Why Would Somebody Want To Compete In A Bodybuilding Contest?

Competing in a bodybuilding contest is one of the hardest things a person can do. Why would somebody want to put themselves through that when the most they can hope to 'win' is a small trophy? Get a glimpse of why they do it by reading through this page.


TOPIC: Why Would Somebody Want To Compete In A Bodybuilding Contest?

The Question:

Competing in a bodybuilding contest is one of the hardest things a person can do. Why would somebody want to put themselves through that when the most they can hope to "win" is a small trophy?

If somebody was thinking about competing, what would you tell them to convince them to do it or not to do it? Why do you or don't you compete? What are the benefits of competing? What are the negatives?

Bonus Question: What was it like competing in your first show? What made you want to do it? How did you feel afterwards? Did this experience help you in other parts of your life? Are you going to continue competing in the future?

Show off your knowledge to the world!

The Winners:

      1. bigcalves

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      2. doggiejoe

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      2. Kill_yourself (Tie for second)

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      3. Jox

View ProfilePrizes:

          1st place - 75 in store credit.
          2nd place - 20 in store credit.
        3rd place - Free Bodybuilding.com hat.


1st Place - bigcalves

Why Would Somebody Want To Compete In A Bodybuilding Contest?

Let's face it, bodybuilding is one of the hardest sports. It takes a special mindset, discipline, patience, and consistency. Bodybuilders are a special breed. We have goals that we are determined to reach, no matter what. We are called 'perfectionists' or 'vein' bodybuilders.

To some people eating 8-10 meals might be vein and self-centered, but to me making a stamp collection and spending all your money on paper with ink pictures on it is a boring, self-centered lifestyle.

By bodybuilding, we increase our longevity, makes ourselves healthier and more aware of our bodies. Bodybuilders are the only athletes on the planet training for looks and that's what sets us apart from every other person on earth.

Talk about unique. Along with bodybuilding, sacrifices come along. Sparing time to workout, to eat each planned meal, and resting will take away most of your day. It's not a hobby, but a lifestyle that we choose.


Why Compete?

So you've spent years, even decades building your body. You've imagined how it would look from the day you started lifting, and every day since then until now, and you will also imagine yourself getting bigger and more improved. Now it's time to show off all your hard work.

By competing in a contest you will see what you're made of. Sure, tons of people underestimate bodybuilders and say that all they do is take drugs, tan, and go on stage. That's the jealousy talking... you and they know it.

Mental As Well As Physical

      Now back to the contest. Competing will give you a sense of pride and maturity/wisdom you may have never had.

Bodybuilding is not all about the body, but the mind also. You need to be strong and conditioned in your mind to withstand challenges. Being in a contest will bring a lot of them, so you better be ready.

Temptation of quitting your diet and workout are only a small part. You will start to say in your mind, 'am I crazy', or 'what am I doing this for?'. Even when you overcome and actually get ready for the contest, competition day will also be challenging.

You will compare yourself to others. Even when that passes, stage fright and nervousness might set in.

As you can tell a bodybuilding contest is very challenging and comes with alot of down sides. But I believe there are more positives than negatives. Competing will give you a sense of pride and strength, not only physically but emotionally and mentally also.

You will feel way better. There is no feeling on earth to describe how you feel after a contest. It feels great. Just stepping on stage and seeing thousands (ok maybe less than that sometimes) of people looking at you.

You get an incredible 'pump' that is very hard to describe. As you can tell it's not about the trophy. Winning the trophy is just the topping of the cake, like getting your last rep in on a hard arm workout.

But even if you don't win, that's okay, you will get a lot out of the experience. You will have fun showing your body off, and at the end you will win. Even if you don't come in first, you will gain a lot of motivation for building yourself, and as a bodybuilder motivation is needed.

Convincing Others

      Like I said, competing will give you a lot of benefits. First off it will be loads of fun. If you don't have anything to loose, there's tons of things to gain. The feeling of changing your body and being in control is unbelievable.

Millions of people each day try to take control of their lives and fail. But you will be able to set a goal, make a plan, achieve it and be in control for the whole 10 or 14 weeks that you're preparing.

Excitement:

        It will be exciting and challenging at the same time. Trust me, I have not met anyone that ever competed and then regretted it. There are some that will never do it again, but they do not regret competing in the first place.

