Step SteStep 1-----What Show?
Lenda Murray's
12 Steps to Show Time
Step 1-----What Show?
Of Course the first step is deciding what show to enter. I've watched many competitors make bad decisions when it comes to show selection. Before you send in that entry fee........Ask yourself these questions.
1. Are you competing because you want to be an IFBB Professional or doing it because of the competitive spirit within you?
2. If the goal is being an IFBB professional, then you need to make sure the show is a NPC snactioned event. Go to www.NPConline.com
3. Is the show you're interested in within your level of competition experience? What experience do you have as a competitor? Are you a novice, master, or open class competitor? What competition level will give you the best possible outcome?
4. Are you competing to qualify for a national show? If so, is the show a national qualifier?
5. Will you have enough time to properly prepare for the show? (Read on for prep time)
Step 2-----KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge is one of the major keys to success in this process. It's not who trains the hardest.....but the smartest. You need a 12 to 16 week pre-contest plan of attack. There are many places to get the information needed to prepare like a pro. I recommend using the following tools. Fitness magazines and publications, Internet, Videos, Competitors in your gym and last but not least, attending bodybuilding contests. There's a wealth of information in each. There's no one magic formula, just basic rules to follow. Within the next steps, I'll give you some basic information/rules on how to. It's up to you to find a plan and just do it.
Step 3-----NUTRITION
Based on your level of physical conditioning, you've determined that you need 12 weeks on a pre-contest diet. I started out doing 8 week diets and graduated to a 16 week plan. I don't recommend going on a plan that requires more than 16 weeks. If you need more than 16 weeks, then you need 
to be better about maintaining your weight in the off-season. I also don't recommend the 8 week plan, unless you've done this before or know that you are within target range. You'll find that the standard is 12 weeks. The goal of a bodybuilder is to maintain/increase muscle and decrease body fat. This means that your total daily nutrition plan should be comprised of 40% Protein, 40% Carbohydrates and 20% Fat. Calories range from 1500 to 3000 depending on if you're male or female and also your current physical condition. If you're a Figure or Fitness competitor, your nutrition plan will be very similar. Figure competitors are judged differently from bodybuilders when it comes to the level of muscularity. Therefore, use the mirror as your guide. If you are preparing for Figure and you notice that you're looking too lean, increase carbohydrate intake. For Figure competitors, go to www.NPConline.com for judging guidelines.
Step 4-----SUPPLEMENTS
No matter what you hear or read.......don't get it twisted. In other words, don't believe the hype in regards to that magic pill. Step 3 is far more important than step 4. Putting it in simple terms.....Supplements, supplement your nutrition. I don't know of any competitor that has won a show giving value to supplements over a balanced diet plan. When you have thoroughly committed to dieting first, then and only then spend your money on supplements. Because the goal is to maintain muscle while losing body fat, you should consider the following types of supplementation:
Muscle Building: Creatine
Recovery and Repair:
Fat Reduction: Fat Burners
Step 5-----THE WEIGHT TRAINING WORKOUT
I'm not going to give you a weight training program here. There are entirely too many out there to choose from. What I am going to give you is better than what exercises to do and how many sets and reps to preform. Click here for the basic foundation of a great training plan. The goal of a bodybuilder is to build muscle in the off season and maintain, possibly build some during the pre-contest phase. In other words, don't switch to very high reps in an attempt to cut up or lean out. Increasing your reps from 8 per set to 20 and suddenly doing super and giant sets in mass is ridiculous. That's right.....RIDICULOUS! Do yourself a favor, when you weight train, train to get the most out of muscle development. Let your diet and cardio change your body fat percentage. I'm not saying that there's no place for high reps, super and giant sets. Incorporate these into your training throughout the year. Sure, the amount of weight you can lift sometimes decreases as you get further along in the diet, therefore the reps increase. This is ok and expected due to less energy reserves to draw upon. What's not acceptable, is using a major increase in rep range to get that very lean defined physique. 
Step 6-----THE CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING WORKOUT
I started competing in 1984 and retired from competitive bodybuilding in 2004. During those years I road a stationary bike long enough to have traveled around planet Earth. My day would begin with a 45 minute session before I ate my first meal and end with 45 minutes after my last meal. This process would go on for close to 16 weeks. Cardio activity is about 25% of the process. Without it makes you a C student and equates to a 3rd place finish. Warning: No substitutions please! Remember you're getting ready for a bodybuilding contest, not a marathon. No fancy forms of cardio are necessary. Stick with the basics, stationary bike, treadmill, stepmill, stairmaster , etc. Running backwards on the treadmill will not get you ripped glutes and sprinting up hill will not give you ripped quads. However, It is possible that all that fancy foot work land you a spot on Survivor. Another point....Don't run fast in one place.....Don't eat a donut and then do 45 minutes of cardio in an attempt to discard the donut. I tried the donut thing, trust me it doesn't work. LOL.
Step 7-----CARBOHYDRATE DEPLETING, and LOADING
Step 8-----WATER DEPLETION
Step 9-----PRE JUDGE POSING
Don't wait until the last minute to incorporate your stage presentation into your contest prep schedule. Stage presence is a very important part of the process. There are 2 techniques to prepare for: Quarter turns into a relaxed stance and Mandatories. Both techniques apply to Bodybuilders, Figure and Bikini competitors. Although Figure and Bikini preform no posing routines to music, they are required to quarter turn, walk naturally, gracefully, from a posed position to a posed position in high heels. As a beginner, one of the first mistakes I made, was under estimating the relaxed position and holding a pose.
Here are the steps I used and recommend for Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini:
Step 1: Find a magazine that has a lineup of a class of NPC or IFBB competitors. Using the mirror and an honest friend, mimick the relaxed stance. There are 4 relaxed stances. Front, side right, side left and Rear. Make adjustments and find the stance that best compliments your physique.
Step 2: Learn what it feels like to be in each of the relaxed stances. Remember, there are no mirrors on stage. When you get use to using the mirror, you'll be completely lost without it on stage. If you're a beginner, don't ignore this step.
Step 3: Learn to transition from Front to side right, to rear to side left, and back. Although the word relaxed is used, it's really you having the ability to pose as if you were a statue, without looking like one.
Step 4: Bodybuilders Only----Practice each of the mandatory poses and then transitioning from relaxed stance to mandatory pose. Go to www.npconline.com for rules on mandatories.
Figure and Bikini Only-------Practice walking, walking, walking, and walking in those heels. I recommend wearing the heels around the house or where ever. You honestly can not practice enough. Remember, your walk needs to look natural and effortless. The only way to get that feel is to truly be comfortable in your heels.
Step 10-----SHAVING
Step 11-----TANNING
Step 12-----POSING SUITS and PRODUCTS
p 1Step 1-----What Show?
-----What Show?1-----What Show?
