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Jens, for me i did my first show without a trainer, had my sister-in-law help me out, but she lives in Boston. I didn't want to pay all kinds of money and wasn't sure if competing was something I liked. Many times I wish I had someone next to me, because it was extremely hard doing it by myself.
Anyway after this competition I will be working with a trainer because I want to take my body to the level next, and I'm determined to blow them away next year. Don't think I can do that by myself. He's also going to be helping me with the last week of prep this time around.
Anyway after this competition I will be working with a trainer because I want to take my body to the level next, and I'm determined to blow them away next year. Don't think I can do that by myself. He's also going to be helping me with the last week of prep this time around.
Foxy Cleopatra
New member
jenscats5 said:
Hi Jenscats!!
I am new to this board--but not contest prep--so I'd love to offer you my 0.02 (although due to inflation it might be worth 0.005 now
)Anyway, there are more good things that he said about what he could do for you than bad. Ultimately it comes down to "does he give you the willies or not"
. But the fact that he is not pushing supplements is a major PLUS for him. He is confident that he can get you to contest weight (AND shape-very important) without the use of suppies which means he knows how to manipulate food and probably has a good nutrition knowledge base. It also means the diet that he gives you will be more specific to you b/c it will only be YOU that makes it "work"--not some magic concoction. I don't if I made sense saying that 
.Also, his fee is more than reasonable and is about what the going rate is. Anything more and you need to have more big names behind you. That means he's not "all about the money" but is more likely just making a living like all the rest of us.
You want someone to diet you down for a show not because you don't know how, but because that's the last thing you need to be worrying about when a show is coming. Four weeks out from show you will realize that you are about as objective as a chocaholic on a tour in Willy Wonka's Factory! You need another eyeball whose main priority is to see you succeed! You will think you're fat, you're not losing fast enough, you need bigger shoulders, you need to drop the small farm animal off of your backside, and etc.! His job is to smack some sense into you--ok, maybe a little beyond what you are paying him for, but close enough.
If you can, talk to someone who worked with him...but if you don't have that as a resource...go with that little voice inside you...
J
jenscats5
Guest
Miss24k said:
$40 every time I see him (Month 1 = 1x; Months 2-3 = every 2 weeks, last month = 1x per week) + $15 for the posing classes
J
jenscats5
Guest
Roonytunes said:
I am in DE, yes -- but I know myself & I wouldn't go if I had to drive to PA...
Sassy69
New member
Hey girl - it sounds like he gave you the basic evaluation you are going to get from anyone seeing you for the first time. He's giving you the guideline for the typical competitor w/ your height. If you are not already lean, you are just goign to have to go thru that whole body transformation. I've done this before & I still had to go thru the same thing. As a result of 3 months of dieting and doign a show, technicallly, only NOW can I say I'm in a good place to START prepping for a figure show. Because you don't have a good handle and a documented experience with how your body reacts to diets, training, cardio, holding water, etc. you have to do all that. If the guy has successfully gotten competitors to national / pro winning level, he must know something. He can't promise anything because there are so many variables and ultimately it depends on you and the whole process. But he can give guidance that can be tweaked & adjusted along the way. If you only see him physically 1x / month, you can do things like - have him show you the poses, then you can take pix on a weekly basis & send them to him so he can see your progress in the positions that the judges will be observing you - because the only important thing you need to do is (well, yes you need to be able to walk in the big shoes) look perfect in the poses they ask you to do. You can look like crap back stage, but those poses are how the judges look at you for critique. (Like matty says "... its all about the quarter turn to the right, beeyotch")
As far as the "thick skin" -- yep that's what you have when you arent' competition lean. You can continue to keep your skin moisturized at all times to help keep it supple (also helps when u get to protan time) but you just need to keep the bodyfat loss goign to thin out your skin. Then at contest time you can pull some of the subcutaneous water out w/ the water depletion, natural diuretics like taraxatone, etc. and also with the carb up - which will help pull out any water it can find in yoru body and use it to hold the carbs and fill out your muscles some more.