The adrenaline rush when competing is amazing. It feels like pumping out the last rep on a set of heavy squats. Your stomach is full with overgrown butterflies and you are trying to stay in control. And all you're doing is standing on stage and posing.

An Art Form:

        Bodybuilding is an art form. By competing you are showing off your body and telling the world that you work hard and that you cherish every sweat, tear and blood drop that comes out of you.

It says that you are disciplined and that you live a life worth living. You're not just a slacker waiting the days to go by until they die. You have a desire for life, for challenges and you will let nothing stand in front of your goals.

Self Expression:

        Bodybuilding is a form of expression and by competing you are taking it to the next step. You are going public. You will gain tons of discipline and wisdom out of competing. You will be able to see how hard bodybuilders actually work.

Your self esteem will be high; you will feel good about yourself and what you accomplish, and at the end that's all that counts. There is a saying that goes: 'Winning isn't everything', this is right.

When you compete in a bodybuilding show, it's not about winning, but about gaining important values though your experience. But hey, I wouldn't mind getting a 1st place trophy!


Positive Benefits Of Competing

By now you are asking yourself what are the positive benefits of competing. As you noticed so far, there are way more positives than negatives, and that's what makes bodybuilding so great.

It is a distinctive sport that nothing else on earth can match or come close to. That's why people that fall in love for bodybuilding stay in love for their whole life. There is nothing like it and once you find it, the rest is history...

As one man once said, "You can take man away from bodybuilding, but you can't take bodybuilding away from man". There is a special connection that makes this sport so positively charged. And now here are some positive benefits:

Gaining Discipline

      By competing you will gain tons of discipline. The discipline that shapes your character as a person. The discipline that stops you from eating the pie on your table. The discipline that sets you apart from the average joe.

Discipline is great and through bodybuilding you will gain it, but through competing you will blast it. Competing takes a lot out of you, and discipline is something that will help you.

Pride & Self-Esteem

      By competing you will develop your pride and self-esteem. That's right, everyone has pride and self-esteem, but sometimes it is very low. Sure you can be cocky sometimes, but cockiness won't help you get almost naked on stage for people to look at you, judge you, and for judges to criticize your weak point.

By competing you will be in touch with yourself, and more confined about everything you do, on and off the stage.

Adrenaline Rush

      There is nothing on earth like stepping on stage almost naked and showing off to the world. It takes guts, and it takes courage. The result is an awesome adrenaline rush that many people are 'addicted' to.

You will be able to feel great for the time you are on stage, and the world will feel like it's going at 100 mph (everything will seem exciting). He he sounds like an effect of a drug, but it's not, it's one of the positive benefits of competing in bodybuilding.

Strength & Wisdom

      By competing you will gain

strength

      and

wisdom

      . No your bench won't go up by 20 lbs. but your mentality will. You will get strong in your mind. You will be able to set goals and accomplish them easier and you would be able to focus to achieve those goals.

In addition, wisdom and knowledge will be gained. You could learn a few tips from other contestants, or you could learn from your mistakes and do better next time.

Much More

      There are a lot more things you can gain. Feeling good about yourself might not seem so special, but after a contest, feeling good might change your life. More consistency, more intensity and harder lifting might result.

You will feel good all over, mentally and physically, so by competing in a contest you will gain tons of positive benefits, too many too list in fact.


Negative Benefits Of Competing

Now with everything good, there will always be something bad. Bodybuilding is no exception to this rule. Although not as many, there are negative benefits of competing in bodybuilding.

They might not seem so obvious from a bystander's point of view, but ask an amateur or pro and they will tell you the same, 'there are some negative benefits in competing.'

Preparing

      Yes it can be a pain in the behind. All the

cardio

      and weight training that you don't have energy for. Since your food intake will get lower, so you can burn fat, you will increase your cardio.

That will make you feel very moody. Low food supply and higher burning of energy will turn into exhaustion. You will be moody and won't feel like talking to people, especially in the last 3-4 weeks.

Weight training will suck also. All your lifts will go down (lbs) and that will usually result in a loss of motivation and asking questions. Also you will ask yourself if you look too small or too fat and might regret why you started the process in the first place.

It is no walk in the park and most average people that cannot get through a hard leg workout will not get through this. This is not for whiners or 'girlie men' but if you look at it at the end it will be a positive benefit from all the hard work you did.

How Do Bodybuilders Prepare For Thier Contest...

