You've been lurking on MWA and you've thought about competing in a figure competition, but where to begin? You've seen pictures, maybe even been to a competition, but you just don't know where to get started. No worries, this article will tell you everything you need to know!
Just remember, this is about you. You are the main player. From this point forward, it's about gaining the understanding needed to start and the will and drive to do it every day. If competing in figure is something you want to do, read on and find out not only how to become a competitor, but how to make what you want out of it!
Physique competitions are divided into three divisions: bodybuilding, fitness, and figure. Figure competition "evolved" out of the conventional fitness division. It mirrors fitness in judging, but doesn't incorporate the "traditional fitness routine." Competitors are judged on symmetry and muscle tone among other things, but with much less emphasis placed on muscle size than is typical in standard bodybuilding.
Figure competition is a good option for women who want to compete, but without the athletic demands of the fitness routines, and without building the extreme muscle needed for bodybuilding.
Who sanctions the events and where are they held?
There are several federations and organizations that host sanctioned figure competitions. Before competing, you'll need to choose a federation and obtain membership in it by paying a fee. Below is a list of several organizations:
NPC — National Physique Committee:
www.npcnewsonline.com
IFBB — International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness:
www.ifbb.com
Fitness America and Bikini America:
www.fitnessamerica.com
www.fitnessuniverse.com
WNSO/FAME — World Natural Sports Organization:
www.fameworldevents.com
OCB — Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders:
www.ocbbodybuilding.com
www.msfitness.com
NGA — National Gym Association:
www.nga.com
SNBF — Supernatural Bodybuilding and Fitness Organization:
www.snbf.com
NABBA — Natural Amateur Bodybuilders Association:
www.nabba.com
NFCA — National Federation of Competitive Athletes:
www.nfcafitness.com
Take the time to look up each of these organizations. Each one will tell you where their contests are held throughout the year. You can read the respective rules and regulations as well as look up schedules and recent contest results.
I suggest looking up photographs of recent winners in each respective organization. It's helpful to determine your starting point when you can see what components of physique are being rewarded.
This certainly doesn't guarantee that what you bring to the table will be exactly what the judges are looking for when you step on stage, but it will give you a loose idea of what physiques are preferred from one organization to the next. Be forewarned, even within one particular organization, in a sport as subjective as figure, criteria and results vary widely. There are no guarantees.
In general, the NPC tends to promote a more lean and muscular look. However, it's been said that even within this year, some contests are rewarding a softer look. Which "look" is preferred will vary with contest, judging panel, region, time of the year, and whether or not the sky is blue that day. So nothing is set in stone. The bottom line is that any of these organizations can give you the opportunity to compete and excel in the sport.
My opinion? The NPC is a good choice. It's widely recognized and there are a lot of competitions in a lot of locations. The likelihood that there's an NPC competition within a reasonable distance from you is high. The NPC also offers the opportunity to obtain professional status in the IFBB, which is arguably the most prestigious and publicly recognized bodybuilding, fitness, and figure federation in the world.
Consider your current physique status, your goals, and how well any one organization tends to match what you're after.
This will vary greatly from one organization and contest to the next. From federation to federation, the criteria are still being formed.
Judging criteria can be written out on a piece of paper, but in a subjective sport like figure, it could be hypothesized that the criteria will always be evolving. At one contest the judges might be looking for very lean and muscular physiques, while at another a softer look might be rewarded.
I'll use what I'm familiar with from the NPC to describe what judges should be looking for:
1) Athleticism of the physique. A small degree of muscularity is desired. Separation is good, but not visible striations.
2) Muscle tone should appear firm and round with a small amount of body fat over the muscles. No excessive leanness.
I want to stress that figure is a subjective sport, and before you compete you should accept that you could come in with your best possible package and it not be what the judges are looking for on that particular day. But if you were in any number of other competitions, you could very well have placed first!
Classes for a figure competition are divided by competitor height. There can be a few classes or many classes. For example, at a recent NPC junior national competition, there were over 120 competitors and six height classes.
The judging criteria for figure contests are based on two rounds. Each round is judged separately. The order of the rounds can vary depending on the contest. The example I'll lay out is from the NPC, however, other federations organize and run their shows similarly to this.
In this round, each height class is brought out separately in their two-piece swimsuits and clear high heels (this is a major difference between bodybuilding and figure competitions) to perform quarter turns as directed by the head judge.
The judges will usually ask for certain contestants to be placed next to other contestants. This is commonly referred to as "call-outs." They assess the overall physique for muscle tone, proportion, aesthetics, symmetry, fullness, leanness, and an overall healthy physical appearance including complexion, poise, and presentation.
A competitor's muscle tone should appear full, yet firm and round with a small amount of body fat (or a layer of water!) over the muscle. Muscle striations and extreme definition or leanness should be avoided, but some separation between major muscle groups is desirable.
Same thing but with a one-piece suit.
