setting up your prep
You want to step on stage but your mates have told you prep is hard and they are right it is but… there are some things we can do to make it easier. you want to be in a good spot to begin with and then you can build from there.
Start working with a coach in off season - This is the biggest difference when seeing how well a client does is when they start working with me, when a client comes to me at the start of a prep or half way through a prep its like I’m learning on the job sometimes, I have to learn how to manage that individual, what they might struggle with, what they need help with, how they like things to be explained etc as well as learning how their body reacts to food, all of this yes you will find similarities person to person but you will also find differences and to get the most out of a client its about coaching that person as an individual and learning them and their body to really create a show winning physique.
Learn your posing before you start prep - Posing is hard and for some people its the hardest thing in the whole process, if you can learn early as soon as you know you want to compete that takes some pressure off when your then in prep, yes you will still need to refine and practice but if you have the basics mastered it takes a lot of stress away from you and gives you time to focus that energy into other elements of prep. I often find one of the hardest things in prep is time management so if you only need to do 20mins posing a day instead of an hour because you know your routines then it does make it a lot easier.
Build up your calories - this goes hand in hand with doing an off season with a coach before prep but the more you can build up your food in an off season the easier prep becomes, for 2 reasons, firstly because your starting from a higher set point of food therefore you have more to pull from and calories wont need to go as low but also because if you push food up high in off season you will kill your appetite and not want to eat at all, then when you start prep the first 10 weeks at least I tend to find clients just aren’t hungry so it makes that element of prep much much easier.
Build enough muscle mass - do a structured off season - to compete its not just about getting lean its also about having the muscle mass there too, and having the muscle in the right places you need to have a balanced level of muscle across the body (for all classes bar wellness) so you could have a really muscular upper body but if your legs are lacking it will cost you placings on stage, your only as strong as your weakest body part so having a structured off season with a coach wont only help build muscle in the right places but also grow you quicker and more efficiently too, sometimes its a lot of push and pull, I have had clients where we have trained the delta got too overpowering so we went back pulled some delt volume upped the leg volume got it inline then added more delta back in, its all about creating balance and illusion in the physique and a good eye is key to that.
Give yourself time - don’t start prep thinking you only need e.g 14 weeks get ill half way through lose a week in bed and be chasing your tail come the end doing tons of cardio eating nothing and still not be in condition on stage with sky high cortisol levels. instead assess how long you think you need add 2 weeks and get ready early pull cardio 1-2 weeks out minimum feed into the show get on stage looking and feeling fresh in condition and nice and full bubbly muscle most clients I work with run around 20 week preps we give ourselves time and come in looking good. not over dieted, not out of shape and not looking like a string bean!
Know how much you need to pull off - the ties in with the above but you should know roughly how much you need to pull off you can then work backwards and set a weekly estimated rate of loss that will work for you as an individual. some clients can easily drop 1kg per week others 0.5kg a week is where their body likes to drop comfortably we assess this with previous dieting phases and know then the rough time we will need.
e.g.- a client is 60kg in off season I know her stage weight is around 50kg therefore she needs to pull off 10kg in her prep, her rate of loss when doing previous diet phases is 0.5kg a week so we know she needs 20 weeks to drop 10kg then we add 2 weeks as a buffer so we have a 22 week prep. the calculations will never be perfect you could get to 58kg and decide they look spot on there and hold the client at that weight or you might get to 50kg and think they need more off, and equally weight is just a guide and really we want to be relying on the look especially when you have a client using anabolics as this can make the weight go up but visually the client is leaner and more muscular. But essentially having an idea of weight and predicted weight loss gives a really good guide when setting up a prep.
Have your finances in a good place - competing is expensive and there will always be something you haven’t thought about yet make sure you save up your money throughout off season so when prep comes your in a good position to pay for it and not missing out or having to cut corners. there are ways to save money for example I did my own make up which did save me money in the long run but I still had to buy the products like darker foundation, contour and concealer and lashes I wouldn’t normally use and although a one time purchase it does still add up.
Have your mental health in check - prep can play with your hormones and therefore mentally leave you a little wobbly, make sure you in a good place to start prep and equally have strategies in place with how to deal with stress and mental health wobbles that you know work for you.
Have a good support system around you - not everyone you spend time with will understand this whole bodybuilding thing, I have competed for 6 years now and so does my sister and my dad will still ask if I fancy a Chinese when im on prep! I will never get annoyed or angry with him for not understanding but I will explain to him, so he can support me in the ways he can. explain to your loved ones why you are doing a prep and little ways they can support you and what to expect, also explain that this is just a short period of time you will be lean for and you will enjoy cake with them again when off season comes. for most people this will be enough and they will then be able to support you but if there are people who are extremely unsupportive or nasty when you are on prep I would consider why they are part of your life regardless.
Have a clear run of time - don’t book multiple all inclusive holidays and festivals when your in prep unless you know you are someone who can stick on plan and train in these times give yourself the best chance by giving yourself a clear run and good routine to get everything done especially in the last 10 weeks when time is tight.
