Should YOU do a bodybuilding show?
Let’s be clear from the start: if you have just started lifting, you have no business being on a stage. Build a foundation first. Too many people confuse a "fitness journey" with bodybuilding.
It is not a weight loss competition Don’t get me wrong: if you lose 100lbs, that is a fantastic achievement. Well done, truly. But if you step on stage afterwards with 15% body fat, that has nothing to do with competitive bodybuilding.
Bodybuilding isn’t about where you came from. It is about how you look right now. The judges judge the final product. We are talking about 5% body fat, striated glutes, and muscle mass that took years to build. If you don’t have that baseline? Then a prep is a waste of your time and health.
The social and mental cost You can find balance in the offseason. During contest prep, balance does not exist. There is only one goal, and everything else has to yield.
Relationships are strained: Your partner has to deal with your fatigue and rigid schedule.
Social isolation: Clubbing? Forget it. Dinner at a restaurant? Not gonna happen. Hanging out with friends? Maybe, if it fits your schedule and allows you to be in bed on time for tomorrow's training.
It demands everything from you, physically and mentally. Are you willing to pay that price for a plastic trophy?
Why are you doing this? (The Ego Trap) This is the most important question. If you start bodybuilding because you are insecure and looking for validation, this is a terrible idea.
You step on stage to be criticized. It doesn’t matter if this is your "best look ever." You won’t get compliments; you will be told what is lacking. After the show, you and your coach discuss what needs to improve. It is not the ego stroke many hope for. You have to do this because you love the sport, because you want to test your limits and see how far you can push your physique. Not for the approval of strangers.
Health and PEDs On social media, people dance around it, but here we are honest: a contest prep is not healthy. Your body does not want to be that lean. You are fighting your own biology. Your hormones will crash, your libido will vanish, and you will be exhausted. Furthermore, PED dosages are often increased leading up to a show. This is temporary, but it absolutely impacts your health.
Ask yourself: how far are you willing to go? If you aren’t sure of the answer, stay off the stage.