• Special attention must be given to the style of both suits since the way each suit fits each individual physique is taken into consideration. Different suits show the physique differently.
• Thong-style suits are not allowed.
• Color of the suit speaks volumes about a competitor's overall stage presentation. Suit color can be used to bring out best features and should complement hair and eye color.
• Hair and makeup are of extreme importance as well. Judges will score down if these things aren't complementary to the girl's features.
The only judging during the night show is of the height class winners for the overall award. No scores or placements will change after prejudging.
During the finals at most shows, it's all two-piece suits. The top five place winners in each height class are awarded trophies.
To determine the overall champion, the first place winners are brought out in their two-piece suits to perform quarter turns as directed by the head judge. Criteria for assessing the physiques will be the same as prejudging. Their scores are then quickly tallied and the overall champion is announced.
It costs to compete! There's a very real expense involved with figure competition. To give you an idea of the things you need to consider before you take the plunge, I've made a list of expenses that are fairly common.
You'll need to select an organization and become a member of it in order to compete. Fees to various organization start around $35 at the low end and go up from there.
These fees also vary from one contest to another. $35 and up.
It's virtually impossible to prepare for a competition without guidance in these areas. Hiring a coach and/or trainer should be an anticipated cost.
If your contest is in your own area that's fantastic. However, often contests are at least a couple hours away. Many will be found just out of state, and if you're competing in a national competition, chances are that it's going to be very far away. Gas, airfare, hotel, and food are all expenses that need to be taken into consideration.
Posing suits for figure competitions are a considerable cost. To save money you can buy a suit and deck it out yourself or search for a bargain, but it's easy to spend $500 on a posing suit.
This is modest considering that I personally know girls that have spent over $1000 on any given suit they own. The high heels that are required on stage cost as well. To what extent you spend is up to you, but an expense nonetheless.
One must know how to present themselves on stage, and it isn't as easy as many competitors make it look. Any time a new competitor is born, she must learn how to pose. If your trainer or coach is local and experienced in this area, that's a bonus. If not, you'll need to take a clinic or hire a personal posing coach to help prepare you.
Whether you tan in a bed or use dyes and emollients, the costs add up and are something you'll need to plan for.
Figure competitors wear jewelry on stage to contribute to the overall package of muscular femininity they bring. Necklaces and earrings and hair paraphernalia all cost!
There are ways to save money on all of these items, but they still add up. Competing is definitely worth it so I encourage you to plan ways to save up money for these items so they can be purchased in a timely fashion and not creep up on you at the very end.
This varies by the individual. As little as six weeks could be adequate for someone who's already very lean and extremely conditioned. On the flip side, it can take over a year for someone who's significantly overweight and hasn't trained or has underdeveloped symmetry.
Getting prepared involves a strict, goal-oriented training regime coupled with strategic nutrition that moves a physique toward a lean body composition. If you're significantly overweight, it makes sense that an immediate goal in getting closer to competing would be to lose "X" pounds of fat per week while weight training.
This would ensure that fat was coming off and muscles were being developed. Choosing a contest date and fine tuning a pre-contest plan would come later in this instance. One year or more would be a timeframe for this type of individual.
If you have a moderate amount of body fat, but aren't "overweight," you could begin a smart diet and training plan and be ready in as little as six months to a year.
If you're already very lean and have an athletic and symmetrical framework to start from, you could be ready to compete in as little as three months.
In order to ensure success, it's important to assess yourself honestly. Even though I outlined what would be considered vague timeframes, there's still no way of knowing exactly how long it'll take you to be ready.
How developed and lean you want to come in for a competition makes a difference as well. If you decide that you want to come in at your ultimate best on your first show, it may take you longer to prepare.
This discussion brings me to my next point. I've found that there are tons of girls who want to compete but they don't have even the foggiest idea of how to assess what physical state they're in. They have in their minds this picture of what they want to look like and very little understanding of how they can achieve it. Often they have misconceptions about the amount of time needed to do it.
How do I know of these girls? Because they emailed me and told me! In other words, they had no idea where to start, so they emailed "a professional" for advice. That's one of the smartest things you can do to create some parameters for achieving your goals. Get some help!
There are hundreds of competitors, trainers, coaches, and professionals out there who can assess you and your goals and create a program to get you there in a certain timeframe. (I happen to be one of them.) Additionally, there are many contributors here on MWA who train people for a living. The internet has a vast pool of individuals like me who are qualified to get you ready for competition.
You could try to become a figure competitor on your own, but I highly discourage it! Making room in your budget for a coach will eliminate frustration and enable you to be accountable to yourself and someone else. Having a coach can literally make or break your chances for success.
For the most part, in my off season, I'm sensible and know what I need to eat and how I need to train in order to maintain a decent level of body fat. But when it comes time to compete, I absolutely utilize other professional help. It doesn't mean that I don't know how to diet myself down for a show. I do, but I'm also human. A coach's clear outline of what to do alleviates enormous amounts of pressure off of my already busy schedule when I'm close to competition.
