Starting from 173 lbs to a physique competition?

[BatmansGrl13]

Hey all, 

Just wondering if there are any physique competitors out here?  I've decided to go all in and am registering for a physique competition in June.  I'm already 28 pounds down but still have a long way to go!  Any advise or tips to help me do my best?  (Granted, I don't expect to win, just want to be at my best in that tiny little bikini lol)

[Dominique]

Wow, that’s a bold move! No personal experience, but my impression is almost all physique competitors have a coach during their contest prep phase, even when they are coaches themselves. Do you plan to do it on your own?

[BatmansGrl13]

Pretty much on my own.  I'm in a FB group with other competitors and am friends with others who have competed in the past.  I honestly am not aiming to win, but to prove to myself that I can do it. 

[RosieO · Accepted solution]

Wow! I applaud the faith you have in yourself!! The best advice anyone could give you is make a plan and stick to it! Be consistent! If you do that, you'll do just fine. Watch every bite you eat and when. There's special things you can do 'just before' the competition to make your muscles pop out. You'll find those tips from people who have competed. I've never competed and maybe never will. I just wanted to pop in here and cheer you on!!

[BatmansGrl13]

Thanks so much!  I've been very strict with what I'm eating now and sticking to a program to help slim down more and build some muscle.  I seriously committed to this thing just to make myself get into shape!!  I'm sure there's some people who have done this before, but I'm totally appreciating the encouragement!

[Dominique]

@BatmansGrl13: may I ask what program you are using? All the best with your endeavour!

[RosieO]

Well, let me know what you're doing. Maybe I can do some of the same things. I'm turning 65 this summer. I'm around 210 lbs right now and would like to be down to 170 or less by then... and or be able to fit into a size 14 or smaller. I just joined a gym that has a bunch of equipment. I mean they are really stocked. I could use some ideas. What's working for you? I would love to be down below 150 by the end of the year and see some buffing for sure... so let's do this!! So excited for you!! I want to see you make this goal!!!

[Dominique]

@RosieO: my advice would be to follow a program with built-in progression: total volume must increase over time, whether this comes from more weight added to the bar, more reps per set, more sets or a combination of all the above. Also make sure you learn how to perform the main lifts with good form and technique. This is especially important for us older folks, as we are more prone to injuries, and if injuries occur, it takes us more time to heal.

You may want to have a look at this topic from last year, which mentions a couple of books aimed at women new to lifting.

[BatmansGrl13]

Ugh I'm so sorry I didn't get back to you sooner!!! I'm doing a program at home called 80 Day Obsession, which is both weightlifting and cardio, and uses timed nutrition.  I've actually lost about 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks alone!  And thank you!! I'm doing everything I can to hit this hard!

[BatmansGrl13]

Hi!  Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.  I am currently doing a program at home called 80 Day Obsession, which is a combination of weights and cardio, and both weight and reps progress as weeks pass, until she changes it all up after week 4!  I've also been super strict on my diet.  Going on 3 weeks without junk, and it's actually getting easier.  After I complete this one, I'll be doing one called Body Beast, which is more weightlifting as I want to tone and shape my muscles. 

[RosieO]

That's awesome! I see you in the challenges too. I'm working on consistency and getting my numbers up. Is this a program you found online, or did you purchase it? Keep Going!!!

Edit: I found YouTube videos that explain the program. Too complicated for me right now. Breaking into this at my own speed for now. But will look into it deeper in a month or two. I'm working on getting my sleep in order...notorious night owl. I've learned that if you don't sleep well, it can mess up everything else you're trying to do. So, passing that on to you too. Make sure you're getting your sleep in!

[RosieO]

---

wrote:

@RosieO: my advice would be to follow a program with built-in progression: total volume must increase over time, whether this comes from more weight added to the bar, more reps per set, more sets or a combination of all the above. Also make sure you learn how to perform the main lifts with good form and technique. This is especially important for us older folks, as we are more prone to injuries, and if injuries occur, it takes us more time to heal.

You may want to have a look at this topic from last year, which mentions a couple of books aimed at women new to lifting.

---

@DominiqueI chased down that link to your earlier post. Come to find out...I've got the first book you mentioned hiding deep inside my Kindle content. I've been getting Kindle books for years now...have over 1k titles...yeah well, imagine all those on my bookshelves. I really like the hard copies too. So, saving space here!! I'm charging up my Kindle and making sure I have that book in there and will be reading it again. I did start reading it a long time ago. It looks like a good place to start right now. I think I get distracted with so many options. I have to just settle on ONE and keep with it. I also have the book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto. I also subscribe to the website. Right now I'm in a 1 Million step challenge on the site. I've completed this challenge before. They run it throughout the whole year. It keeps me engaged for some reason. I have trouble with consistency so this helps me do my my steps and record them on a regular basis. I hardly ever go more than a couple days without posting my daily results. But that's about all I can do with that right now. I want something I can take to the gym with me so maybe this book will help me there.Or maybe just print out one day's workout at a time and take that from the book. I think I've been suffering from ideas/plans/information overload.

Thank you for your input here!!

[BatmansGrl13]

@RosieO  I'm so sorry!! I totally forgot that I posted in here!!!  So I am going to hire a coach for the competition lol.   And I've been doing a program that's through a streaming service (I paid a flat fee for the year) that combines weights and cardio (I hate cardio lol) and I've been seeing some really good results.  Originally, I was just doing the competition just to see if I can do it, but now I think I'm going to push hard actually compete as best as I can.

The streaming service I use doesn't just have the program I'm using, but different ones from beginner to advance to cardio to weights and everything in between.  Sleep is still a little bit of a struggle since I have to get up and use the bathroom at night!! HAHA.  But I'm working on it! 🙂