Social Life

      Don't expect many parties while you are preparing for a contest. Most likely you will feel like sleeping and won't go anywhere. A lot of your friends will ask you what's going on, and most will not understand.

I have lost many good friends, but in the end it will be all worth it. And by inviting them to your contest, you might change their thinking. Also do not expect to have a lot of free time for video games and playing around.

Most likely you have a job or school and that will make your journey even more challenging. Do not be hesitant to take the last 2 weeks off from work, because even if you go, you won't be in the 'working mode'.

      Well these are some of the negative benefits. Sure some might be bad or not so bad depending on your perspective, but the positives outweigh the negatives. Sure you might miss a few parties or loose a few friends but in the end you will learn about yourself and gain a lot more.

It is your choice on deciding but take my word for it and compete at least once in your life. Your whole perspective on humanity will change.


Bonus Question For Competitors:

What was it like competing in your first show? What made you want to do it? How did you feel afterwards?

Did this experience help you in other parts of your life? Are you going to continue competing in the future?

I have competed in only one show. It was a local show made possible by two gyms in my area. The prize was 1 year free membership in any of the two gyms and a trophy with your name on it. There were 3 weight classes, 170-190 lbs, 190-210 lbs and 210+ lbs. Me, being 5' 6" was in the 170-190 lbs.

For me stepping on stage was magical. It was like something I was born to do. I heard the crowd of about a hundred people cheering and I felt very good. They were cheering for me. What made me do it was the challenge.

I've always wanted to be a bodybuilder and I really wanted to start out young and not waste anytime. Of course I wanted something local, because the lack of experience, but I really made a good choice with this.

As the contest progressed, my weight class stepped down. I watched as the other guys from the middle weight class jump on stage. Most of them were tall and not so muscular and I actually thought I had a shot. Big mistake.

As soon as the middle class was done, the heavyweights stepped on stage. There were a few tall people, a few muscular people and one beast. The dude was about 35 years old, 5'9 at around 235 lbs.

He was shredded to the bone with an incredible symmetry and vascularity. I thought it was a joke. I didn't think people like that existed in my town. There goes my victory I said. But I was still cheerful and didn't loose hope.

At the end I ended up in 4th place, it was all worth it. Since I was the youngest in my group, I got a special award; free tanning for 4 months. I felt very happy and not an ounce of me regretted what I did, even though I didn't win.

This experience has given me a lot of confidence. I learned a lot about myself and I do not regret doing it. I would do it all over again if I had the chance. I gained wisdom and knowledge from the winner; he taught me some tips that really gave me a boost in my training.

Competing helped me not only in bodybuilding but in real life. Now I am more confident and I never give up on my goals.

As for the future, I do plan on competing more. I've been told I have good genetics, but I'm the only one that knows myself real good and I think it's more hard work than genetics.

Sure genetics are important but without work, you cannot achieve anything. I plan on going somewhere with bodybuilding, and making a mark in the bodybuilding community. For anyone wondering if they should compete, just do it, you won't regret it!


2nd Place - doggiejoe

Why Enter A Bodybuilding Contest?

The preparation and dedication it takes to participate in a bodybuilding contest is one of the most physically demanding tasks you can put on yourself. So you may ask yourself, is it worth it? Should I do it? What are the benefits? What are the negatives?

Well there are plenty of reasons why someone would want to enter a bodybuilding contest and many people actually enjoy having to deal with responsibilities and staying on task.

Believe it or not bodybuilders love what they do, if not, they would choose a different lifestyle. Bodybuilders love to make their bodies a work of art, so why wouldn't we want to show our art to the world? It would be like Picasso keeping all of his work to himself.

Would you ever question someone if they wanted to be the heavy weight champion of the world? I thought so. So what would be so different from someone wanting to win a bodybuilding contest? Everyone is allowed to dream.

Therefore, if entering a bodybuilding contest has ever crossed your mind, there's no doubt you should act on your intuitions.


Why People Enter Bodybuilding Contests

Competition

    There's nothing better for the soul than some friendly competition. Competition actually reduces the tension between 2 people. It's natural for someone to want to compete for something. It's been going on since the beginning of time.

Self-Satisfaction

    Another reason why people enter a bodybuilding contest is for self-satisfaction. They want compensation for all the hard work they put in the weight room. There's no better feeling than making all your hard work pay off.

