Your first competition

[henryh]

I am no where near ready for a competition but I would love to hear how your first one went. Were you nervous? How did you do? What would you have done differently to get ready for it? I am thinking I should train hard and compete, and will try to make that a goal of mine.

[markievicz]

If you are to wait until you think you are ready then you will probably never enter a competition.

I say jump in at the first opportunity,learn as much as you can and set yourself a benchmark for the next meet.

Too many people worry about "not lifting heavy enough" at their first meet. You think that the top guys turn up and smash it first time around? Of course they dont.

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by henryh

I am no where near ready for a competition but I would love to hear how your first one went. Were you nervous? How did you do? What would you have done differently to get ready for it? I am thinking I should train hard and compete, and will try to make that a goal of mine.

What sort of comp are you talking about; PL or BB?

[backus]

I have never done a competition and have never really given it much thought about doing one. I guess that for me lifting is a way for me to feel good about myself and I do not feel that a competition is something that I need to do. Nothing against competitions, and if you like to do them, then great. It is just something that never really interested me.

[emekajokammor]

Originally Posted by 5kgLifter

What sort of comp are you talking about; PL or BB?

good question!

[kenbanks]

Originally Posted by henryh

I am no where near ready for a competition but I would love to hear how your first one went. Were you nervous? How did you do? What would you have done differently to get ready for it? I am thinking I should train hard and compete, and will try to make that a goal of mine.

I'm gonna go ahead and guess you're referring to BB, given what forum you posted in. I've been in nine bodybuilding competitions since 2009, and am taking part in 4-6 more this fall. I'm far from the world's biggest or best bodybuilder, but choosing to compete is the best decision I've ever made. I took second place in the Novice "short" class in my first show, and was immediately hooked. I was very nervous for weeks, but your time on stage is so short and rushed that you don't really have a chance to get nervous on stage.

With 20/20 hindsight, I would have given myself a few more weeks of dieting (I did 12, and probably should have done 16) to be ready. I was nowhere near as lean in my first competition as I am when I compete these days, but I'm very glad I didn't back out of that first show. Like someone else said, if you wait "until you're ready", you'll never wind up taking the stage! Just set a date, pick a show, give the dieting your best for a few months, and show up and compete on said day. You'll learn so much and it will be totally worth it.

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by kenbanks

I'm gonna go ahead and guess you're referring to BB, given what forum you posted in.

I just search new posts and completely missed that

[kenbanks]

[Rich Knapp]

Originally Posted by kenbanks

With 20/20 hindsight, I would have given myself a few more weeks of dieting (I did 12, and probably should have done 16) to be ready. I was nowhere near as lean in my first competition as I am when I compete these days, but I'm very glad I didn't back out of that first show. Like someone else said, if you wait "until you're ready", you'll never wind up taking the stage! Just set a date, pick a show, give the dieting your best for a few months, and show up and compete on said day. You'll learn so much and it will be totally worth it.

I agree here. To many don't calculate out how many weeks they need and just do the cookie cutter 12 weeks. Your lean out should be based on there fat % and pounds you need to loose not a set numbers of weeks.
When you think your weeks will get you lean enough add 2 -3 more weeks.
15 shows (11 able body, 4 wheelchair) and only 1, I wasn't in top 3 of my class.