Want to start competing!!

[builtnaturally1]

New to this site, which is obvious right...

Want to start competing and want some advice on my diet, supplements, and workout routine.

5'9 and 210lbs with 20% BF (done with calipers at the gym so I know not an exact science)

Always wanted to compete in a natural competition and going to give it a shot! Was a Division 1 college wrestler and have been working out since then so I have a fairly good muscle base but have never really leaned out since my college wrestling days...

Any advice would be welcome...will try to upload pics in a few days but don't have any as of now...thanks

[Android1125]

The best advice anyone could give you is to not complicate anything on your way to the stage. If you don't have a coach (I highly recommend hiring one btw.) just stick to the basics. Don't over do the cardio or dieting. Start out at a slight caloric deficit (300 cals for example) and decrease from there. If you give yourself enough time you might not even have to do cardio till the end of your prep but if you feel like it maybe 5-10 all out sprints 2x a week would be a good start. Good luck man.

[wrhalljr]

You can get a lot of great information by searching this site for tips and others who have done the same...remember one thing though everyone is different and every body is different! What works for one person may not work for you. A coach, as was said above, is the best option if you are really serious about dong this. They are able to look at you every week and monitor your progress to see if what you are doing is working or not and if you are on track for your contest date. I started mine last year almost 7 months out and lost exactly 1.5 lbs a week to get to under 5% BF. Good luck on your journey.

[demonwareltd]

Like the two mentioned above - if serious about competing and doing well, look into hiring a coach. Myself and several other guys on the boards here offer such services, so feel free to PM me if interested.

If you decide to go it your own, I highly recommend at a minimum you keep a log in the contest prep section. This is the best way to get continuous feedback from various people along the way which could come in handy.

- Stan

[fltallpaul]

New to this site, which is obvious right...

Want to start competing and want some advice on my diet, supplements, and workout routine.

5'9 and 210lbs with 20% BF (done with calipers at the gym so I know not an exact science)

Always wanted to compete in a natural competition and going to give it a shot! Was a Division 1 college wrestler and have been working out since then so I have a fairly good muscle base but have never really leaned out since my college wrestling days...

Any advice would be welcome...will try to upload pics in a few days but don't have any as of now...thanks

Have you read this article by Layne?

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne36.htm

[simpleguy4]

Along with all of the great advice above, I would say the thing I did on my way was to become a "student" of the sport. Read and study as much as you can to educate yourself on every aspect of nutrition, training, contest prep, etc. Find the top guys in the sport of natural BBing and read what they have to say...you will come to find that although they approach things in slightly different ways, the general "rules" are very similar and there is no one "right" way to go about things.
I agree that if it is possible, a coach will lead to the quickest progression. It will eliminate a lot of the trial and error and set you up for success immediately....In my case, due to financial reasons, I have never been able to afford a coach so have done it on my own. So, although I believe a coach is ideal, but you can be successful without one IF you are willing to to study, experiment, and invest a lot of time outside of the gym and kitchen.
Just as fltllpaul posted above....that is the very article that set me on my way!!!!

[Gibson5521]

^^^ YES

READ READ READ:

Layne Norton
Alan Aragon
Lyle Mcdonald
3DMusclejourney
*Eric Helms specifically or Alberto Nunez

These mentioned people are coaches however they have tons of articles, info, and videos.

[builtnaturally1]

[QUOTE=fltallpaul;1003508923]Have you read this article by Layne?

Just read it and thank you for the link...only question I would have is he is basically an every 2 to 3 hour (depending on your body type) proponent, however reading a lot of threads on IF and Lean Gains they totally contradict that notion of the need for many small meals...is it just what works best for each person as was said a few posts earlier or is there more science behind it that I'm missing?

[simpleguy4]

[QUOTE=builtnaturally1;1003765893]

Have you read this article by Layne?

Just read it and thank you for the link...only question I would have is he is basically an every 2 to 3 hour (depending on your body type) proponent, however reading a lot of threads on IF and Lean Gains they totally contradict that notion of the need for many small meals...is it just what works best for each person as was said a few posts earlier or is there more science behind it that I'm missing?

There is no right or wrong....many different approaches will yield great results. The goal is to find the right approach for YOU!!! If you are new to the game, take the time and experiment with different approaches and actually SEE what you respond to. Over the years I have tried many different approaches and all of them worked, but I finally dialed in the best way for me and continue to tweak and adjust as I go.
There is solid science and real world results behind most all approaches...and you will see both positive and negative evaluations for all approaches. High carb, low carb, zero carb, carb cycling, IF, multi meals per day, carb back loading, Lean Gains, IIFYM, etc......all work for certain people and those people will proclaim it is the best way. In reality, the best way is the way that works for you and your lifestyle and is set up in a way that you will adhere to it.

[fltallpaul]

[QUOTE=builtnaturally1;1003765893]

Have you read this article by Layne?

Just read it and thank you for the link...only question I would have is he is basically an every 2 to 3 hour (depending on your body type) proponent, however reading a lot of threads on IF and Lean Gains they totally contradict that notion of the need for many small meals...is it just what works best for each person as was said a few posts earlier or is there more science behind it that I'm missing?

That article is about 8 years old. Layne's research has led him to believe in a different approach where protein dosing is done every 4-6 hours. The IF diet is great but there is research that shows its not possible to stimulate protein synthesis as many times throughout the day by eating several large doses of protein as you can every 5 hours or so.

Bottom line is to try something and see how it works for you. If you are getting in your Macro's for the day and training hard you will make progress.

I found Layne's video describing how protein distribution can affect muscle.

[liftlaughlove01]

New to this site, which is obvious right...

Want to start competing and want some advice on my diet, supplements, and workout routine.

5'9 and 210lbs with 20% BF (done with calipers at the gym so I know not an exact science)

Always wanted to compete in a natural competition and going to give it a shot! Was a Division 1 college wrestler and have been working out since then so I have a fairly good muscle base but have never really leaned out since my college wrestling days...

Any advice would be welcome...will try to upload pics in a few days but don't have any as of now...thanks

Good luck

[kingjameskjf]

Some great advice in here. Don't jump in too quick, know what you want to accomplish, establish your goals and then start the process. Like the other posters have said, you have to find what works for you. I've done 3 NPC competitions now and am still fine tuning and tweaking things as I go. One thing I found important was to maintain a steady caloric deficit, no huge jumps. Do this through the gradual decrease in calories and gradual increase in cardio.

Just read it and thank you for the link...only question I would have is he is basically an every 2 to 3 hour (depending on your body type) proponent, however reading a lot of threads on IF and Lean Gains they totally contradict that notion of the need for many small meals...is it just what works best for each person as was said a few posts earlier or is there more science behind it that I'm missing?

I've done both ways and have found success with both. Lean Gains is one method that is effective. Try it and if it works for you then you know you can effectively implement it. I also did a variation of LG where I would also carb cycle, because I found that worked well for me. If you hate it and don't see results, change it up and try another method.

That article is about 8 years old. Layne's research has led him to believe in a different approach where protein dosing is done every 4-6 hours. The IF diet is great but there is research that shows its not possible to stimulate protein synthesis as many times throughout the day by eating several large doses of protein as you can every 5 hours or so.

Bottom line is to try something and see how it works for you. If you are getting in your Macro's for the day and training hard you will make progress.

I found Layne's video describing how protein distribution can affect muscle.

yes but I would like to point out that when you are in a caloric deficit you cannot build muscle (AAS aside), therefore maximizing the amount of muscle protein synthesis isn't the focal point, whereas, general muscle stimulation to help maintain muscle mass becomes more important IMO.