Winning Nature

      Whether it's winning at a videogame, a football game, or winning

TOTW

    , everyone wants to win. It's just nature taking its course. No one wants to be a loser. The feeling of victory is like no other. You can't win without competing.
Goals To Fulfill
    Some of us actually like having goals in life. Joining a bodybuilding contest will certainly make you have short term and long-term goals. Whether it's placing top 3 in an amateur contest or winning Mr. Olympia, you're going to have goals to fulfill to be successful.

What Are Your Goals?
>Lose Fat
>Build Muscle
>Improve Energy
>Other

Hobby

    Some people collect stamps, others collect coins, and some of us just love pumping iron all day long. Bodybuilding is just like any other hobby, and competing in a contest is in the same alley.

Showing Off

    Just like winning, showing off comes natural to most of us. This is the reason why every 100-pound teenage boy across the nation is flexing in front of his mirror right now. Bodybuilders show off whether it's on purpose or not, they will always be the center of attention. And there's no better place to show off than in a bodybuilding contest.

Fun

    If you're not having fun at what you do, then I feel sorry for you. Different people enjoy different things. As long as you're having fun at what you do, you'll be happy at the end of the day. Entering a bodybuilding contest is no different and I guarantee you'll have fun. Remember flexing is the coolest and easiest part of bodybuilding, so treat yourself.

The Challenge

    Everyone loves to hear the words "you can't do it" so they can use those words as motivation. There's an immense feeling of accomplishment when you could rub it in someone's face. There's no real reason why humans like a challenge, we just do. It's no wonder guys love when girls play "hard to get", because it's a challenge. And trust me, entering a bodybuilding contest will be the most challenging feat of your life.


Convincing Someone To Compete
Or Not

Many of you may think you will never be good enough for a physique contest. Well you're dead wrong. You think you're not big enough. Again you're wrong. There are many different categories in which one may qualify.

Don't think you're going to be up there flexing with Ronnie in your first show. And guess what, you have as many muscles as Ronnie. So don't be discouraged.

Bodybuilding contest have been growing and expanding all over the world. What many people are ignorant of is the fact that bodybuilding is a sport! Not just any sport, but one of the largest sports across the world.

Just like every other sport, there is extreme joy and downright pain. There's the pleasure of victory, and the heartbreak of defeat.

Nothing makes you more of a man/woman than responsibilities. I really can't convince you to do anything you don't want to. Again participating in a bodybuilding contest isn't a walk in the park.

But if you really want something that will help you succeed later on in life, don't look any further, and join a bodybuilding contest now!

Benefits Of Competing

Character Building:

        The

strict dieting

        and the intense

cardio

        will make you more of a man than your dad ever did. The pressure of responsibilities on your shoulders will be a terrific learning experience that you will be able to use in any real life situation. You will take pride in yourself and all of your accomplishments.

Better Progress:

        It's a proven fact that bodybuilders who compete make better gains than those who don't. The reason is because you will have to push yourself much harder than usual to succeed. Wanting to place higher in another contest will drive you to new heights and will make you better than you are now.

Self-Esteem:

        Entering in a bodybuilding contest will swiftly improve your self-esteem. You will be more in touch with your body and you'll feel good knowing that you're making the very most of yourself. The look of envy when you step on the stage will also make you feel good about yourself. After seeing your peer's eyes light up when you flex your guns you will certainly be more confident than you use to be.

Perfection:

        No one is perfect, but that doesn't mean you can't have a perfect body. There's something special about the feel and look of having developed every major muscle in your body. Competing will help you make you body as close to perfect as possible. In some ways, when you're on that stage you feel like a God with all eyes on you.

Being Distinguished:

        When you enter a bodybuilding contest you will know for sure that you're not average. You will have the feeling of being in a class by yourself. You won't look at all the other coach potatoes the same way again.

Awesome Sport:

        It's a magnificent sport to participate in. The great part about it is that it's not a team sport where you only have to count on yourself and no one else to come through. It's also a very physically demanding sport so you'll be in great health.

Stardom:

        One thing is for sure; Arnold didn't become famous for his acting. If you ever reach IFBB level then you will certainly reach stardom. Maybe not the level of Arnold or Ronnie but you will be known to everyone in the bodybuilding world. It's every bodybuilder's dream of being Mr. Olympia and you can't accomplish this without starting from the bottom.

