Your 12 Week Competition Breakdown: What Every Competitor Should Know.

So you’ve finally decided to compete in your first show. Congrats! Now get ready for quite a ride!

For the next 12 weeks, you will be up, down, and at times somewhere between total world domination and well, total mental breakdown at times. You will be training like beast, eating like a saint, and a majority of the time during your first prep, wondering; “What in the world am I doing?”

It’s very easy during training, meal prepping, posing, and life to forget about the small stuff, besides cupcakes; you will always, down to the minute, remember when the next time you can have a cupcake.

Before you know it, you’re 3 weeks out, and completely freaking out about shoes, registration, hotels, and orange spray tans.

So I’ve broken it down for the next 12 weeks, your Show Prep Check-List:

WEEK 12,11,10:

• Register for your show.  Whether it's your first one of you're a veteran.  Pick a show and register!  This is an accountability piece to the prep puzzle.  There are tons of federations to choose from!  Research and pick the one that best suits your body, schedule (its a long 12 weeks), and your personality.

• Pick a coach.  I do this for a living and I still have a coach! Why?  Because having an extra set of eyes, ears, and mind will help you every step!  Research online, with other competitors, and meet with coaches until you find the one that fits you perfect.  It's crucial you trust your coach!

• Start Posing.  You can have the best physique in the world, but if you don't have presentation, no one is going to see you in a class of a 100 competitors.  Start with youtube.  Search your federations previous shows and your favorite fitness athletes!  This will give you an idea before you start posing classes with your coach.  Also, check out for upcoming workshops in your area.

• GET your Supplement game on.. Your coach will guide your on this, but having your diet and nutrition is vital in show prep.  I'm so thankful for my amazing sponsor Axis Labs Performance Nutrition for all the supplement support I get during my prep.

Week 9,8,7:

• Have your “soft routine” done..  Start establishing your "posing personality" and how you want to present your package onstage.

• Start Promoting yourself.  Whether you just want to accept the challenge of doing a show or you want to make an impact on the fitness industry; what you're doing is inspiring!  Start sharing it!

• Outreach.  New to shows?  Contact some veterans and rack their brain.  You'll have so many questions; reach out to them, they'll have great insight to prep.

Week 6,5,4:

• Find and order your suit, shoes, and jewelry.

• Your suit is everything; no matter what division!  I always suggest ordering a custom suit tailored to your body and make sure to check with your federation on suit requirements, heel height, etc.

• Schedule hair, tanning, and nails appointment.  Some shows require you to use the on-site glam squads, so make sure to check with your federation first, but find stylists, tanners, and MUA's that have worked with competitors previously.

• Book hotel, flight, accommodations.  Always check to see if your host hotel for the show is offering discounts.  Rooms and flights can book fast, so just one less thing to check off the list ahead of time.

• Order your show tickets.

Week 3:

• Finalize all scheduled appointments.

• Finalize all travel and accommodations.

• Polish your routine: down to the details.  Front, Back, Side, Turns, Transitions: they have to be spot on!  Also, the small things like knowing how to pose depending on your line position or flexing; make sure to check with your federation on posing requirements and nail your walk, poses, and personality!

• Find some inspiration.  This is a step a lot of competitors forget.  You've been training for what feels like ages and you might be slightly burnt out; which is ok!  Dig up some new inspiration!  Go to a show, watch competitions online, I even write down a diary of why I started this prep; anything to get you in the zone!

  Week 2:

• Try on your suit.  I always order my suit at 6 weeks and try it on at 2 weeks out; why?  Because at 2 weeks your suit will fit best before the last inches may come off and you will still have time to do alterations if needed.

• Pose with your suit on.

• Get all peak week supplements needed.. The number one supplement I rely on during my peak week is Axis Labs Extract!  This product never let's me down when I'm needing to drop my last bit of water retention during peak week.

Week 1:

• Check your social.  Most federations have an online community base.  Check these outlets for last minute show updates, encouragement, and deals on show specials!

• Remember who to thank.. No matter what your reason is for stepping on that stage, no one, I mean no one, goes at it alone.  My favorite part of competing is learning from my coach, sharing it with my loved ones, and celebrating it with my people!  I COULDNT DO ANY OF THIS without the amazing support team I have from family, friends, and my clients.  So give some thanks back for all the help!

• Prepare for the post.  I know you've heard horrific "post show" experiences, and I can tell you first hand, how much post show binging, blues, and expectations can be.  ALWAYS HAVE YOUR POST SHOW NUTRITION, WORKOUT, AND MENTAL PLAN ready for after the big day.   Also, realize that the work and dedication is far from over.  If you want to transition in a healthy to a sustainable, "off season" package, its a slow, patient process.

• Peak Week:

• Pack your bag.. Peak week can be hectic!  Pack your bag early and don't forget the crucial items (suit, shoes, jewelry) and I always make sure to have back UPS of everything; just in case.

• Get some direction.  Attend any athlete meeting or check-in to know the show's schedule.  Also, meet with your coach to know this week's final instructions.

• One last hoorah.  Do final posing session in suit and shoes a couple days before your show and you're not leaving until you feel completely prepared.

• Relax.  Seriously; you have too!  There is nothing left to stress about, you made it to the day.  So finish those last workouts and posing sessions, pack your bag, kick up your feet, and mentally prepare for awesomeness!

• You’ve trained hard, now go show everyone what you’ve been working on!  12 weeks of mental, physical, sometime social sacrifices and determination has led you to these couple short minutes on stage.  The only regret you can have is not giving it your all: go work it!

Every time I train for a show, people always ask me a question: “What do I get for doing a show?”
They’re normally shocked when I tell them that most the time, if I’m lucky enough, it’s a trophy.
“Why would you put yourself through that for 12 weeks for just a trophy?” they ask.
My answer is always the same: because I can.
No one can understand the process of training unless they’ve been through it, and until that moment you walk across the stage for the first time, neither will you.
But once the grind, the work, the celebration is over; you’ll notice something different about yourself.
That you never really look at obstacles in life the same. You’ll find yourself taking chances, being fearless in your pursuits, and finding your next goals even challenging than before.
Why? BECAUSE YOU CAN.

Article Contributed by:
Alysha White
Axis Labs Sponsored Athlete and Personal Trainer
@justafitchick