Am I in a position to compete?

[rickybonnell]

I have created this thread for help and to help others with competition prep. Like many others out there, I never feel ready to contemplate competing even though people have told me I should.

I would like some opinions from the more experienced bodybuilders out there. My stats are listed below. I have 11 months to train and prepare before the next local competition. Any thoughts, comments or criticism would be very much appreciated.

Height - 6' 0.5"
Weight - 202
Bodyfat - 12-14%
Arms - 16.5" (flexed not pumped)
Legs - 25" (flexed not pumped)
Chest - 45" (cold)
Calves - 15.5"
Forearms - 14.5"
Waist - 31"

Lifting stats (1RM)

Deadlift - 500 lbs
Bench press - 315 lbs
Squat - ~375 lbs
Clean and Press - ~225-250 lbs

[Allen Cress]

Pics are needed much more than your stats to give an assessment. At 6 foot and 202 lbs that is fairly light for bodybuilding purposes. Not to say you shouldn't compete depending on your structure, but be realistic and know that once you diet down you will lose anywhere from 15-30 lbs depending on your starting condition so that would roughly put you in the middleweights and you rarely see a middleweight that tall. Also how much you can lift is completely irrelavant when it comes to bodybuilding. This is not powerlifting and a judge could care less how much you lift. Remember you are judged on how you look, period.

I would recommend hiring a coach if possible and take the time to fill out your frame. A second pair of unbiased eyes is definitley needed especially if you have never competed and even then I still think a coach is important to keep you on the right path. I have been coaching for over a decade and have been competing for 20 years and I still have a second pair of eyes watching over me the last few weeks into a contest.

[rickybonnell]

Thanks for the advice, I will post a few pics to my profile soon. My height was my concern because obviously someone who is several inches shorter and the same weight would be more muscular assuming the same conditioning. I am aware that strength is not judged, I simply put my lifting stats there as an indication of gym prowess. I find training for strength/power is beneficial just before switching to hypertrophy.
Thanks again for your response, I hope to get a little more advice from you in the future.

[RichMcGuire]

The biggest thing with local competitions is being super lean. You dont have to be a pro to win em. In my opinion, i think you should go for it just to get some experience under your belt and see some of the competition. After that, you can build up, work on weak points, whatever.

[Meat_Head]

With all due respect to the above guys, 25" thighs?

No offense or discouragement intended, OP, but a lot of guys have 25" thighs with no training. You might want to take your time.

I'd listen to Allen Cress. Build it up.

[RichMcGuire]

With all due respect to the above guys, 25" thighs?

No offense or discouragement intended, OP, but a lot of guys have 25" thighs with no training. You might want to take your time.

I'd listen to Allen Cress. Build it up.

I think a lot of people who wait to compete until they are ready..end up never competing at all because they never feel ready. Local comps arent that serious anyways. A lot of the top natural bodybuilders ive talked to personally including john hansen have said that the leanest usually wins those and not necessarily the biggest.

I think the op would have fun entering and seeing whats out there. It might even give him that sense of urgency and motivation for another competition..whether thats 8 mnths later, or 2 years later.

Just my thoughts.

[Judas]

I'm not a bodybuilder, but in powerlifting i've heard the same thing since i started training. "I dont want to compete until________." 99% ov those guys never end up doing it. Three local "superhardcore" bodybuilders say the same thing... "Oh... maybe when i'm 250 and ripped...". They'll never do it.

If the OP wants to then there is no better time, obviously assuming he's ready (conditioning). Size wise... definitely not quite there yet, but neither is the powerlifter thats benching 250 and deadlifting 385... still doesn't stop him from 1, having a helluva time, and 2, gaining very valuable competition experience, and 3, possibly meeting all kinds ov like-minded people.

On the other hand, i've seen more than one serious badass gym lifter FINALLY step on the platform, all alpha and ready to kill... only to bomb because he had no idea how different a meet is from the rec center...

I say if you want to, and your conditioning at least is good enough... do it.

[FearFactory]

With all due respect to the above guys, 25" thighs?

No offense or discouragement intended, OP, but a lot of guys have 25" thighs with no training. You might want to take your time.

I'd listen to Allen Cress. Build it up.

25" thighs in contest condition, or even in decently lean condition are big thighs for being natural. Anybody can have huge thighs with no conditioning.

[J L S]

you learn by doing... end of story