Your life is comprised of details and responsibilities just like mine, and hoping for the best while you "wing it" isn't going to help you achieve much. Through having a coach, my own accountability and adherence has increased, helping me to achieve my personal best and become more successful as a competitor.
Most importantly, I'm educating myself about how my body responds to certain forms of dieting and training so that I'm always more capable of managing my body composition — a must in this competitive world!
I'd like to expand the topics discussed in this article in a personal way by introducing you to Noel Clark (pronounced "Kno-wool").
Noel competed in her first show last August with the help of a coach and is now a national level NPC competitor. Through her dedication and hard work, she's achieved a high level of success in a short period of time.
I interviewed Noel so that you could see firsthand how a very successful figure competitor got started. This is what she had to say:
Noel, what sparked your interest in figure competitions?
I've always been into sports and being fit. I played soccer at Auburn University and after college found that I missed the challenge of competition in my life. I married shortly after college, and after having three children I wanted to find a way to compete again.
My sister-in-law had talked to me about figure competitions and so I started looking into competing. The more I learned about it the more interested I became. For one, I loved working out and lifting weights. For another, it allowed me to train according to my schedule. With three kids, the only time I have to myself is 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning, and they don't play a lot of soccer at 5 AM. So last year I began training seriously and competed in my first show in August.
How did you figure out what organizations to compete in?
After a lot of research, I learned that NPC competitors carried more muscle, and that matched my body type. I also liked the look of NPC competitors who seemed to be leaner and more muscular than competitors from other organizations.
What are the most important things to consider in deciding to become a competitor?
Dedication. Discipline. Strength. Those things are first and foremost. If you have those things, all other issues are manageable. If you don't, then no amount of coaching, ability, or resources can make up for it.
There's a definite time commitment that requires dedication to your program. It's a priority. "I don't have time today" is not an option. It takes discipline to stick with your diet. The workout is an hour or two a day; the diet is 24/7.
It's a big deal not to be able to partake in the goodies that surround events like holidays and birthday celebrations. And it takes strength to get to the gym, day in and day out, and continuously push yourself to work hard, make the most of your time in the gym, and get better every day.
The difference maker, for me, was the coaching to bring it all together. I always worked hard, but my coach taught me to work smarter. Having a coach who could bring together the training and nutrition so that they complemented one another has been an invaluable asset to me, not to mention all the details and adjustments that occur during the final week prep that I never could've managed myself.
The world of preparing and the stage are two totally different universes. What things are necessary to understand in order to be mentally prepared for the actual competition and the stage?
I agree that these are two completely different universes. For me, the hardest thing about competing was the stage. Some people find stepping on stage thrilling — the reward for all the hard work — but for me it was very hard.
I'm comfortable in the gym, confident. But on stage you're stepping in front of a crowd of people while wearing a tiny suit and five-inch heels, being judged and critiqued. That was incredibly daunting to me.
I'm used to competitions where they keep score, but there are no points for how many push-ups you can do or how many reps you perform. This is a subjective sport and you have to be mentally prepared for the fact that you could step on stage with your best possible package and not do well.
What do you think are the five most important things to consider when becoming interested in being a figure competitor?
1. Are you prepared to train hard, every day?
This is the way to change your physique: get stronger, get leaner. You have to be prepared to achieve your best physique and then push to make it better.
2. Can you handle the nutrition?
This is difficult on so many levels — saying no to your favorite foods, becoming an egg-white lover, not nibbling on that birthday cake, packing a cooler with you everywhere you go, baggies of chicken — it's a challenge 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You have to be prepared for that, but in the end, it's so worth it.
3. Coaching
The coaching is critical to pull all of this together for you. It's the key to maximizing the commitment, staying accountable, working smarter, and achieving the changes necessary to be competitive at the highest level.
4. Do you need and have support from family and friends?
It's nice to have support, to know that people are behind you 100%, that there are people in your life that will push you to go to the gym when you don't "feel" like it or that will slap that chip out of your hand.
But are you mentally tough enough to deal with the negative comments that will come your way, as well? You have to be prepared for negative comments — from friends that see what you're doing as "extreme" and from judges who are there to critique every aspect of your physique. Not everyone understands this lifestyle and you have to be prepared for that as well.
5. Are you committed?
Figure competitions require time, discipline, dedication, strength, and will. If you're not committed completely from first to last, you can't succeed.
Thanks, Noel, for your time and for your insightful answers!
You now have a more clear understanding of the details; you know where to go from here. Make your goals and set out to achieve them!
Jen Heath is a certified personal trainer, professional competitor, and mother of four children. She can be reached through her website: www.jenheath.com.
Noel Clark is a national level NPC figure competitor coached by Erik Ledin, owner of Lean Bodies Consulting. You can read more about Noel in her blog on Erik's website at www.leanbodiesconsulting.com.
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