Training for a figure competition is a lot harder than it may seem. It is a very intense experience that really pushes you to your physical limits and tests your character.
Some people may watch a figure show and think of it simply as a bikini contest. It is far from that. While there is a trend recently to include some type of bikini/swimsuit category to a bodybuilding and figure competition, the training involved is much different.
As many of us know, it is very difficult for women to lose body fat. For these competitions, women need to get below 12%. It is necessary to be lean so the judges are able to assess muscle definition, which also means these women need to build muscle, another challenging task.
In order to achieve these results, competitors commit to a rigorous workout schedule and strict diet. Training usually starts about three months prior to the competition (I’m referring here to competition training. Many women have exercised for years before attempting to compete). This may start sooner if the individual needs to lose a higher amount of body fat.
As stated in the video, combining weights with cardio is most effective in burning fat. The workouts (at least twice a day) are very difficult, especially when your caloric intake is limited. At the beginning of the diet there are more calories in each meal, slowly tapering each week until show time.
Despite being tired, hungry, sore, stressed, and angry, these women press on to achieve a goal they’ve set for themselves.
Some say you have to be crazy to do this sport. From my own experience, that may be true!
Crazy in a good way, I say.
If you'd like to learn more about this, check out the following link:
Figure Competition Prep from Shrell Krawczyk on Vimeo.
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