The Competitive Itch

With 2010 now over and done and everyone focusing on 2011, I’m left to ponder what our team accomplished and how we can improve. We have some good, new additions to our team that I’d like to see do well this competitive season, as well as some new training clients with plenty of potential to make significant changes. There is no great secret out there, just a mindset to work hard and follow a program without deviating. The most gifted athletes aren’t the ones with the greatest physical assets, it’s the one’s willing to out work the competition.

Right off the bat, I’d like to say that if I pissed anyone off in my assessment of their physique, I am sorry to have offended. That isn’t my goal. But guys/girls, let’s be realistic…..you’re in a skimpy posing suit in front of hundreds of people asking for your physique to be JUDGED. This is what competitive bodybuilding is, physique assessment against a standard and/or other competitors. If you are not the ideal of that standard from a conditioning standpoint, then that is something you can work on and ultimately change within a few weeks time. Furthermore, if you are missing body parts (from a muscularity standpoint), you can also make improvements-but growing new muscle should be a year long goal, not something you can change in 6-8 weeks.

If you decide to compete in a physique show, you’ve got to have thick skin (figuratively, hopefully not literally, lol). Physique shows are NOT truly competitive, they are subjective. Such subjectivity is governed by a criteria, and I’ve been doing this long enough to know that criteria. That’s why I’m able to help competitors improve. However, when talking to most people who decide they want to compete, they are not realistic about their physiques. They see something in the mirror that is simply not there. These are people who would benefit from professional coaching, to have an honest set of eyes to critique their physique during the contest prep. As a rule of thumb, if you look in the mirror and think you are ready to compete, diet another 4 weeks and you’re probably going to be closer to the level of conditioning necessary to do well at a good show. (Or you can hope you pick a show with shitty competitors or only one or two other people in your weight/height class so you can brag about how good you are, lol). I’ve helped people in the past, whom upon meeting them, I didn’t think they’d be able to do well in a physique show. Many of these people have been successful enough to bring home a trophy. These are the people I like to work with most. They represent a challenge and are typically willing to work their asses off to do well.

The earliest NPC show in California is the San Diego which takes place in March. It’s a good show at a good venue, and hey, who doesn’t love a trip to San Diego? April is the first Northern California NPC show and our competitive season runs nearly every month thereafter thru November at John Tuman’s Sacramento Show which has both amateur and pro divisions (or the NPC Excalibur in December in LA-another historically tough show). If the thought of competing has crossed your mind and you’d like to give it a shot or want to know if you have the goods to do well, drop us an email. I’d like to see anyone who has a goal (and work ethic) do well in their competitive aspirations. Not everyone wants to step on a stage, but most people would love to make some significant changes to their physique. This is why The Fit Factory is here, to give proper guidance to those who are willing and able to follow it.
Austen DiPirro of The Fit Factory