BTW -- not all the girls at my show were juiced. Plenty of natty girls. But like I continue to say - you either do a show or you dont'. It is particuarly hard when its your first time and the rigor of the diet & training is a shock cuz its new and also the stress of waiting to see the results. But you have to keep in mind that you don't live & die by this show. Don't let your success or progress in going after this show define who you are goign forward, cuz there are always levels of improvement going on. Esp for your first show, you want the experience and you want to be the best you can be for THAT show (because you are on a limited time table doing a whole new experiment). A good trainer will give you tweaks to the diet & training along the way. He should be fairly candid about what you need to reshape for the show, but also realize that there is a reasonable level of leanness that you need to sort of just play the game. Dont' get hung up on the weight numbers he says because in figure weight is irrelevant - the classes are based on height. But what matters is your tightness, proportion and general symmetry on stage. And just remember that you are there to have fun with it. I've done 2 shows very seriously and they were just a lot of work and frustration. The show you guys came to, I took for what it was worth and never had so much fun in my life. You should grow from teh experience and learn so you can use that knowledge to improve your life post show.
*steps off soap box*
I think this guy is probably worth the money -- competition is not somethign you can easily set a budget for and expect to get off cheap. Because it is a full-on life-learning experience that affects your daily life, emotions, etc. really down to the core. If you have a guy who has experience you can draw from, is easy to talk to and will give you useful advice, go for it. I think you will also discover there is VERY LITTLE to be modest about durign this process so it is even more critical to comfortable w/ this guy. At teh end of it, the worst you do is learn what you DONT want to do
As far as the "thick skin" -- yep that's what you have when you arent' competition lean. You can continue to keep your skin moisturized at all times to help keep it supple (also helps when u get to protan time) but you just need to keep the bodyfat loss goign to thin out your skin. Then at contest time you can pull some of the subcutaneous water out w/ the water depletion, natural diuretics like taraxatone, etc. and also with the carb up - which will help pull out any water it can find in yoru body and use it to hold the carbs and fill out your muscles some more.
BTW -- not all the girls at my show were juiced. Plenty of natty girls. But like I continue to say - you either do a show or you dont'. It is particuarly hard when its your first time and the rigor of the diet & training is a shock cuz its new and also the stress of waiting to see the results. But you have to keep in mind that you don't live & die by this show. Don't let your success or progress in going after this show define who you are goign forward, cuz there are always levels of improvement going on. Esp for your first show, you want the experience and you want to be the best you can be for THAT show (because you are on a limited time table doing a whole new experiment). A good trainer will give you tweaks to the diet & training along the way. He should be fairly candid about what you need to reshape for the show, but also realize that there is a reasonable level of leanness that you need to sort of just play the game. Dont' get hung up on the weight numbers he says because in figure weight is irrelevant - the classes are based on height. But what matters is your tightness, proportion and general symmetry on stage. And just remember that you are there to have fun with it. I've done 2 shows very seriously and they were just a lot of work and frustration. The show you guys came to, I took for what it was worth and never had so much fun in my life. You should grow from teh experience and learn so you can use that knowledge to improve your life post show.
*steps off soap box*
I think this guy is probably worth the money -- competition is not somethign you can easily set a budget for and expect to get off cheap. Because it is a full-on life-learning experience that affects your daily life, emotions, etc. really down to the core. If you have a guy who has experience you can draw from, is easy to talk to and will give you useful advice, go for it. I think you will also discover there is VERY LITTLE to be modest about durign this process so it is even more critical to comfortable w/ this guy. At teh end of it, the worst you do is learn what you DONT want to do
J
jenscats5
Guest
Foxy Cleopatra said:Hi Jenscats!! Hey girl!!
I am new to this board--but not contest prep--so I'd love to offer you my 0.02 (although due to inflation it might be worth 0.005 now
Anyway, there are more good things that he said about what he could do for you than bad. Ultimately it comes down to "does he give you the willies or not"
Also, his fee is more than reasonable and is about what the going rate is. Anything more and you need to have more big names behind you. That means he's not "all about the money" but is more likely just making a living like all the rest of us. I was wondering about this part.....
