After some advice… Thinking about entering a PCA (UK) first timers comp in June. I’ve never entered a comp or hit the stage before, so looking for some second opinions if I stand any kind of chance or am going to get laughed off stage.
Stats:
205-208 pounds (taken in the morning before breakfast) and 5”9. Thoughts on how much weight I’d have to cut to get stage ready?
Body fat, according to the scales in my commercial gym is saying 14%. Would appreciate experienced thoughts on how accurate we think that is based on photos provided (I think not very and is actually higher), as based on that my FFMI would be 26, seems too good!
Shoulder circumference 52.5”, waist is 34” (measured 12/02), putting me at 1.56 on the adonis, when I cut would expect that to improve.
I’m enhanced. Recent bloods and I’m all good on key markers (lipids, CRP, test, kidney, liver etc). Not sure that matters, but providing it anyway (obvs means can’t enter natural comps).
Chat GPT tells me the above is what matters, but again appreciate experienced input on any other key things I could measure etc.
Be kind please, first time looking into this, I’m not an expert!
You prob closer to 12% by my eye. Really need to see more/better pics of entire physique for judgement.
From what i’m seeing here you would prob go on stage peeled at just under 190lbs.
If it’s a goal you really want I would pick a show that’s 20ish weeks out so we can have a little time to prepare and then a 14 week prep. You could go out longer if you like. but I would not go any shorter as this is your first time so you don’t know how your body will react.
Thanks mate, that’s really useful. I’ll get some full body pics on the thread later. My quads / thighs are a weak point for me I think, I’m strong with legs, probably from playing rugby and doing a lot of explosive / anaerobic work over the years, but they’re no where near as peeled as everything else. Even my calves are pretty vascular, but upper legs just seem fattier than everywhere else.
Interesting on the comp timing too, a longer prep would probs mean a less intense cut too so worth considering as I’ve never done a proper cut before.
A few things. I am not a judge, have no experience. @RT_Nomad is a judge, has experience.
You are nowhere near stage lean in my opinion. You are likely 14-15%. The math is the fine details.
You don’t give your height, but I assume you are 5’8” or so based on your weight. You would need to compete at 180 or so at 6%, but those are all guesses.
Really hard to tell from the limited pics but you may be correct. I would put him in mid upper teens. I also think you’re gonna have to be around 170-180 on stage which is still big at your height.
Do both. Experience is a big benefit. You will look your best when you have the least anxiety. I made it a point to enter a “tuneup” contest before the contest that I targeted for that year.
You are currently not defined enough to do well, even in a novice contest, but you know that. IMO, your strategy should be to lose fat while minimizing the loss of muscle. The metric that I used for loss of muscle was an upper body strength press for 8 reps. You should be doing this once a week. If you drop reps, you might be losing weight too fast. I upped the starchy carbohydrates a little. Keep an eye on the scale, but the mirror is king. You want to look better every week.
You mention being enhanced. I cycled AAS to end at my targeted contest and any other contest that I might decide to enter that year. My cycles were 8 or 12 weeks long. With you having the two contests in June and September, they are in a difficult time apart to conclude a cycle for both contests. Maybe you could “blast and cruise” and then just be “cruising” in the June contest. These are just strategy details.
BTW, I played Rugby and loved the years that I played. Bodybuilding and Powerlifting required that I drop Rugby to improve my physique. Too much running. And I played left wing, which had less running.
Do you lift weights around anyone who competes in Bodybuilding contests?
I’m noting the strength test as something to work in, great steer. Whilst not scientific, I’m feeling stronger most weeks versus the last, and the mirror is getting better too. I did take a forced rest week not too long ago, think compound fatigue was stopping me from progressing and that, although being hard to not train, really helped and push through a strength and weight plateau.
Haha, I also play left wing I’m trying to juggle both rugby and bodybuilding at the moment through to the end of this season (April) as I’m not a shit bag and don’t want to drop the team in the shit. Looking forward to having the time back from rugby though to really focus in on BB.
And finally, no I don’t train around anyone else that competes, just rugby lads. Worth befriending some though for daily tips, will look into that.
Great advice overall though so much appreciated. I may pop another post on in 6-8 weeks time for a second opinion on BF and final prep, if I pluck the courage to enter.
You are at least 18-22%, you have a long way to go to be anywhere near stage ready. You should absolutely do a hard cut and get your bodyfat levels to a true 10% or better and then spend a year or two or get at least one really productive and focuses off-season in and then prepare for a show. At your height you would need to be a heavy or super heavy to truly be competitive in the sport of bodybuilding at anything above a state-level show. You can do a show at anytime of course, but if you were to take your current physique to stage ready conditions you would the same weight as I will as a capped middle weight. Even standing next to shorter guys that are capping the weight class, you will be dwarfed at your current possible in-shape stage weight.
Unfortunately this is not even close to big at his height. He would be seriously outmuscled by anyone in a weight class he can make right now, unless those people are also at novice-level stages. 5’ 9” is very tall for bodybuilding.
Nothing could be less important than a body fat measurement. The mirror is king. I will not guess your percent body fat, but I will say that you have the body fat distribution of a Bodybuilder. That is much better than a lower percent body fat and a poor body fat distribution.
From my experience, every time I cut, it was easier to cut again and to a lower percent body fat while keeping more muscle. You might see it as a complement to “muscle memory” yet called “body composition memory.”
I’m trying to juggle both rugby and bodybuilding at the moment through to the end of this season (April) as I’m not a shit bag and don’t want to drop the team in the shit. Looking forward to having the time back from rugby though to really focus in on BB.