The Rush:

        Some people like to drive 100 mph down the highway for a "speed rush". Others ride roller coasters. Well if these rushes come close to the rush when you're on stage, I'm getting on my car and driving to Disney World at 100 mph. The exhilaration that one feels while on stage is just unexplainable and one has to do it to actually know the feeling.

Awards:

        The award of winning a bodybuilding contest could be from a small trophy to thousands of dollars in winnings. Even if a small trophy seems at no value to you, ask a person that has won one. To them this "small trophy" is nothing less than priceless.

Having No Regrets:

      Those muscles won't last forever, so why not take advantage of them now. How many times have you said to yourself "I should have...," well you should live life without any regrets. Down the road you don't want to be like "I should have joined a bodybuilding contest," so follow your instincts and join one now!

Negatives Of Competing

Dieting:

        The strict dieting for a bodybuilding contest is like no other. If you taught having a bodybuilder's diet is hard, try having a diet for a bodybuilder getting ready for a contest. This is without a doubt the hardest part of entering a contest. It's also going to get really annoying having to swallow 3 gallons of water a day and be pissing every other minute.

Weight Training/Cardio:

        The weight training that you have to do to get ready for a contest will wear you out. It is intense and grueling without a doubt. When contest time comes around you want to be ripped to shreds and all the cardio you will have to perform will rip your heart to shreds.

Lifestyle Change:

        You're going to have to devote your life to this if you want to come out victorious.

You will have to make many sacrifices but at the end it will all pay off and you'll thank yourself. Most of all you're going to have to make bodybuilding your major priority.

Body Alternation:

        You're going to have to get a tan, oil your skin up, and remove every single hair from your body. Most men aren't to comfortable doing this, but if you're really in touch with your sexuality you won't have too many problems.

Note: Waxing your chest will make your eyes very teary. But all the benefits from competing will no doubt outweigh any of the negatives. At the end you won't see the negatives as negatives but more like a simple task.


Bonus Question For Competitors:

What was it like competing in your first show? What made you want to do it? How did you feel afterwards?

Did this experience help you in other parts of your life? Are you going to continue competing in the future?

My first show was a battle between 5-6 gyms around my area. Each gym had 5 representatives. My gym owner had told me about the opportunity and I surely jumped all over it. I had less than 4 months to prepare for it. The competition was held last July.

Before entering preparation for it, I thought it wasn't as hard as it sounded. Boy was I wrong. Within the first 3 weeks the thought of quitting never left my brain. But through much determination and effort I didn't quit. I was in the best shape of my life with all the cardio they had me doing.

The week before the competition I had that same feeling I use to have a week before my birthday or Christmas. I always fell asleep thinking about it. I remember the day before I had the worse case of insomnia ever. The day of competition I woke up like an hour earlier than usual and certainly couldn't go back to sleep.

Being backstage with your competition is awkward also. You don't expect them to be nice to you, but they are. They weren't being hypocrites, they were just trying to be friendly. The atmosphere backstage isn't like being in a football locker room were all you want to do is kill the opponent, it's just friendly competition.

When I came out on stage I was nervous to say the least. However, after the first round and getting a feel of the crowd and judges, I finally settled down. Hearing my name on the loud speaker made it feel as if I were dreaming and it wasn't reality.

I ended up in 2nd place in my category. There were only 6 competitors for my category. The guy that won was 19 and at the time I was 17 so I felt really proud of myself. There's no doubt that I would do it again. Afterwards I took my "small trophy" and cherished it (it still stands over my bedroom counter).

This experience certainly helped me in everyday life. I learned the real definition of hard work, which I can apply to anything. The preparation for this contest gave me an enormous character boost as well as a self-esteem boost. It also gave me the confidence that I could do anything I put my mind on.

There's no doubt in my mind I will be competing in the future! I already signed up for the same competition this August. This year I'm certainly going to bring home the first place trophy. There's nothing that's going to take me away from my love, which is bodybuilding.


2nd Place - Kill_yourself (Tie for second)

Why would someone want to compete in a bodybuilding competition?


Bodybuilding

Before we go into the topic of talking about competition, lets go into a little more detail about bodybuilders and bodybuilding as a general aspect. We bodybuilders go day by day having to lift a ton of weights rep after rep, set after set. We eat enough to feed your entire family for an entire day.