You want someone to diet you down for a show not because you don't know how, but because that's the last thing you need to be worrying about when a show is coming. Four weeks out from show you will realize that you are about as objective as a chocaholic on a tour in Willy Wonka's Factory! You need another eyeball whose main priority is to see you succeed! You will think you're fat, you're not losing fast enough, you need bigger shoulders, you need to drop the small farm animal off of your backside, and etc.! His job is to smack some sense into you--ok, maybe a little beyond what you are paying him for, but close enough. Good points all!! And I since I'm not experience or even know anything about competing I think a "pro" would be more helpful to me. I just don't think I could do it on my own.
If you can, talk to someone who worked with him...but if you don't have that as a resource...go with that little voice inside you...
Good tips -- my responses in bold!! Thank you SO much for the advice....You & everyone else!!
I am SO FREAKING indecisive when it comes to doing anything....
Sassy69 said:Hey girl - it sounds like he gave you the basic evaluation you are going to get from anyone seeing you for the first time. He's giving you the guideline for the typical competitor w/ your height. If you are not already lean, you are just goign to have to go thru that whole body transformation. I've done this before & I still had to go thru the same thing. As a result of 3 months of dieting and doign a show, technicallly, only NOW can I say I'm in a good place to START prepping for a figure show. Because you don't have a good handle and a documented experience with how your body reacts to diets, training, cardio, holding water, etc. you have to do all that. If the guy has successfully gotten competitors to national / pro winning level, he must know something. He can't promise anything because there are so many variables and ultimately it depends on you and the whole process. But he can give guidance that can be tweaked & adjusted along the way. If you only see him physically 1x / month, you can do things like - have him show you the poses, then you can take pix on a weekly basis & send them to him so he can see your progress in the positions that the judges will be observing you - because the only important thing you need to do is (well, yes you need to be able to walk in the big shoes) look perfect in the poses they ask you to do. You can look like crap back stage, but those poses are how the judges look at you for critique. (Like matty says "... its all about the quarter turn to the right, beeyotch")
As far as the "thick skin" -- yep that's what you have when you arent' competition lean. You can continue to keep your skin moisturized at all times to help keep it supple (also helps when u get to protan time) but you just need to keep the bodyfat loss goign to thin out your skin. Then at contest time you can pull some of the subcutaneous water out w/ the water depletion, natural diuretics like taraxatone, etc. and also with the carb up - which will help pull out any water it can find in yoru body and use it to hold the carbs and fill out your muscles some more.
BTW -- not all the girls at my show were juiced. Plenty of natty girls. But like I continue to say - you either do a show or you dont'. It is particuarly hard when its your first time and the rigor of the diet & training is a shock cuz its new and also the stress of waiting to see the results. But you have to keep in mind that you don't live & die by this show. Don't let your success or progress in going after this show define who you are goign forward, cuz there are always levels of improvement going on. Esp for your first show, you want the experience and you want to be the best you can be for THAT show (because you are on a limited time table doing a whole new experiment). A good trainer will give you tweaks to the diet & training along the way. He should be fairly candid about what you need to reshape for the show, but also realize that there is a reasonable level of leanness that you need to sort of just play the game. Dont' get hung up on the weight numbers he says because in figure weight is irrelevant - the classes are based on height. But what matters is your tightness, proportion and general symmetry on stage. And just remember that you are there to have fun with it. I've done 2 shows very seriously and they were just a lot of work and frustration. The show you guys came to, I took for what it was worth and never had so much fun in my life. You should grow from teh experience and learn so you can use that knowledge to improve your life post show.
*steps off soap box*
I think this guy is probably worth the money -- competition is not somethign you can easily set a budget for and expect to get off cheap. Because it is a full-on life-learning experience that affects your daily life, emotions, etc. really down to the core. If you have a guy who has experience you can draw from, is easy to talk to and will give you useful advice, go for it. I think you will also discover there is VERY LITTLE to be modest about durign this process so it is even more critical to comfortable w/ this guy. At teh end of it, the worst you do is learn what you DONT want to do
Well said Miss sassy pants.... this is just 1 of the reasons I love this HAWT mama so much
