About how many times does the female diet change during contest prep? I know that there are stages for dieting 16wks/8wks/4wks out, etc. Is there an article or book I could read to plan ahead?

I found a figure competition I am planning to sign up for on 11/5. What is the typical bodyfat percentage figure competitors need for the contest date? As of now, to get to 8% I need to lose 14 lbs. I'm looking to set goals, so any advice would be great.

Thanks.

kris

Kristine,
if you need anything in terms of putting some stuff together in terms of numbers and workouts, I am right here in NJ!! And my wife could help you out with the figure presentation if needed!! Bodyfat will vary from person to person, some women will looked ripeed and tight at 12%, while other will look just as tight say at 9%!! It just depends on the person!! You have my email!
What show is on 11/5?? Monster Mash in Connecticut!! Very Good show run by the INBF!!

I went on the NPC web site and found a long list for figure. I found a contest called East Coast Figure which will be at Kennedy High School in Paterson. There's also South Jersey Figure-Asbury park and Gold's Classic Figure-Lakewood. All of these are in schools, much like the Nutley show your wife was in I suppose. I figure that 11/5 is far enough in advance for me to really prepare. Let me know if I made a poor choice for this show on 11/5.

Any advice is always welcome. What are the next shows for your wife? What is her name?

Kris

I am not very fond of the NPC and the competition that enters these shows!! Now if you want to compete against a truly natural ahtlete such as yourself w/o the feeling of being ripped off by another who uses the sauce, then the way to go would be the INBF or the OCB!! Yes even the women use and to even think that time will let you attain some of the bodies you see in the NPC is really unfair to yourself!! Stay inot the natural shows and you will be happy with the shows and how the competition looks!

Where should I look for contest dates?

What should I be looking for in choosing a show from the two organizations you recommend? I went to the INBF site and they have a list but I don't know what would be appropriate. I see all this "pro" stuff. I'm looking to get on stage and compete- a new challenge for myself, not having intentions of much more than that.

Another site that isvery popular with this one is the theocbwebsite.com and for the INBF, go to the exercisegroup.com, you will find dates on both of these sites and the OCB board can be very helpful with alot of crossovers from this one!! try it out!!

Last question... how long did your wife train before she actually signed up for a competition?

Kris

It took her 2-3 years with me training her before she had the confidence enough to get up there and feel she was ready!!

That makes sense. Thanks for everything.

Kris

Hi!
Congrats on wanting to compete! That is awesome and best of luck to you. Just for the record, I am a natural female competitor in the NPC and not everyone who competes in the NPC uses "the sauce." I am very proud to compete and do well against people who choose to use illegal substances and in fact that inspires me to train harder, naturally. I just felt that I had to say that for the record and not feel categorized because I compete in the npc. I know a lot of naturals who do so. I work my butt off and Beverly supplements put me right where I need to be and I am proud of that. I think you should do the shows you want to do...make your own decisions and feel good about that! Also, this sport is also about competing for yourself, against yourself, not just against others. As a woman I wish you best of luck and train hard, whatever organization you choose to go with!! Good luck! Toad.

It sure is a compeition amongst your self, I would not agree more with that statement!! But why work so hard to have something taken away from you just because that person cheated!! I know it feels great to beat those who do use, but just think how you would feel when you lose to that person, that would not upset you?? I would rather go up against others where ther is at least a level palying field and not evn have to worry about your opposition!! I mean if they beat you because of better genetics thats something that is much more manageable than losing to juiced up competitor!! I would definitely not put everyone under the blanket statement that all use, but the work you do to compete is so hard to have it taken away like that, find an org. that tests for real, all contestants, not random, and not drug free for one year either that not drug free, please!! Thast wehre these other orgs stand up for us the ones that do not use and these org will continue to grow as well as more and more of the gov't really begins to crackdown on the steroids in this country!! These guys in the IFBB are killing themselves and dying very young just for the thrill of looking inhuman!! Thats not bodybuilding, becuase the health of their bodies do not concern them!!
Kren Miller, WNBF Pro Holds a really good show around your area in Sept I think, in the Columbus Ohio region, go check that one out and compare what you see there to what you see at a show from the NPC!!

Craig,
I have competed in both natural organizations and npc but prefer the npc because I am a fitness competitor and there really aren't very many organizations that have fitness in their shows..sure there is bodybuilding and figure but fitness is not as popular, even in the NPC. I feel that of all the athletes who compete, fitness is the most taxing; we weight train as well as have a cardio component to our competitions (fitness routine) and are expected to look a certain way (leaner than figure but not as shredded as bodybuilders) and train "double" on a restricted diet. Its no wonder that many choose figure over fitness and of course women's bodybuilding is dying...so I went off on a tangent there but bottom line, the npc has the best for me, fitness, so that is why I do it...its not to say that that is the best for EVERYONE, especially male bodybuilders. I'm sure if I were a male bodybuilder I would probably be more inclined to choose a 'natural' organization. I just needed to make a statement that not all npc competitors use steroids, and quite frankly I know a lot of natural npc competitors....

I know that Figure has really taken off and i feel my wife works very hard to attain her level of fitness for her figure compettions and puts in some major work just to get her body into the ideal condition to put herself up there for a chance to win her WNBF Pro Figure Card!! I have seen others just show up there and could tell the work done by them could have been done at a local bikini contest, but my wife stays on her diet as been there for tight since the 1st of the year was a carryover from last year!! She almost ahd it at her last show here In NJ, where the girls that won was more of BB build that what is expected in the INBF, and then the girl goes and wins her 1st pro show as well??? may of the pros were upset and and acussing this girl of how she got through, but she passed the urine test and a poly, so what else can you do except further explanations of what they really want for the figure in the INBF??
It can happen in any org, I know, but I gurantee to a lesser degree in the really natural feds!! I would not want to go through all of that hard and lots of money spent just to know that I improved upon my last competition???? I am sure there are plenty of you who have been put in this type of situation and lost more than you have won, Right?? I know there are plenty of "naturals" in the NPC, but the numbers/percentages are pretty close to be at least even or more for the unnnatural!!
I could understand for at least the fintess end of it as that has also come dwon in numbers!! But comon' you have seen the ones that compete up there for the Ms Olympia Fitness, they look like men in drag!! I guess that is what is needed to compete at that level!! Good luck with you shows coming up Toad!!

Thanks, I am looking forward to this summers competitions. However, I just wanted to point out two IFBB fitness pros, Julie Lohre (who is a huge supporter of Beverly and in fact would say is a spokesperson) and Kirsten Nicewarner,also a Beverly supporter, who recently competed at the Arnold. Both are incredibley beautiful and feminine women who compete at that professional "level" in the NPC. Iwould hardly classify these natural athletes as men in drag. They in fact prove that you don't have to be unnatural to compete at that level. I'm not saying that there aren't those who use but once again it is unfair to make such statements. Just my opinion.

Like I said these are not blanket statements and don't cover the netire group as a whole!!

I think we agree on one thing for sure,,,,we both believe natural is best! I hope you don't take my comments as beligerent! I think you have great insight on training and read your posts all of the time! Thanks again...Toad

It took me awhile to get the guts to post back here in this discussion- However, and all kidding aside, thanks to both of you for your insight and experience

Toad,

What is your training routine for contest prep?

Kris

Kristine,

Any luck finding a show yet?

I started prepping for my first Figure show at 6 weeks out. However, I had been going to the gym for several years and was in fairly "decent shape". It was kind of a whim thing... I could have used longer to prep, but the experience was worth it (and I placed 2nd!).

Look on Bodybuilding.com for a show. You can do a contest search on there.

Keep us posted