Contest prep. game plan - please critique

[SteelWeaver]

OK, I need to lay this all out, clear and simple, right up to the day of my comp. Since I've never done this before, and don't have a trainer, and am obsessive-compulsive about getting it just right, I would REALLY appreciate as much detailed input as possible from those who've done it before. Please? Even if you just notice one or two things you wouldn't do (or would).

Comp. is May 26, all natural, novice comp, rather small and local.

I've read about 1000 posts from the archives, but didn't find anything laying it all out (why do the archives only go back to April 2001?)

Now - 17 weeks out, 166 lbs, 5'11, bf currently unknown, but maybe 18-19% - will check this weekend. Goal is: as low as possible - I'll be happy with anything under 10%. Current diet 40/40/20, 2000 cals. Appears to be working quite well.

From 16 wks out:
Check bf%, evaluate effectiveness of diet in relation to this, adjust cals (ratios??) accordingly.
Add in 2-3 HIIT sessions per week (on empty stomach?), 20 - 30 mins duration.

From 12 weeks out:
Start tanning 2-3 x per wk.
Start posing every day for ??? 30 mins???
Poss. supplement: ALA (any point in using this?)

From 10 wks out:
Add in one or 2 FTITM mod. cardio sessions, 60 mins, depending on diet progress.
Add in NYC or ECA stack, depending on diet progress.
Lower or start cycling carbs.

From 8 wks out:
Start panicking like crazy!
Order posing suit?? (it has to come from USA - don't know how long it will take)
Increase posing time?
Add in Yohimburn, depending on diet/cardio progress.

From 3 wks out:
Test run final week's carb depletion and load

From 2 weeks out:
Drop Yohimburn/NYC or ECA if using
Figure out what to do with long, straight hair.

7 days out: carbs ???g 160?
6 days out: carbs ???g 75?
5 days out: carbs ???g 0?
4 days out: carbs ???g 30? Final weight training session ???
3 days out: carbs ???g 75? cut water?
2 days out: carbs ???g 160? cut water?
1 days out: carbs ???g ???? cut water?
0 days out: breakfast = waffles & syrup? sweet potatoes?
Relax, smile, pose like heaven-sent and TAKE HOME THE TROPHY!!!!

As you can see, I'm not so clear on the final weeks's diet, and know zero about mineral manipulation, or whether water depletion or over (super?) hydration is the way to go.

Weight train as hard and heavy as possible throughout, but alternating heavy and light days.

The "evening show" isn't evening as such - it's late afternoon - don't ask - I don't know - another of the JFFB's odd rules. So there will really only be a few hours between the muscularity and posing rounds. Anything I should know about that?

Anyway - I know this is long, and I post some other annoying Q's on the boards a lot, but I really did read - I need help personalising.

 

[new@gettinbig]

You do not need to do HIIT training 17 weeks out...save that for the weeks closer to your show...you dont want to do all kinds of cardio to begin w/. Diet will begin to bring you down..then add more cardio. 60 minutes in the AM on an empty stomach..and then 2 weeks out add a night session..depending on how you are doing. I would order my suits a little sooner..depending on who does them for you, they may have a cut off date in order to have your suits ready..and you just dont want to be stuck last minute and have more unwanted stress. Keep your water intake at 1-1.5 gallons a day. Start posing early as you said...this will get you harder and your stage presence is EVERYTHING...do you have someone to help you w/ posing and a routine? 6-8 weeks out make all your appts for hair, nails, makeup and so on...try out a few self-tanners and see which one you like, try to find someone to help you apply it before hand...will keep you from stressin about your color. Your color is VERY important. Take off work a day or 2 before hand as well.

The week before a show is a crazy one...try to plan and be organized. Everyone does something a little different as far as how they eat..cut water etc...I loaded up my water mon-wed drinking 2 gallons a day. then on thursday went to 1 gallon and friday a 1/2 gallon and then sat was just sip. I sodium laoded mon-wed..then just kept sodium normal till friday and cut it out. I cut out veggies on wednesday. I carb loaded on wed, and thurs..and also just carb loaded on thursday..both had great results...then a little bit before my show I would eat a pb, honey and protien powder mix..i ate pancakes and syrup between pre-judging..you have to see how your body reacts..certain foods will make you really look full and vascular. These are things that worked well for me...goodluck to you

 

[SteelWeaver]

Thanks new@! Mm, the cardio thing - I read so much about this I started seeing double - there seems to be controversy between HIIT and long slow workouts. Anyway - OK, I'll save these for from 12 weeks out?