We get stuck in a routine and never break it for anyone or anything. We would sacrifice anything, to gain an extra pound of muscle. This my friend is the life of the bodybuilder.

Something so strict and boring that it creates a sense of satisfaction within our feeble bodies. A sick sense of power and status achieved every time you gain that inch around the chest or that 10 pounds to your squats.

And if we are lucky enough to win a major competition despite all the politics involved, you may then be sponsored by a few companies. And while they make tons of money off you, all you get is a miserable sum which is just enough to pay for that one room hell hole that you live in and your food. But still we press on and do what has to be done.

To set one thing straight, we aren't in this for the money. The only thing that is keeping us going is purely, passion.

The Misconception

    I would just like to clear up one misconception I have heard. During the last few weeks before competition, it is no longer about building more muscle mass or size, it is more about keeping as much muscle and size that you are currently holding.

Competition

      After enduring day after day of an extremely strict schedule, the time has finally arrived. You are finally ready. But are you really ready? Your friends think you are, but deep down inside, the fear is beginning to cultivate within yourself.

Just the thought of standing up on a stage in front of an audience wearing nothing but your tiny trunks, posing in unison to the music, is more than enough to send you into a spiral of self doubt and confusion of whether this was such a good idea after all.


Reasons For Competing

  1. It is your grand stage to prove that all you sacrifices over the years are actually worth something. You want to feel that satisfaction of sending the crowds into frantic excitement as you slowly unveil that huge rear lat spread of yours.
  2. You want to find a true and honest answer about how good you really are physically. You want to prove to yourself and the people around you that you are really as good as you think you are. And if you happen to lose, you want to be put where you are supposed to be and stop thinking that you are the best guy.
  3. Most of you non competitors wouldn't know this, but going for a competition is an excellent chance to find that spotter you longed for. It is a place where people would truly understand why you do the things you do. Something that is almost impossible to find "outside".
  4. You want to experience what people like Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman go through before each competition. You personally feel that you have grown from a gym rat to a bodybuilder.

As mentioned above, bodybuilders are not in it for the money, even so why would we put ourselves through the uncomfortable feeling to water draining just for a small trophy that not worth a dime on ebay.

So What Is It For?

      To satisfy the thought that you are the best at what you do and the sacrifices that you have made over the years are worth something. Going for a competition is something that takes nerves of steel to do. But we all have one very common and main fear. THE FEAR OF LOSING!

We are afraid that after all the hard work and sacrificed that you made will somehow be demolished by some other dude's physique that seems almost unattainable.

That is why most people comfort themselves in a self deceiving lie that the reason that they do not compete. They don't feel the need to expose themselves, and never ever dare entertain the thought of competing again.

But for the few brave ones that are willing to step up to the challenge, they get ready to do battle. A frantic search begins for information on the internet for pre contest guides and bugging any bodybuilder at your gym that would be willing to give you some advice on competing.

You want it to be perfect. You want to win that first prize and there is nothing that would stand in your way of your very first victory.

Personal Advice

Competing at a bodybuilding meet is much more than a couple of guys standing in their trunks and posing. It takes dedication and nerves of steel to reach there.

Ways A Bodybuilding Contest Can Help You:

      • It will bring out the confidence in you. Many people live their lives under the radar and at the end of their life, regret not making a big enough impact on the people around them.

        They fear being rejected or made fun of, so they hide away their confidence. But the real way to get rid of that fear is to stare it straight in the eye. So by standing up on that stage, you are guaranteeing a huge boost to your confidence.

Ways Confidence Is Useful:

        1. It can help you get that chick that you have been eyeing
        2. It can get you that job you wanted
        3. Your views can finally be heard and taken seriously

I cannot explain enough how much confidence will help you. But having a boost in this section of your life can only do you good.

      • Although confidence will be built in you. The best part is that if you compete, you will not turn into an absolute snob. Let me explain. By standing on stage it will build that much needed confidence.

        But when entering the arena where the other competitors are, you take a look at the bodies and the previous thoughts of destroying all competition to win the first prize turn to dust.

        Although you are still not convinced that you will lose for sure, you know that you have a 50-50 chance of winning this. And that puts you in your place. So competing makes you confident but humble at the same time.

      • Discipline. Many young teens end their lives on the streets or land themselves in jail just because they lack this. Bodybuilding consists of endless days of eating, training and sleeping hard.

