How long until I can compete?

[hannah7733]

I am pretty much a beginner to bodybuilding, the past 2 or 3 years Ive been doing weights but not much, not serious and not properly. I began doing everything properly about 2 months ago - diet, training etc. and Ive seen some great results (pictures below for progress so far).

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4386801
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001 and 002 - basically where I started
014 and 019 - more recent (beginning of april and middle of april)

Im 5ft 3, 111lbs, dont know my body fat but think its something like 17%?... and Im thinking about competing (physique) in the future. Basically, judging from my pictures and the progress Ive made so far, how long until I am at this level.

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Also, Id be grateful for any comments, suggestions, advice, links.. anything really.

[RelentlessT]

Well Hannah, I recently read the Bodybuilding encyclopedia, and although these are two different sports I'm sure we can find a middle ground. Within the contents of this book it provides a lot of information to get you started. The author also states that after about a year of building one can expect themselves to be ready to compete at a local level. Now, remember, that's by following all the advice and the program they have provided you. So, at best.. my goal of competing would probably take about a year.

Now, I do not know much about 'physique', but I assume that A. you want a base. B. you need to gain some muscle C. and you need to cut.

You haven't provided a workout, or a diet in your bodyspace, so that would be very helpful if you want some sort of insight.

Ultimately it depends on your motivation and knowledge. Don't train harder, but train smarter. It'll save you from injuries and overtraining.

[richardfun189]

am i right? The compet is your goal, there must be a long way to go. You said you have already spent 2 or 3 years, that means you spnt enough time but maybe you do not train or rest or supple in most efficient way. Maybe you need a professional coach who can make one better routine to you. Then you will almost spend one year.

[hannah7733]

am i right? The compet is your goal, there must be a long way to go. You said you have already spent 2 or 3 years, that means you spnt enough time but maybe you do not train or rest or supple in most efficient way. Maybe you need a professional coach who can make one better routine to you. Then you will almost spend one year.

Over that 2-3 years I probably trained a total of 4 months because I always got injured or quit because I was doing it wrong. Im now doing it properly and over the past 2 months Ive got some great results because of everything plus the fact Im training so hard.

[hannah7733]

Well Hannah, I recently read the Bodybuilding encyclopedia, and although these are two different sports I'm sure we can find a middle ground. Within the contents of this book it provides a lot of information to get you started. The author also states that after about a year of building one can expect themselves to be ready to compete at a local level. Now, remember, that's by following all the advice and the program they have provided you. So, at best.. my goal of competing would probably take about a year.

Now, I do not know much about 'physique', but I assume that A. you want a base. B. you need to gain some muscle C. and you need to cut.

You haven't provided a workout, or a diet in your bodyspace, so that would be very helpful if you want some sort of insight.

Ultimately it depends on your motivation and knowledge. Don't train harder, but train smarter. It'll save you from injuries and overtraining.

Hey thanks, my diet is:
wake up/pre workout - 40g oats, 25g peanut butter, 10g flax seed, 10g syrup + 25g protein shake and 5g creatine
post workout - pineapple juice or tinned pineapple + 50g protein shake and 5-10g creatine
meal 3 - seitan with either sweet potato or wholewheat bagel
meal 4 - haricot beans and melba toast (like dried cracker type things) + 25g protein shake
meal 5 - soya yogurt with 10g protein powder
meal 6 - 1 cup peas, 1 cup sweetcorn, 100g brocolli and 100g spinach with gravy +25g protein shake
before bed - 30g casein shake
(also take 4 calcium and vit d tablets throughout the day and 1 multivitamin in the morning)

calories - 2000-2250
protein - 230g
carbs - 190g
fat - 50g

As for my workouts, I like to change up the exercises a lot but I always train 6x a week with yoga on my rest day and I train each muscle 2x a week except shoulders, bicep and triceps which I train 3x a week.
My split is usually something like this:
shoulders biceps and triceps
legs and chest
back and biceps
chest shoulders and triceps
legs and back
shoulders biceps and triceps
yoga

I train abs 3x a week and fit in cardio when I can (from 45 mins - 1 hour 15 sessions) but to be honest I dont do too much (3x a week absolute max but some weeks I only do 1x). I know Ill have to step up the cardio if I want to compete.

Im very motivated and I like to think I have a bit of knowledge because I spend so much timee reading about this kind of stuff. And I do train really hard but I wouldnt say I overtrain.. I havent had any of the 'symptoms' anyway.

Do you think it would be worth me reading that Bodybuilding encyclopedia? or isnt it suitable for physique competing?

[Wyomann]

When can you start competing? Now.

Is your physique competition ready? No, obviously you would need to cut.

Biggest concern with your physique? More muscle, you need a lot more muscle and by the time you were at a competition fat% it would be very obvious.

The good news is your are 18. Building muscle takes a lot of time, but the fastest way to learn the tricks of the trade is to start competing and getting to know others in your field.

