put you over the top. Your appearance on stage is dominated by your condition, of course, but it's not the only consideration. Clients hire me to design and monitor their nutrition and posing, but I often dole out tips on tanning and suits as they start emailing me pictures. Ask any judge why you placed a little lower than you thought and they'll always bring up posing flaws in the same conversation as condition. I've seen so many people lose a close call to a competitor they should have beaten just because they can't show the judges how good they really look. Let me say that I'm not the only person in the world that prepares competitors for battle, but when the stakes are high, chose well. Having someone lend a qualified, objective eye will be a distinct advantage. I personally take every client's goals very seriously and consider it my job to make sure they couldn't be any better then when they walk on the stage. I don't just design a program; I monitor the progress weekly, and sometimes daily, to make adjustments when necessary. Whoever you chose to help you prepare for a contest, make sure they take your goals as seriously as you do and are qualified to take you to that level. One of my pro clients made a similar comment to me last week:
"Without you, I could not have performed to my highest potential, and I am ready to take center stage in May." Winning takes great effort; there are a lot of people out there who want the same title you do. You have to want it more and you have to know how to win!
