At 16, while most kids were focused on homework, Fortnite, and losing their virginity, I was focused on calories, the StairMaster, and a posing routine. Unlike many others, I had my sights set on competing in men’s physique (pretty dumb, right?). In this discussion, we’ll go over the whole nine yards of what competing was like for me, as well as the process of doing it at such an early age.
Stage Shot From The Show^
Why I Did It
I started lifting and building my physique somewhat seriously at age 13. My routine generally consisted of at-home workouts with minimal equipment. I didn’t have a gym membership or anything like that, and I taught myself almost everything I knew from researching on my own. I didn’t really have any friends or family who had ever gotten into really good shape before me, so it was essentially all up to me to figure everything out.
I worked hard on my physique for about a year until COVID hit the U.S. When COVID hit, I got extremely demotivated to continue taking fitness seriously and decided to go all in on Fortnite until about 2021. After realizing I wasn’t getting anywhere with Fortnite, I decided to start taking lifting seriously again. My muscle memory started to kick in, and I looked pretty damn good for any 15-year-old at the time (top 1% for sure).
Around this time, I decided I wanted to compete in a show. I was confident I could come in leaner and more aesthetically pleasing than my competition (and I somewhat did). I was obviously natural and had never taken any performance-enhancing drugs, so I signed up for a natural competition.
My Experience During Contest Prep
When you’re doing any sort of bodybuilding competition, in order to be competitive you have to shred down to single-digit body fat. I started out at roughly 15% body fat and ended up finishing at around 7–8%.
This process is extremely grueling and difficult for the vast majority of people. You eat like a bird and feel like a dead man walking. Your overall energy levels deplete, and your hormone levels absolutely tank.
The first few weeks are relatively easy as your energy levels are still high and your hormones are still at normal levels. The last few weeks, when you’re really just trying to lose that extra bit of fat, is genuinely Hell on earth. Once you get down to around 10% body fat, that’s when your hormones start to take a hit and you literally feel like a faggot. You have no desire for sex, you’re irritable, tired, depleted, worthless, etc.
Getting to this stage is absolutely necessary for being competitive in the competition. In bodybuilding, leaner = better. I knew I didn’t have the overall muscle mass to compete with grown-ass men, so I had no other choice than to get as lean as possible.
Freakiest I looked on Prep^
Competition Day
The entire process of the actual bodybuilding show is very odd to the naked eye. There’s a bunch of overly tan and oiled-up shirtless dudes backstage waiting for their number to be called. Everyone’s pumping up, eating candy, and talking about what they’re going to eat when the show’s done.
Many people wonder how you are judged in the competition. The judging generally consists of 5 to 7 judges. Each judge ranks each competitor in the class in order, and the totals determine your placing. The general criteria when judging is leanness, size, symmetry, and overall appearance. Your goal is essentially to be as muscular and lean as humanly possible.
Eventually, they call your number. You walk onto the stage, hit a few poses, and go back backstage. After everyone does their individual routine, they bring out all the classes. Classes are generally divided by height or age. Some examples of general classes are debut (my class), Class A, Class B, Class C, and so on.
You’re only competing against people in your class at the start. If you win your class, then you get to compete in the overall. The overall consists of all of the winners in each class.
I won my class, but ended up getting absolutely smoked in the overall by two grown-ass men (didn’t stand a chance). Regardless of getting smoked in the overall, I still consider winning my class a big personal win. It felt good to beat out literal grown men when I was 16 years old. All things considered, I was satisfied with the outcome of my placing and the overall package I brought to the stage.
Proof of Win lol ^ (Sorry for Not a Lot of Stage Shots)
What I Would Have Done Differently
I could go on and on for hours about things I would have done differently in every aspect of my competition prep. But I’m not going to do that; I’m just going to go over the major things that I would have done differently to have a more optimal prep.
The biggest thing I would have done differently is take more time to shred down. Around the three-weeks-out point, I was already lean enough to step on stage and compete. I got way too lean way too fast. I suffered more than I needed to and lost more muscle mass and “fullness” than I should have.
I also would have done my peak week a little differently to get fuller and fill my muscles up more before showtime. The entire “peak week” science deserves a whole separate blog post, so we’re not going to get into it too much here. Long story short, I would have eaten more and drank more water before the show to support a bigger and fuller appearance on stage. I was so concerned about not being “watery” and “spilling over” that I sacrificed fullness. Sure, I nailed being shredded, but looking back I should’ve sacrificed a little bit of leanness to come in a little more full.
The last thing I would’ve done differently is wait a few more years to put on more size. I wasn’t nearly big enough to be competitive with the bigger guys. The only things I really had going for me were my overall shape, shreds, and symmetry. Yes, I still looked “good,” but I would’ve looked way better and been more competitive if I had waited a year or two.
Was It Worth It?
Kind of.
It was worth it in the sense that I achieved a personal goal I had. That’s literally all I gained from the experience. Was it fulfilling? Yes. Did it make me feel good about myself for a few hours? Also yes.
Was it worth it for my overall physique development, hormonal health, psychological health, and current stage in life? No, absolutely not. Think of it like taking one step forward, but then turning around and taking five steps backward.
Dieting down to single-digit body fat, spending hours in the gym every week, depleting my energy, and tanking my hormones was absolutely not worth it. At 16 years old, everyone should be focused on being healthy above everything else — not doing a full-blown competition prep.
Around 1 Week Out^ (Very Depleted Here)
Would I Recommend Doing a Show?
For the average gym-goer or even an “advanced” lifter, I would not recommend competing. You should be ALL IN on wanting to step on stage and compete if you’re looking to do it. You should damn near be having wet dreams about bodybuilding if you plan on doing a show.
I personally don’t see competing again in my future. I’m happy I did it and experienced what it’s like to compete, coach myself through the process, and put a solid package together on stage (for being 16 years old).
If you decide to do a competition, just be sure you understand what you’re getting yourself into. If you need a coach for posing, diet, training, or peak week, be sure to let me know (contest prep inquiries at goodbodyformula@gmail.com).
I believe in you all — I hope you enjoyed it!