So you want to be a Bodybuilder?

Peter Chown

This man knows what it takes to succeed. If your thinking of taking your training to the next level and getting on stage, read this!

So you want to be a competitive bodybuilder?

So, you’ve been flicking through the bodybuilding magazines and seen the big guy in the gym that competes and thought yeah I want to be a competitive bodybuilder. Fantastic! It is a great sport that can be very rewarding, healthy and educational and also gets you a look that the hot girls love. But have you got what it takes to live the bodybuilding lifestyle? It isn’t easy. I have many people that come up to me and say ‘I fancy giving a competition a go’ etc... But a lot of the time these people haven’t really thought it through! So I am going to go over a few things to consider and give you a little insight to the lovely world of competitive bodybuilding!

Natural or Non-Natural

Right the reality is that drug use is rife in bodybuilding as it is in most sports. But bodybuilding is unique in that you kind of have a choice. You have natural competitions which are drug free where you are urine tested and polygraphed. You also have non tested shows that you have no drug testing so you may be competing against non-natural competitors. Decide what route you want to take. But I’m guessing you are all healthy people and wouldn’t consider the drug route at all, and as I am a lifetime natural bodybuilder this article will be aimed at potential natural competitors.

Dedication

Ok, think carefully, have you really got the dedication for this sport? Bodybuilding isn’t a sport that you just play at and pop to the gym a couple of times a week then show up on stage and look amazing. It takes a lot of effort and sacrifices, it is a lifestyle. Can you dedicate yourself to the sport 24 hours a day? That is what you will be doing if you want to compete. You have your off season where you make the big gains, but you will have to be 100% with your nutrition and training. Taking your supplements at the right time of the day and be consistent with everything. That is the key, CONSISTENCY! Once dieting for a competition you are full on every day, training, super strict diet, lots of cardio for weeks on end. Can you deal with it?

Nutrition

Dieting for a competition isn’t just eating clean and getting a bit lean. It is counting every calorie you consume, then counting the grams of protein, carbs and fat. Cutting out all junk and alcohol, maybe the odd cheat meal to give the metabolism a boost. Can you stick to eating chicken 2-3 times a day for months, protein shakes, oats etc.? You will get massive cravings the more you get into the diet and will have to resist the temptation. If you have a partner and they want to go out for a meal can you say no?

Environment

Try out some gyms and see what type of gym enviroment you like. You have the hardcore bodybuilding type gym or the commercial gym you find in a lot of busy towns. Personally, I prefer the hardcore gym. You get a great atmosphere, great bunch of people and can be treated more like a human being by the owners rather than a number that bulks up the gym membership. Also the range of equipment can be vast and you will never run out of weight as you will find plenty!! (Usually lying around on the floor mind.)

The commercial gym can be great but you won’t get that hardcore atmosphere. They aren’t always as friendly as people just train then go home. The equipment can be very limited as the gyms are sometimes just laid out to look good rather than to be functional. Also they can be seriously lacking in weight, usually to keep out the bodybuilders as they are bad for gyms right? But some can be pretty good and when I can’t get to Muscle Limits I use a Fitness First where I work as a Personal Trainer as these can sometimes have a decent amount of weight and have a good range of Hammer Strength equipment.

Muscle Limit Gym

My second home, the place where I can hang up all my worries at the door and always have a smile on my face! This place I totally adore and where I have trained for over thirteen years. It is packed with all the best equipment, more weight than you can imagine and a fantastic atmosphere. It is the friendliest gym I’ve ever been to and Clayton the owner has always made me feel very welcome. It’s also somewhere I worked for a few years to earn some extra money while I was in my previous job. This place just has some magic about it, don’t know what but to me it is a very special place. I’ve won most of my shows while training here, seen some of the top bodybuilders in the world train here, I love it! After this shameless plug I also expect a free meal next time I train there!

Peter in Action

Inspiration

Ok if you are going to compete look out for someone that inspires you whether natural or not. I’m a lifetime natural but always took inspiration from some of the top IFBB pro’s. When I started out I looked up to Rich Gaspari and Gary Strydom, two top pros form the 80’s and 90’s. Look in the bodybuilding magazines to see who you can relate too. If you end up looking in a fitness mag and see a thin person with abs and think that is awesome then reconsider your goals as a competitive bodybuilder. They can look great but not on stage!

Focus

Right if you are going to do this then pick a competition to compete in and then think that 3-4 months before it you will live for the show. You will be living and breathing bodybuilding competition prep. Get used to carrying that cool bag with all your food and supplements around and keep that focus, never taking your eye off the prize. You are doing this because you want to win not to just take part. It’s all about Focus!!!

Leading Up To The Big Day!!!

Ok you are dieting like mad, feeling like crap the last few weeks but you are looking great. You are low on energy you have to be even more focused. It is also time to start that posing practice as it’s no good looking great if you can’t pose! Many a person has got on stage with potentially a great physique and then not even got noticed as they can’t show there body off! So practice practice and do more practice. Order your fake tan early, yep it’s got to be done as you don’t want to look like Casper on stage! And don’t forget the skimpy posing trunks! Now these feel weird at first but soon you get used to them. The last couple of weeks I find are the hardest as you are feeling like crap, low on energy, sick of dieting and training and start to think that this is the worst decision you’ve ever made to compete! Plus you have loads to do with prep and organizing the trip to the show. Many a time I’ve told my close friends that if I say I am going to compete again then just shoot me! But I never learn and always do it again.

Competition Day

All the hard work is done now and you can’t do any more just a few little bits of prep. It’s time to relax and leave it to the judges to decide if they like you. They will judge you on condition, size, symmetry and shape. Also your posing ability. Of course you can’t be a great poser and expect to win as it is still down to the physique but the better you show it off the more you will be noticed by the judges! But the most important thing is to enjoy the day. It is all about winning in my eyes but if you don’t, then be a good loser. Nothing is worse than seeing a bad sport. I’ve seen a few tantrums on stage and they look pathetic. You can’t win all the time, but keep plugging away and your time will come. If you win on the first attempt, then you may just have a gift for the sport and you will be hooked!

About the Author

Pete is a natural bodybuilding champ and always worth listening to. 2006 INBA Natural Mr Universe and 2005 INBF World Heavyweight Champ – and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He is huge, muscular, ripped and strong and does not inject steroids into his ass, his arm or his eyeballs. He just works damn hard and eats right. He will not get all fancy and technical; he is just here to tell us what to do and how to do it. He knows what works. We like this.

More from the Author

Mentally Challenged
Peter Chown on Leg Training