Are you dreaming of stepping on stage to show off your award-worthy physique? The idea can be both alluring and intimidating. If a bikini competition is calling you it’s certainly a goal worth working for! But be warned that the costs, physical, mental and financial, are very high. Maybe you’re ready to plunge ahead, or perhaps you need to give it some time. Each bikini competition prep taught me some very valuable skills, so here are my tips to see if it’s right for you.
5 Bikini Competition Prep Must Haves
1: You have support from your inner circle
Let’s start with the number one most important factor: Your mom, spouse, best friend, or whoever you spend the most time with has to support your goal. Bikinin competition prep can add stress to even the strongest bonds so those that you’re closest with need to not only understand why you are spending hours in the gym, and perhaps more in the kitchen on meal prep day, but is equally excited to see you on stage. You will need people to vent to, to help pick out bikini fabric and stage jewellery, to talk you out of quitting when you’re having a bad day.
If you think the people in your inner circle aren’t interested in helping you step on stage, or worse, think it’s a bad idea, I can tell you that your prep is going to be harder than you can imagine.
If you don’t feel they are on board now, take some time to let them know why this is important to you, meet some other competitors, and express how much you will need their help in the coming weeks. A competitor needs her cheerleaders so make sure you get them involved from the get-go.
2: You have a strong understanding of fitness and diet
Your first week of bikini competition prep is not the time to finally nail the perfect deadlift. You should be well-versed in performing basic and some advanced exercises to make sure you can keep up with the demanding workouts your coach will be assigning you. Prep is physically demanding and time consuming, so make sure you’ve worked with a trainer before, or at least spent a few months in bootcamp to get up to speed.
Ditto for your nutrition knowledge: research macros, carb cycling and supplements so when the bikini competition prep officially starts, you can hit the ground running. Blog posts from our resident dietitian Alysha are a great place to start!
3: Your schedule is clear for at least three months
My first bikini competition prep reminded me a lot of my wedding plans, if I were getting married to myself. The two are actually very similar in terms of time commitment, stress and emotional rollercoasters: you’re basically a bridezilla without a groom. Had I tried to go through both events at the same time I may have had a complete meltdown. The same goes for major exams, buying a home, having kids and pretty much any other significant life event.
Fitness competitions happen almost around the calendar and they aren’t going away. Neither is your ability to compete: this is an all-ages sport. If you have another major commitment on the horizon that you can’t delay, keep up with your fitness but plan for a show a little further down the road.
4: You can afford it
Don’t underestimate the full cost of competing! I calculated my first show at about $5000 and I didn’t even splash out for a fully-blinged posing suit. Here are just a few expenses you’ll be shelling out for:
- Federation membership
- Entry fees
- Grooming including hair, make-up, tan, nails, waxing
- Bikini, shoes and jewelry
- Hotel room and travel
- Coaching and posing lessons
- Food and supplements
- Tickets for your spectators (yep, you’ll pay to watch and perform!)
There are ways to save, like only attending local shows, doing your own hair and make-up, buying an off-the-rack suit, but no matter what, this is not a cheap pastime. The one place competing will save you money is on alcohol and restaurant food: I completely cut those out of my life during prep, which thankfully saves a lot of dough!
On the other hand, if you’re scraping by to pay the rent and keep up with credit card payments, trying to do a competition on a shoestring budget will only add to your stress. If your plan is to compete in the next year or two, I’d suggest putting aside $20 a month to make sure you can comfortably finance your bikini competition prep. Splurging may not guarantee you a medal, but you’ll definitely improve your chances if you go for top quality coaching, food and your stage look. Read this post for a detailed breakdown of competition expenses and budgeting.
5: You have the mental and emotional strength (read: thick skin)
Standing on a stage, scantily dressed, in front of a large audience and literally being judged is not for the faint of heart. You may also be told by your coach that you’re not lean enough or need to work on developing weak areas. Being in a bikini competition prep mode can make you compare yourself to other competitors and make you wonder how you’ll measure up on the big day. If you really want to hear the hard truth you can even purchase the judges feedback in some federations.
Bikini competitions are a sport, yet your looks are more important than how fit you are. In my ideal world the top five contestants would battle for first place with an arm wrestle elimination round—c’mon that would be fun to watch!—but of course that is not how it works in reality. If you’re prone to eating disorders or poor body image, I would strongly suggest putting a competition dream on hold until you’re able to take criticism of your physical appearance in stride.
This is something I found really does come with age. Even though in my late 30’s I may not look as perky as my competition, I know I’m more than just the sum of my sculpted parts.
Think you’re ready? Then go for it!
If you’ve ticked all the above boxes, you might be well on your way to fitness stardom! You can read more about the process or Talk to one of our experienced competition coaches to get started right away. Your Body Beautiful team is always happy to help!
My passion is to empower women to always do their best. Christina Mary