Is bodybuilding encyclopedia suitable for physicque competing? Yes, it is exactly what you need to do. A lot of women competing in bodybuilding or figure train the same way, they just aren't taking the same "Supplements".

[tabbyh]

It took me 3 years to get to the stage where I was confident enough to compete. Cardio is great. But Weight training is a MUST. and you need to be pushing the weights. I went from doing body weight squats to 125kg within 9 months and it helped me out somuch!. My goal is to bench 100KG eventually. Being able to do things such as pullups, deadlifts, squats, bench, overhead press are the still the staples even for us ladies.

[tabbyh]

Oh and to how long on competiting it all depends... Changing your style of training and routines could make or break you!. You might be ready 1/2 years or maybe 5+ it all depends!.

And remember eat good food!

[RelentlessT]

Hey thanks, my diet is:
wake up/pre workout - 40g oats, 25g peanut butter, 10g flax seed, 10g syrup + 25g protein shake and 5g creatine
post workout - pineapple juice or tinned pineapple + 50g protein shake and 5-10g creatine
meal 3 - seitan with either sweet potato or wholewheat bagel
meal 4 - haricot beans and melba toast (like dried cracker type things) + 25g protein shake
meal 5 - soya yogurt with 10g protein powder
meal 6 - 1 cup peas, 1 cup sweetcorn, 100g brocolli and 100g spinach with gravy +25g protein shake
before bed - 30g casein shake
(also take 4 calcium and vit d tablets throughout the day and 1 multivitamin in the morning)

calories - 2000-2250
protein - 230g
carbs - 190g
fat - 50g

As for my workouts, I like to change up the exercises a lot but I always train 6x a week with yoga on my rest day and I train each muscle 2x a week except shoulders, bicep and triceps which I train 3x a week.
My split is usually something like this:
shoulders biceps and triceps
legs and chest
back and biceps
chest shoulders and triceps
legs and back
shoulders biceps and triceps
yoga

I train abs 3x a week and fit in cardio when I can (from 45 mins - 1 hour 15 sessions) but to be honest I dont do too much (3x a week absolute max but some weeks I only do 1x). I know Ill have to step up the cardio if I want to compete.

Im very motivated and I like to think I have a bit of knowledge because I spend so much timee reading about this kind of stuff. And I do train really hard but I wouldnt say I overtrain.. I havent had any of the 'symptoms' anyway.

Do you think it would be worth me reading that Bodybuilding encyclopedia? or isnt it suitable for physique competing?

If I may, I have some recommendations for your diet. You don't need that much protein. I take about 200g a day to maintain and gain and I'm leaner than you. You also should consider consuming more fat and carbs. The majority of your carbs should be taken preworkout. Save that protein and fat for after the workout. Make sure you get your carbs from fruit and whole grain products. I would also up your carbs on days that you do workout. It is your body's premier energy source so it'll make your workouts that much better if they're intense. On the protein, if you consume too much your body will store it as fat if it can't use it. I'm not saying you're not losing bf, but you might be able to lose it more efficiently.

Next up, personally, no.. I would not necessarily recommend The Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding for what you are doing. Subtle differences in the sports may throw you off and ruin your competition. It is better to learn the right way the first time. Although The Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding does have many good facts about nutrition and muscle building, half the book is committed to instruction and competition. You might venture to check it out, but for a price of 50 US Dollars, I'm sure you can find a better information base between a few books for an equal value. What would I recommend? A good start would be Runner's Diet by Madelyn H. Fernstrom PHD. It contains much useful information about nutrition and is a helluva lot more informative for muscle building and losing weight than a book filled with all the common myths.. even if it is called "Runner's" Diet, it is an exceptional read of which you can use to build a solid diet.

Other than that, I do agree with Wyomann, he stated a very good point. It would be wise to go to competitions and talk with the pros of your sport, however keep in mind, what works for them will not always work for you.

[hannah7733]

If I may, I have some recommendations for your diet. You don't need that much protein. I take about 200g a day to maintain and gain and I'm leaner than you. You also should consider consuming more fat and carbs. The majority of your carbs should be taken preworkout. Save that protein and fat for after the workout. Make sure you get your carbs from fruit and whole grain products. I would also up your carbs on days that you do workout. It is your body's premier energy source so it'll make your workouts that much better if they're intense. On the protein, if you consume too much your body will store it as fat if it can't use it. I'm not saying you're not losing bf, but you might be able to lose it more efficiently.

Next up, personally, no.. I would not necessarily recommend The Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding for what you are doing. Subtle differences in the sports may throw you off and ruin your competition. It is better to learn the right way the first time. Although The Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding does have many good facts about nutrition and muscle building, half the book is committed to instruction and competition. You might venture to check it out, but for a price of 50 US Dollars, I'm sure you can find a better information base between a few books for an equal value. What would I recommend? A good start would be Runner's Diet by Madelyn H. Fernstrom PHD. It contains much useful information about nutrition and is a helluva lot more informative for muscle building and losing weight than a book filled with all the common myths.. even if it is called "Runner's" Diet, it is an exceptional read of which you can use to build a solid diet.

