Muscle & Fitness UK – July 2019

F E AT U R E

72 MUSCLE & FITNESS/JULY 2019

BY COACH JOHN BERRY

W

hy do we train?

For some it’s about

confidence, for others it’s

about finding their limits and for

an increasing number of people

it’s about stepping on stage.

DO YOU WANT TO COMPETE?

ASK THE COACH

I’m going to outline the things you need

to know about undergoing a contest

prep!

WHAT IT TAKES

The first thing you need to be aware of is

what it takes. Competing is something

that requires extreme dedication, a

slightly selfish mindset and the ability

to work under pressure.

During my time working as a coach,

I would say that around 25% of people

who decide to compete don’t make it to

show day. Some struggle with their diet.

Some struggle to put the time in with

work and family commitments, and for

a few, when the day finally arrives, they

are too mentally drained to find it in

themselves to step on stage. It takes

a certain type of person to go the full

distance.

Competing is a lot of work, but for

some reason many of us love it. Chasing

perfection never comes easy, but once

you make it through the journey, the

effort is always worth it.

With that in mind, if you think you’ve

got what it takes- let’s begin your journey.

STEP 1:

FIND A COACH

There are lots of online coaches, some

very good, some not so. Do some

research and shop around. You and your

coach must click because over a period

of months they will become your biggest

support and you need to be on the same

page before the journey starts.

STEP 2:

CONDITION CHECK

Once you’ve chosen your coach, it’s time

to sit down and allow them to see your

current condition. As a general rule of

thumb, a 12-14 week prep would suit men

starting off at around 15% and women at

around 20% body fat. This gives enough

time to prep in a controlled manner and

allows the body to slowly adapt to

declining levels of body fat. Sometimes

a longer prep is necessary and beneficial

as small diet breaks in a prep can be a

huge help in certain cases. Most of the

time we underestimate our body fat

levels, so make a sensible assessment

along with your coach as to how far out

you truly are.

STEP 3:

PICK YOUR SHOW

Once you have decided how long you

need to prep, it’s time to pick your show.

STEP 4:

LET’S PREP!

So, now that you have your show date

and your coach, the hard work can begin.

Everyone’s contest prep is different, so

it’s imperative to trust in the process you

are going through and not focus on

anyone else. Each week your food,

training, and cardio pattern may alter

slightly- but they may not.

During the process there will be times

you want to quit, times you think your

progress is too slow, and times you

question why you started it at all. Those

moments right there are the ones that

will define your success.

* Every meal eaten or missed- matters.

* Every training session, effort level-

matters.

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