        So without the proper discipline, you will definitely not be able to achieve this. Especially during the cutting stage before a competition where a cheat meal is simply out of the question, only the truly disciplined will be able to go through it.

        So joining a competition forces you to be discipline and naturally in all aspects of your life will also be very organized and disciplined.

        So if the above facts are not enough to convince you to compete, let me give you another reason to compete.

        Competing gives you a chance to make the people around you, which have been condemning the things you do for ages, to finally understand and accept you for the way you are. One such example would be me.

        When I initially started to do bodybuilding, my friends and parents would constantly nag me. But when I won the state championship, I finally got the respect that I wanted. They accepted me for who I was and although I put myself through so much pain and sacrifice, they now understood that it is not just some side hobby that I took up.

Although there are many enticing plus points, like any other issues, there is bound to be a negative side of things.

Louis Dorman On Confidence:

  • Write down your goals to objectify and specify them. Often, we don't really think until we write!
  • Express who you are by letting your inner self out! Dress the way you want! Wear what is comfortable and makes you feel good.

- Louis Dorman


Negative Reasons

  • This applies to a rare few that has EXTREMELY good genes. They train hard as everyone else and diet as hard as everyone else. But they grow 2 times the speed of a normal person. So as their confidence starts to peak, they start to turn cocky. So when it is competition time, instead of having other bodies around to put them in their place, they own a body that destroys all competition and go on to clinch the first place.

    Although later in life, people will catch up to them, for the mean time their egos will be at an all time high. And a person with an extremely high ego is dangerous to himself and the people around. He starts to become a bully and gets himself into fights and creates problems. But since no one is up to his size. He can do as he wishes.

  • At a competition, you meet all sorts of good people. Potential spotters and also potential bad influences. At such meets there are bound to be some people that are secretly selling steroids or something of that nature. So if you are not disciplined enough to stay away from this, you might just turn into a druggie.
  • Your social life will be greatly affected. You will not be able to hang out till dawn clubbing the night away. Nor can you afford to drink can after can of beer when the competition is just 2 weeks away. Neither can you go out for a meal at the seafood place you loved.

    You will not be able to spend as much time with your buddies doing dumb stuff like making prank calls or setting shit on fire on someone else's doorstep. This can all go back to normal after the competition. But until then your social life will be at an all time low.


Personal Reasons For Competing

  1. I love challenges in my life. I love the thrill of the chase. So every time I compete I know I can satisfy and inner urge of competitiveness within me.
  2. I want a true and honest answer about my body standards in comparison with the judges criteria.
  3. I love tearing up the crowd every time I bust out that most muscular pose. I love standing on stage. Used to hate it. But like I said, competing gives you confidence.
  4. I love the attention I get when people at the bodybuilding meet see what I have. It gives me a sense of pride.
  5. I used to be a delinquent kid that broke every rule in the book. But since taking up bodybuilding seriously, it has given me a proper sense of self discipline and character.


Bonus Question

Fear

      I was sacred to bits. I thought I would be fine and all. But after entering the arena, and taking a peek of the audience slowly filling up the seats and seeing the competitors starting to apply their tanning lotion and trying to get a good pump going, I finally realized what I was getting myself into.

I just told myself to be a man and don't back out now after all that dieting and sacrifices.

Confusion

      All I know was that I was supposed to be here and that's about it. I have no idea where to go, what to do and so forth. Lucky for me, there were people there to help me out.

I wouldn't be surprised that some competitors back out just because they don't know what to. I had to listen very closely to my name being called and tried to stay pumped.

Experience

      When I stepped onto the stage to do my free posing round, I went blank. I just stood there being blinded by the light as the music played and I stood there motionless.

I had to request they play the music again after I regain my sense of reality (after 5 seconds). All went well, until I had to turn from my front posing to back posing. I almost loss my balance due to the tremendous loss of water in my body. But I was lucky enough to remain balanced.

I actually wasn't even thinking of doing this show. But my trainer knew I was ready and made me a challenge. That if I went ahead with this competition, he would give me $20 bucks if I won. Although it wasn't the money that made me do it, it was however the final straw in getting me to join.

Although I had a few problems here and there during the competition such as dizziness and weakness, it was definitely an awesome experience that I would never forget. I will definitely do it over and over again if I have the chance.

