The Sunday News
Simon Gama
ALL champions started the same way as you. They were once underdeveloped and wanted to improve their bodies just like you do. Many of my students develop so well that they want to enter bodybuilding competitions. I hope you too improve so much that you could enter a competition. If you do there are some very special things you need to know about how to prepare yourself for competition and I want to tell you about them now.
The first thing you must realise is that not everyone can be a bodybuilding champion. The most important ingredients is dedication and that means paying close attention to nutrition and working out consistently and very hard.
However, you do need a certain amount of potential to win physique contests. If you want to enter a competition you should stand back and asses yourself. Do you have wide shoulders and fairly narrow hips or is it the other way round, blocky and wide waist? Do you have natural calf development or are your lower legs spindly? Do you tend to be naturally muscular?
All these things can help or hurt in your quest for championship status. If you are weak in these areas you may want to wait a little longer before preparing for a contest. If you however, want to start getting ready for a contest now here’s how.
If you have followed my course diligently and have come through my three-day a week basic programme my split system of training and my power and bulk training and have successfully constructed your own work outs with the cycle principles as their base you may consider beginning competition at a local level.
If you have been working out hard and following all my tenants of good nutrition you would already have constructed a solid base for a great physique. If you desire to enter competitions and have attended a couple of contests to see how they run then you will want to plan for a show about six months in advance.
The first thing you need to do is to access your structure and masculinity. Are you weak in any areas? Are you muscular and fairly defined right now? Are you carrying more than 10 pounds of extra fat? Are your muscles highly separated and invincible? Right now you need to accurately assess your body to know whether you need to diet hard to lose fat or to eat more to gain muscle size. Even in beginning competition today while you need good sized muscles you need to be very muscular shaped and defined to win.
Most of you will want to follow a special low fat moderate carbohydrate and high protein diet now. You should be drinking a lot of fresh water 12-16 glasses everyday up to 3 or 4 days before the show. You will gradually try to cut back on your calories while maintaining enough protein for growth and carbohydrates for energy to still work out super hard. Supplements will be important too.
If you are significantly overweight about 15 pounds above what you feel is your ideal contest weigh. You should only lose 1-2 pounds per week through your dieting and training. Any more than that and you will lose muscle along with your fat. The last week before competition you will also drop off 2-3 pounds of water. Here is a good diet to follow for the six months before your contest.
Breakfast
6-10 life Essence capsules on an empty stomach with fresh water.
Bowl of dry cereal with skimmed milk; 2 pieces of rye toast with minimal butter; 3 eggs whites; Quarter lb of skinned chicken or turkey; 1 glass of fresh unsweetened orange juice; Supplements Megabolic Mega Pak 1oz of dynamic Muscle Builder.
Lunch or Midday meal
Large raw salad limited dressing; Glass of skimmed milk; One glass or two of fresh fruit.
30 minutes prior to training
Pre-stress with Anabblic Mega Pak; Small piece of fruit
After work-out
Carbo energiser
Dinner
Baked potatoes (no garnishings); Steamed vegetables; Small meat serving — lean meats, fish, roast, chicken, turkey; Amnobolic Mega Pak
30-45 minutes before bedtime
2nd part of Aminobolic Mega Pak; Drink 12-16 big glasses of water daily. About a month before the contest you will want to cut back on your portions, depending upon how much fat you’re carrying. The last week before your show you will eliminate anything with salt in it and also start cut back on water retaining foods. You want enough carbohydrates in your body for energy to train and pose but not so much that you retain a lot of fluid.
Alternative A: Monday to Thursday (Sat)—Chest, shoulders, triceps, fore arms, calves, abdominals, thighs, back, biceps.
Alternative B: Monday to Thursday (Sat)-abdominals, chest, back upper, shoulders, forearms, thighs, triceps, lower back, calves
— Additional information from Online sources.
The writer, Simon Gama is a fitness trainer at Body Works Gym in Bulawayo.
