Bikini or Figure?

[caitlynbolda]

Ladies, I need your help!

I am currently preparing to do my first competition in August. I am planning to do a 14 week cutting cycle starting on May 10th. I am currently trying to make a game plan on my diet, training and misc. preparations. The problem is, I don't know which class to enter into. I am 5'6 currently weighing in at 134 pounds with about a month and a half left during my 'bulking' phase, and I am currently about 17% body fat. I have broad shoulders and I am a mesomorph. I currently have a pretty decent amount of muscle everywhere on my body, and particularly muscular arms. I have curves though and I have asked opinions of my friends and my boyfriend and I am getting split answers.

Do you all have any recommendations? Please, any help would be appreciated!!

[kimm4]

Progress pics would be helpful. No one can give you any real feedback without knowing what you look like.

[Cardioconvert]

This seems to be a very popular question right now.

Kimm and others have provided some great feedback in threads titled almost identically to yours and those threads may also be worth checking out.

Perhaps one of her responses / a variation thereof could be stickied, forum admins?

CC

[rockangel]

We have a sticky

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=130738983

[Cardioconvert]

We have a sticky

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=130738983

Beauty - thanks, yes, I guess that information is in that great thread. I just noticed so many "Bikini or figures" lately, didn't know if it was worth having a sticky just to outline the basic 'look' for each category (fully appreciating that different federations have a slightly different twist, but a general idea)

Thanks!

CC

[rockangel]

I think it is important to do the research into it BEFORE someone decides to compete. The look is gonna depend of course on which org and which level you are on. I would say that most people who come asking these questions do not have even a year of training under them, do not post pictures, and do no research other than "i want to compete".
Im not sure its worth the work of making a sticky to compare, NPC vs WBFF vs FAP vs INBA vs.... and if someone googled it... the info is prob all ready out there.

[Cardioconvert]

More than agreed

[KatySchlake]

Ladies, I need your help!

I am currently preparing to do my first competition in August. I am planning to do a 14 week cutting cycle starting on May 10th. I am currently trying to make a game plan on my diet, training and misc. preparations. The problem is, I don't know which class to enter into. I am 5'6 currently weighing in at 134 pounds with about a month and a half left during my 'bulking' phase, and I am currently about 17% body fat. I have broad shoulders and I am a mesomorph. I currently have a pretty decent amount of muscle everywhere on my body, and particularly muscular arms. I have curves though and I have asked opinions of my friends and my boyfriend and I am getting split answers.

Do you all have any recommendations? Please, any help would be appreciated!!

If you can hold onto your muscle throughout your cutting phase you should be pretty good to go for figure. However if you lose some then you might be more suited for bikini.

[marie4u]

females often gym for arms and tummy but they forget to gym for thighs which gives negative impact. you should keep in mind that thing.

[baileyfong]

females often gym for arms and tummy but they forget to gym for thighs which gives negative impact. you should keep in mind that thing.

Whaaaat...

[danap3681]

Whaaaat...

Think someone may have been sippin' a little bit of al-key-hall!!!

[caitlynbolda]

Sorry I have been away from the website for a while.
I have done my fair share of research on both categories and I feel like I am smack dab in the middle of the two.
I have attached 2 photos, one back shot and one front. I am currently finishing the last week or so of bulking and start cutting on May 3rd for my show in August. My abs will of course be more visible as a start cutting but I can feel the six pack.

The quality for the back shot is kind of low because I used my front facing camera, which is pretty crappy.

Please give me any feedback you may have

Thank you!

[discdoggie]

It's really hard to tell anything from those photos.

[megdaig]

Agree with DD. Try setting a camera with an auto timer on a flat surface at about waist level and in an area with decent lighting.

Your shoulders look like they have a nice roundness to them...but once you cut down you'll need to see where you end up size wise.

[caitlynbolda]

Alright I will be sure to do that within the next day or so.

Thank you ladies!

[caitlynbolda]

I attached some better pictures. Used contrast so you could better see.

According to hydro-static weighing I am currently at 17.3% body fat and 135 pounds. 5'6

Cut starting May 3rd, I know the muscle will be more visible then because its a little hidden right now
Any opinions based off of where I am currently at?

[discdoggie]

looks to me like you may be able to pull off figure.

[caitlynbolda]

looks to me like you may be able to pull off figure.

Thank you for your input!

[msmonster0906]

nice arms and you have a nice waist!

[caitlynbolda]

nice arms and you have a nice waist!

Thank you!