One great piece of knowledge that I brought home with me from the competition is the old saying, "No pain no gain". I was literally pumping the muscle till I could feel the blood flow inside about to explode.

Bonus Information

    I placed 1st in my category during my first competition and placed 2nd overall. Nothing could make me happier.


3rd Place - Jox

Why Would Somebody Want To Compete In A Bodybuilding Contest?

Competing in a bodybuilding contest is one of the hardest things a person can do. Why would somebody want to put themselves through that when the most they can hope to "win" is a small trophy?

The dieting, training, cardio and years of consistency required to compete in a bodybuilding competition definitely makes it one of the hardest things a human can put their bodies through. In evolutionary terms, the competitive bodybuilder attempts to undo thousands of years of adaptation and destroy the body's natural tendency to remain in a comfortable homeostasis by forcing it to become big and lean.

The human body detests being at a low body-fat level, because body fat was needed to survive famine periods long before the invention of advanced farming methods and supermarkets. It is in the process of wrestling with our own bodies adaptive mechanisms which we can gain new insight into our character, mentality, and truly appreciate how wonderful the body is.

As I have alluded to, the prize for competing certainly is not limited to the small trophy reserved for the winner. The benefits of competing come not through winning, but in the process of getting to a point where competing is feasible. The benefits are many.


Benefits

Most people lack the dedication and will to even regularly exercise let alone go through the stretches eating phenomenal amounts of food and then miniscule amounts of food which a bodybuilding lifestyle demands. It is because most people can't do it which is precisely why we should do it.

Normality in a day and age where your average person is obese and unfit is certainly not something that I want to be. I want to be abnormal; that is fit, healthy, big and lean. Entering a bodybuilding competition requires doing things which most people refuse to do, the pain, sweat, blood and tears makes the end result all the more enjoyable; at the end you look fantastic!

Time and time again it has been shown that people who enter bodybuilding competitions make better progress than their non-competitive counterparts. This could be because they started out as the ones who had a better capacity to bodybuild; however that is only part of the equation.

Having a goal makes you more focused on your daily routine, and decreases the likelihood of sloppy eating, or skipping gym sessions. If you know that you're going to strip down to a tiny thong in front of potentially hundreds of people, you'll think twice about the bowl of ice-cream, fried chips or pizza!

Having the goal of competing on a certain date keeps you focused and dedicated on the important aspects of your regime like diet, training and rest.

The dedication required to eat either so much you're full all the time, or so little you're starving rubs off in other areas of your life. The willpower to refuse alcohol when offered; refuse snacks and sugary drinks, and to train balls-to-the-wall hard 4-5 days a week transfers to your daily life and meaningfully builds strength of character.

Knowing that you can successfully mold your highly resistant body into an aesthetically appealing form lets you approach other obstacles and tasks with a positive can-do attitude.


Encouraging Someone To Compete

If somebody was thinking about competing, what would you tell them to convince them to do it or not to do it? What are the benefits of competing?

I would definitely encourage them to compete. Competition for the above reasons makes you a better person and more importantly a better bodybuilder. It confines you to a time period which forces you to get the most out of each meal, each weights session, each cardio session. It acts as the ultimate driving force to allow you to put yourself through the mental and physical anguish which accompany getting down to contest ready shape.

The fear of looking normal, smooth, small on stage, and the determination to look big, freaky and lean cannot be overstated in terms of driving forces of motivation in the gym. It allows you to see weaknesses in your physique, and ensures that those weaknesses are worked on. Competing is the ultimate way for a bodybuilder to quickly become 'real' about their training, and forces them to assess the why's and how's of their training and diet regimen.

Why Do You Or Don't You Compete?

    I compete to get the most from my body, and to see how far I can take my particular body in terms of size, symmetry, and proportion. It's that simple.

What Are The Negatives?

      Competing with yourself is one of the benefits, but also one of the drawbacks. Creating a muscular and appealing physique takes time, patience and dedication. It is also a painful and occasionally lonely lifestyle.

People sometimes don't understand the reasons behind your desire to compete and try to talk you out of it. Worse still they make it sound like an easy thing to do, and under-appreciate the time and sacrifice it takes to get to a competition-ready state.

Things like 'oh, I don't want to do weights I don't want to get big' will frustrate, but ultimately it doesn't matter. The difficulty in competing against your evolutionary body is a hard, painful and a slow process, but ultimately one of the most rewarding endeavors man can pursue.