How’s it going Train Loco readers! Today we have an awesome guest blog by our friend, colleague, and figure competitor Andrea Valdez. Andrea has a ton of experience and knowledge with figure experience. She has hit the stage many times and has had a ton of success. We asked her to write an article for some of you aspiring figure competitors on how to make the stage less scary. There are a lot of things to know before making the decision to step on stage and Andrea is here to drop some great tips for you all. Enjoy!
-Eric and Chris
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It’s not uncommon for an individual to have a fear of being naked in front of someone else.
What about being naked in front of tens or hundreds of people? What about doing this while being judged and compared and scrutinized for any tiny flaw your body might have?
This is the beauty and the curse of competing in bodybuilding, figure, physique, bikini, or fitness shows of any kind…IT’S FREAKIN’ TERRIFYING!
But however negative and self-deprecating this all may sound, I can GUARANTEE that the cost of being a physique athlete is well worth it.
Now I understand that me TELLING you “it’s worth it” doesn’t instantly make you forget the mortifying image of being laughed off of the stage.
And to be honest, I can almost also guarantee that this fear will definitely not completely go away until you’ve actually faced it.
So if you’ve ever thought about competing, you might want to adopt a strategy or game plan to help you ease into the transition from a “normie” gym-goer to a full blown physique athlete that is totally ready to be judged and compared for all to see.
Here are some ways to make a bodybuilding stage less scary:
Get your mind ready
Alright, let’s be honest. This is the only TRUE battle we’re fighting here.
Even IF someone in that audience hated you, heckled you, made fun of you, what does that REALLY mean to you? What IF you were the most unprepared person there? What IF you fell while walking?
Does that moment in time outweigh the potential amounts of satisfaction, pride, self-worth, achievement, honor, glory, excitement, a-million-other-awesome-things-you-could-learn-about-yourself?!?
It’s a simple cost/benefit analysis. Anything bad that COULD happen will never overpower all the good that WILL happen.
Get your physique ready
This is something that you obviously know is a must-do for anyone in any fitness competition. But what could help you ensure success in this area?
You need to make sure you hire an awesome coach as soon as you make the decision to compete. I’d recommend giving them your application and/or begin working with them at least 8 months from when you plan on competing.
Get your posing routine ready
No matter how good your body looks, it is obvious to everyone around you if you don’t know what to do with it.
You will be so nervous with all the lights, sights, and sounds that you DO NOT want to have to be sweating bullets while hoping and praying to God that you remember what you planned next.
Posing is difficult. Do not take it lightly. Do not assume that you can just throw something together at the last minute and feel confident.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. And if you fail to get this damn routine together, you will definitely make your time on stage more uncomfortable than it needs to be.
Practice performing
By this, I mean get used to performing ANYTHING.
Perform a speech. Perform some karaoke. Play in a community basketball game. Perform a presentation at work. Perform in an internet video. Perform ANYTHING.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable as soon as you can. Start small now so that show time isn’t such a crazily shocking experience.
Practice being naked
Well, I don’t mean COMPLETELY naked, but I think you catch my drift. Stage bikinis and trunks are pretty tiny and pretty difficult to get used to.
Start solo on this one. Nobody at home? Wash the dishes in just your underwear for a change. Surf the internet in your lingerie or bathing suit. Maybe air dry after shower time.
Get used to seeing yourself in an exposed state. It ain’t that bad after a while. I promise.
Practice performing while being naked
So this is how it all comes together. Your mind and body have been in these states before, we just have to combine them.
Again, we can start small by visiting the local swimming pool or beach to get a tan. You could even start wearing slightly skimpier clothes to the gym.
(Believe me, if you’re in contest prep, people will not mind this one bit.)
You could then work your way up to one-on-one posing practices, followed by group posing critiques, followed by the big day!!!
Things to remember:
- Fear of the unknown is one of the biggest reasons that people stay stagnant.
- If you’ve ever dreamed of competing, you WILL continue to dream about it unless you break the cycle.
- Even if you do not win, you will NEVER regret that you had this experience.
So go ahead and take the plunge!
And when you do, make it less terrifying by using some of the tips and tricks above to try to prepare your mind, body, and emotions for what’s lying ahead.
Get Started to the Bodybuilding Stage the Less Scary Way by Using Flexible Nutrition, check out our brand new ebook HERE
About Andrea:
I am a Figure Competitor, powerlifter, and natural bodybuilding coach with Team 3D Muscle Journey.
I dig fitness a whole lot. Everything about it makes me happy and feeds by soul. I also believe that anyone at any age can be an athlete for the rest of their lives.
That said, using my blog here at andreavaldez.net and the videos on my YouTube channel, I like to turn my compulsive need for data collection and mindset development into something useful.
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