Bikini Comp at 30

[Dandelion30]

Hi all,
I'm a long time lurker, but new to the forum.
I'd like some feedback on a long-term plan for participating in a bikini competition.
I turned 28 this summer and have been thinking about things I'd like to do before I turn 30 and/or to celebrate turning 30. I've decided that a bikini competition is something I'd like to do as a gift to myself when I turn 30. So, I have almost 2 years to prep.

I currently lift casually. 2-3X a week full body with mostly compound lifts. I also do Cardio, hiking/trail jogging or incline walking on treadmill for 30-60 mins 2-3Xa week. I also do other active things... yoga, walk my dogs, play volleyball, etc.

Stats are 5'8" 160lbs 25-30%BF(different depending on the measuring instrument)

This is the general plan I've come up with:

-Start with Lyle Mcdonald's RFL protocol to drop below 20%BF. Continue full body and keep volume low.

-Then move into a higher intensity workout, probably 4 day upper/lower split with LISS and a day or two of HIIT...maybe something like a BB complex for HIIT as a finisher or as a 5th day of lifting. Use carb/calorie cycling during this time. Use this to try and drop down into the teens of BF%.

-From there, move into a more typical 5-6 day split and either continue carb/cal cycling or just use a typical deficit with 40/30/30 or 40/40/20 (depending on which I do better with).

Advice? As I am looking at this I'm wondering if doing something like RFL at the beginning is backwards.

TIA for any help!

[Partyrocking]

There's no reason to try and figure out your next two years all at once. You need to take things one step at a time and be able to make adjustments as you need them. Things like this never go exactly as planned.

Forget about what split you want to do when, macro ratios, carb cycling, any of that stuff and start lifting consistently.

Pick one program, don't really care which one, but commit yourself to something and clean up your diet. More produce, less junk food, no need to give it a fancy name or try and reinvent the wheel.

Drop 15lbs or so and then you'll have a better idea of what you have to work with.

[sy2502]

There's no reason to try and figure out your next two years all at once. You need to take things one step at a time and be able to make adjustments as you need them. Things like this never go exactly as planned.

Forget about what split you want to do when, macro ratios, carb cycling, any of that stuff and start lifting consistently.

Pick one program, don't really care which one, but commit yourself to something and clean up your diet. More produce, less junk food, no need to give it a fancy name or try and reinvent the wheel.

Drop 15lbs or so and then you'll have a better idea of what you have to work with.

What she said. Your plan should be first of all to gain muscle, then when you have enough muscle to compete, you can start your contest prep plan. When you are a beginner any reputable plan will work if you eat enough protein and calories to support your muscle gain. But don't underestimate the time and effort it takes to build muscle. Also this part is not the time to think about losing weight. That will come later.

Once you have gained enough muscle, I'd suggest, like Partyrocking said, to start easing your way down to around 20% fat, gradually and stress free, relying mostly on lifestyle changes like she described rather than a structured diet. That's a decent starting percentage for a contest prep.

For the actual prep, I'd strongly advise you to find a reputable coach to give you an exercise and nutrition plan and follow you through your prep. I really don't recommend first timers to compete without a good coach, but that's just a personal opinion.

All the best to you! It's refreshing to see people come here with a long term plan rather than "hey I never lifted in my life but I lost a bunch of weight and I want to compete in 3 months, what do I do".

[Dandelion30]

Thanks for the response!
Couple of questions. I'm already 160lbs and higher bf%. Most of what I've read has suggested that at that high of weight/BF that I try to lose fat. Also, I've been lifting for years. I would say I'm still a beginner, because I haven't progressed sagnificantly for many years, but I don't think I will experience any kind of beginner gains at this point.

With this in mind, should I still be focusing on muscle gain (vs. fat loss)?

[sy2502]

Thanks for the response!
Couple of questions. I'm already 160lbs and higher bf%. Most of what I've read has suggested that at that high of weight/BF that I try to lose fat. Also, I've been lifting for years. I would say I'm still a beginner, because I haven't progressed sagnificantly for many years, but I don't think I will experience any kind of beginner gains at this point.

With this in mind, should I still be focusing on muscle gain (vs. fat loss)?

Sorry, I read you "lift casually 2-3 times a week", so I assumed you hadn't actually been training with a lifting program.

It's difficult to give suggestions to a perfect stranger since we don't know what you look like. If you feel you already have the muscle you need and you want to lower your body fat, by all means do that. If you want to gain more muscle now and then lose fat, by all means do that. You do realize we are shooting in the total darkness here, right? Also there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat. Do whatever you feel more comfortable doing.