What should we do if there’s a change of plan during the preparation stage for a fitness competition? Here are some top tips to help you overcome anything you come up against.
This is one of those articles that nobody wants to write, but that is absolutely necessary. They show a reality that encompasses much more than that related directly to competition.
As many of you will know, I had set out to compete this year, yes, after:
A twin pregnancy;
Gaining 17 kilos during the pregnancy;
Dealing with two little ones who are now 9 months old;
And going through some hip problems that didn’t allow me to train 100%…
And as if that weren’t enough, the PANDEMIC. You can read about about how I’ve dealt with quarantine by clicking here.
Always keep an «Ace up your Sleeve»
When planning a preparation programme such as mine, a multitude of scenarios must be taken into account, some of which are easy to foresee: such as lack of sleep and rest because of the little ones, lack of time, stress, slow recovery after a birth… details that greatly complicate the rate of improvement.
You should also keep some aces up your sleeve for other unforeseen events, such as possible injuries, illnesses or forecasts that were unrealistic at the time, and keep in mind that when I talk about aces or being foresighted I mean TIME, doing things with time is always one of the best strategies.
Even in the best of cases, my goal was pretty complicated in itself, but if we add to this the confinement, the closing of gyms, the added worry, the lack of activity due to the restrictions of movement, and everything related to Covid, we give up and go.
Adapting to the circumstances
In this article I don’t want to just list my sorrows, far from it, what I want is for you to see how when a plan goes out the window, we need to know how to adapt to the circumstances. And I also want to give you alternatives so that what you’ve been doing during this time is not in vain.
As you may know, I am not competing this year, and it’s likely almost nobody will be competing, as most federations have suspended their competitions, but that doesn’t mean that my strategy will change completely, and that’s where I want to put the focus.
If all this has caught you in the middle of a preparation programme, in the middle of the definition stage, my recommendation, before giving it all up, which I hope nobody does, is that you truly consider what your goal is, and if it remains the same, to compete, don’t throw it all away.
After discussing it with Carlos, I’ve decided to continue with the definition stage. The only thing I’ve done is change the times and made it more conservative.
My new plan for 2020
We’ve maintained the deficit, but it’s less “aggressive” than it would be if it were for a competition, and we’ve prioritised the sensations with the training to lose weight.
If you’re in a similar situation and have never competed, my recommendation is that you shouldn’t vary your initial plan too much, as most of the time the definition achieved with the first preparation stage is not very high.
The ideal would be to get to a point perhaps not of competition but near, and then begin to raise the calorie intake little by little, but trying not to go excessively. This way, you’ll be prepared for when the competitions return, maintaining a low fat % and “active” metabolism.
Obviously in this situation there are different options, and there are probably more experienced competitors who know how to adjust the variables to take advantage of other strategies, but my experience tells me that changing the initial idea too much is often dangerous.
Metabolic Construction
If your definition point was already very good, you can also do a “metabolic construction”.
So-called by some prestigious trainers, this consists of starting to increase calories, mainly carbohydrates, little by little, to improve the workouts, and enter that satisfying cycle of eating more, training harder, burning more calories, continuing to reduce fat, eating more, training even harder…
Obviously this doesn’t last forever and we need to be careful not to let it get out of hand, but if you manage to stay in this state long enough for things to get back to normal, and for there to be competitions in sight for you to reach your best for, it’s just a matter of not “messing up”, as you have all the factors in place to do so.
Clean Volume?
At the other end of the spectrum we’ll find someone who would have thought about competing, but only to gain experience, and who is aware that they still lack a lot of muscle mass.
In this case, it’s not too crazy to value the time that you have to get some kind of volume, as clean as possible, but it is necessary to have a very clear plan, and if your objective happens to be 2021, not to go too crazy with the food.
All the work you get done now, you won’t have to do again next year.
If you’ve lost the motivation…
I imagine that there will be other cases of people who have lost motivation completely, because the preparation stage is quite hard, and when the ultimate goal disappears as if by magic, it’s difficult to stand firm.
I tell these people not to give up, that these things happen, that you just have to have perspective and understand that not competing this year is far from being the worst thing in the world.
If you really feel passionate about this sport, one way or another you will find the strength to get your hopes up and start again.
Conclusions
I know what it’s like to compete and I recommend that you don’t lose heart. It’s so satisfying and rewarding to do things right for so long and to go out on stage and show off your work.
This is by and for you, remember that always, for no one else.
I hope this post will help you, and as you know, as always, if you have any doubts, please ask, I will gladly answer.
Related Entries
Can you compete in Fitness after giving birth? I tell you in this article.
If you want to find out what a Vegan Bodybuilding Preparation Programme is like, I recommend you take a look at this post.
Review of Changing Plans During Competition Preparation
Advice - 100%
Readjusting the goal - 100%
Adapting to the circumstances - 100%
Conclusions - 100%
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HSN Evaluation: 5 /5
About Tandem Fitness
Tandem Fitness is a couple that is passionate about sport, nutrition and health. Tandem Fitness is made up by Carlos and Sonia.
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