Other than that, I do agree with Wyomann, he stated a very good point. It would be wise to go to competitions and talk with the pros of your sport, however keep in mind, what works for them will not always work for you.

Thanks for the advice. To be honest I dont really feel like Im losing much bodyfat at the moment, maybe a little but nothing major which is why Im starting to question my diet. Would it be better for me to have say.. 2100 cals, 200g protein, 225g carbs and 50g fat... so same calories and fat but more carbs and less protein? I reckon Ive messed up my metabolism or something (not making excuses or anything) because in the past I used to like starve myself and live off ridiculously low amount of calories so even when Im eating at 2100 cals (which is apparently my maintenance) its more like a bulk.. Im gaining a good amount of muscle though but Im just concerned about how to go about cutting when Im at that stage. Ive been looking all over for some kind of step by step guide for pre contest diets and everything but theres so many articles all suggesting different things and being vegan its not like I can find one thats suited just for me and dont know what to follow so all pretty confusing xD
Anyway, thanks everyone for the comments

[hannah7733]

It took me 3 years to get to the stage where I was confident enough to compete. Cardio is great. But Weight training is a MUST. and you need to be pushing the weights. I went from doing body weight squats to 125kg within 9 months and it helped me out somuch!. My goal is to bench 100KG eventually. Being able to do things such as pullups, deadlifts, squats, bench, overhead press are the still the staples even for us ladies.

Do you have any pictures of where you started from and then a few progress pics up to when you began competing?
Yeh I love weight training which is why my workouts are so intense but I have one problem which is that I train at home so for things like bench and squats I have to be cautious of how much weight I use because I have no spotter. Your bench goal is the same as mine =] eventually XD Ive only really started hitting my chest properly in the last few weeks so I got my brother to act as a spotter to find my max bench and I was at 40kg so got a long way to go but I guess its not bad for someone who weighs 50kg and never really done chest before.

[RelentlessT]

Thanks for the advice. To be honest I dont really feel like Im losing much bodyfat at the moment, maybe a little but nothing major which is why Im starting to question my diet. Would it be better for me to have say.. 2100 cals, 200g protein, 225g carbs and 50g fat... so same calories and fat but more carbs and less protein? I reckon Ive messed up my metabolism or something (not making excuses or anything) because in the past I used to like starve myself and live off ridiculously low amount of calories so even when Im eating at 2100 cals (which is apparently my maintenance) its more like a bulk.. Im gaining a good amount of muscle though but Im just concerned about how to go about cutting when Im at that stage. Ive been looking all over for some kind of step by step guide for pre contest diets and everything but theres so many articles all suggesting different things and being vegan its not like I can find one thats suited just for me and dont know what to follow so all pretty confusing xD
Anyway, thanks everyone for the comments

Cutting is just that. They lower calories, (to what I believe is lower than maintenance). This results in both a loss of muscle and fat. The book that I recommended will teach you how to cut fat without having to cut muscle too. Now, the main thing to understand is that there is most likely going to be a bit more work to it than what you imagined. Ya know how different articles often suggest different things and are based off of totally different theories? Well, welcome to bodybuilding. Your best bet will be to learn as much as you possibly can and piece together the 'truths'. The truths will only reveal themselves by show of studies, and what actually works for you. It does take time, and it does take experience.

As for foods and diet, here's a helpful site: nutritiondataDOTselfDOTcom
That will help you get an idea of what to buy and include in your diet. Easy to mess around with.

As for what your diet 'should' include, using a model that works for me, try a 50-25-25 approach.
50% of your total calories should come from carbs (fruit, vegetables, and whole grains)
25% protein (try to get it from food)
25% fat (try to get it from unsaturated fat)

I'm sure you already know that proteins and carbs contain 4 calories per gram and fat has 9 per gram

If you are gaining over a pound a week and not losing bodyfat it is safe to say that you are consuming too many calories, or not working out enough to burn those calories.

[cbd88]

im in a similar position so ive added you as a friend so i can follow your progress :) hope you dont mind

[hannah7733]

im in a similar position so ive added you as a friend so i can follow your progress :) hope you dont mind

Thats cool = ] nice to see someone from England on here! Are you wanting to compete in physique aswell?

[CertifiedMuscle]

It looks like you've got good potential (I don't compete, but I follow contest-prep related stuff closely). Your arms are very impressive! Honestly I would say that if you beefed up your thighs, you would have a killer physique (after cutting, of course). Hope this helps

[hannah7733]

It looks like you've got good potential (I don't compete, but I follow contest-prep related stuff closely). Your arms are very impressive! Honestly I would say that if you beefed up your thighs, you would have a killer physique (after cutting, of course). Hope this helps

Hey thank you =D I totally argree with you about my legs and cutting. My legs are definately my lagging body part because to begin with I didnt really train them so they missed out for the first month or something. But now Im hitting them HARD and theyve really improved and Im actually begining to see the beginnings of some definition and theyre feeling a lot more solid and muscular now.