For the suit, I was thinking of using the place sassy suggested on another thread, since they're the only one that asked current weight, and expected comp. weight. I haven't checked how long they'll take yet, but I'm pretty certain an emergency would be a BIG problem here - getting a suit that fits on short notice would be difficult. Will check into that.

I think my gym owner will help with the routine - and he knows the poses, since he's a judge at most of the Tokyo comps. Although, I'm starting to wonder if he doesn't just sleep through most of them. ... I've got some videos, too.

Nails have to be done? Mine are really short. Do they look at that kind of stuff? Even in a novice show?

OK, self-tanner - test at 8 weeks out. Oh, I will be taking a day or two off work.

Um, are all the shows in the US on Saturdays? This show is a Sunday, and, OK, you're probably not going to believe this, but the rules are - no make-up, no jewellery, no adornment of any kind, no glasses (damn, will have to get contacts - this is a ridiculously expensive sport). And I already told you they don't allow Pro-tan or Jan-tana style comp. colour, or oil. I find this difficult to believe myself, but I saw it with my own eyes at 3 different comps. last year. It's just Tokyo though, and only the JBBF that does this - the JPC in Osaka follow the same guidelines as the NPC, I think.

What kind of carb number do you aim at for carb-loading? Did you test-run it?

When practising posing, how long should one hold each pose?

Thanks for the help. Anyone else? Sassy? MS? Brickgirl? Anyone else who's done this?

 

[new@gettinbig]

Nails just look nice...a polished look. You can not wear any tan color??? I know at some shows you are not allowed to apply it at the location but you should be able to use it at home etc. Women are usually able to wear makeup..just no jewlery etc...I would really look into that stuff and get a copy of the rules etc. HIIT training is good..but dont use a bunch of cardio stuff in the begining...your body will get used to doing that way to early in your dieting. Make sure you get someone who knows what they are doing when it comes to posing...your stage presence is EVERYTHING and it can make or break you. WHen you pose hold each pose for 30-60 seconds...this will continue to make you harder and harder...its a workout!!!! When I carb load I get in about 100-150 grams of carbs...it varies... I would test it out a few times and see what works for you. You have plenty of time to get all of this stuff organized and ready to go...you are planning early and this is good..you will be fine! Read the boards and pm me if you have more questions

 

[Sassy69]

I'm still kind of lost on the self-tan stuff - i've only used protan - i have to work long & hard in a tanning booth to get a decent base because I"m so light. I guess play w/ those self tanners - I think you can search on "self tanners" or "tanning pills" or something to find some brands or some you can get on the net.

My saving grace was some red wine I put in a water bottle for pre-show. I sipped at it a little to help ease the nerves and its supposed to help a little vascularity -- but let's get some feed back from some of the girls on this. You don't want to be half in the bag when u get on stage -- but it does help to loosen you up if you have stage fright of any sort.

Between the prejudge & the night show -- well late afternoon show -- for my last show I was told to go pound some cheeseburgers & fries, but no water. Maybe a little iced tea or diet coke -- a bit of a diuretic. A better option might be a small hunk of steak and a potatoe -- but there's some fat in there, some protein, some carb and some salt. Skip the cheese - I was so dairy intolerant by the day of the show, it just got me sort of bound up... this is NOT a good thing. But again, I'd like to see some feedback from the girls or anyone w/ some contest experience - once the pre-judge is done, the decisions have usually already been made, but its nice to get some extra food afterwards and then look killer at the night show. But also because you have fewer hours between prejudge and night.

I"m not sure which is the better feeling - when you are on stage hitting your poses or the minute you get OFF the stage and the hard part is over....!

 

[SteelWeaver]

Thanks ladies! I heard about red wine somewhere - probably here! Probably Fennec's threads.

Bump for any other women with comp. experience - you don't even have to critique - just say what worked for you ...