She didn't know much about bikini competitions until she messaged her bootcamp class instructor to ask about protein powders. The conversation turned to her instructor's husband, who was a coach for competitions, and Hartstein was intrigued. She saw competing as a way to challenge herself further, and decided to go for it.
Like the other competitors we spoke to, she bought a kitchen scale to start weighing her food, and worked with a coach to figure out how to count macros. She was eating five to six times a day, drinking a gallon of water per day also common , and exercising five to six days a week.
A big fan of CrossFit , she kept two days of the intense workout on her plan too. Throughout the months of prep, everyone had an opinion about her body — her coaches thought she was losing muscle from continuing CrossFit, while others thought she was getting too skinny.
Toward the end, it was definitely really stressful. Hartstein ended up placing third in her first competition, and is proud of that accomplishment. After the bikini competition, she started putting on muscle to prep for a figure competition. She tried to reverse her steps and go back to bikini, but the yo-yoing took a toll on her body, and ultimately, she decided to take a break from competing.
A few years later, she's open to returning to the stage, "once I'm more focused and things are settled down. Getting on stage and having judges analyze your body is just as tough, emotionally, as it sounds. There's no magic formula to take that away. The months of training is not unlike that of an athlete; these women work out before, after, and sometimes during work.
They meal prep, count every gram of food they eat, and continue living their normal lives, juggling work and family. The tangible prize for these competitions — unless you're competing on the pro level — is a plastic trophy.
For these competitors, though, the rewards come in the form of healthy habits, setting an example for their families, and a sense of empowerment knowing they accomplished something they weren't sure they could do. Coming from someone whose career is about being strong, that's saying something. Follow Delish on Instagram. Download the Delish app. Sally comes to me for coaching and her current status is the following:.
When Sally asks me for a timeline, I will likely request just a few additional weeks extra compared to Sarah. She's eating slightly lower calories which leaves me with less room to drop calories to put her into a deficit. Also, her starting body fat levels are slightly higher. So in her case I may recommend weeks to be sure she is fully prepared for her show.
Samantha comes to me for coaching and her current status is the following:. When Samantha asks me for a timeline, I will likely encourage her to put her goal of competing in the distance and instead focus on making some lifestyle changes first before trying to lean out for a show.
Samantha already does a lot of cardio and does not eat very much. So I may recommend she spend time making some changes to her routine: steadily increase calories, decrease steady state running, increase strength training frequency, etc. A reverse diet and a breakup with steady state cardio would be the perfect plan for her! Then within months she will likely be in a better overall physical state to begin an official bikini prep.
It will be worth the wait because now her metabolism is ramped up and her body will respond to calorie and cardio changes better. She will be more successful on stage thanks to her patience- and likely healthier in the long run. Stacie comes to me for coaching and her current status is the following:. When Stacie asks me for a timeline, I will likely encourage her to make competing a long term goal at 24 months 6 months or longer.
Instead, she should make some short term goals with me first. We must also remember that slow and steady wins the race. Going on a competition prep plan where you are starving and doing hours of cardio to lose weight fast is not healthy, nor sustainable for several months. You will likely end up rebounding hard right after the show and struggling with quick weight regain.
Prepping for a bikini competition is complicated and very complex. If you need help with your nutrition and training for a bikini competition, find a professional who can help guide you. Here at Beautiful to the Core, I Steph have a doctoral degree in physical therapy, a certification in strength and conditioning CSCS from the NSCA, and have a lot of experience coaching women from all different backgrounds and scenarios.
I can help customize a program that is perfect for you and will guide you to success on stage. Phase 1, Day 3 Works: Back 1. Phase 1, Day 4 Works: Arms 1. Close-grip bench press: 5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 3A.
Superset with overhead triceps dumbbell press: 5 sets of 15 Tip: Keep this movement light and fast. Cable chest flye: 4 sets of 10 3A. Superset with cable chest press: 4 sets of 15 Tip: From the chest flye, move directly to the chest press, this time increasing the speed of the reps.
Single-leg press: 5 sets of 10 per side 5A. Donkey Smith machine kickback: 3 sets of 10 per side 6A. Superset with donkey Smith machine kickback high pulse: 3 sets of 15 per side Tip: Go straight from the kickback to the pulses, using the same leg before changing sides. You can do this move on the floor or on a bench.
Written by Shannon Dey and Gennifer Strobo. Related Articles. Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed! I want content for Muscle and Fitness Promotions. Muscle and Fitness Hers Promotions. Follow us Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest. Decide That You Want to Compete. That's a long prep time by most standards; on average, preparation last between 12 and 16 weeks.
During this time, Muslar was strength- training six days a week and doing cardio four to five times a week. Bikini competitors seek a softer overall aesthetic and the ultimate hourglass figure. Judges look for sculpted shoulders, small and toned waists, large and muscular glutes, and strong, defined legs. Achieving this body and receiving an award for it may sound great to some.
Bikini competitors and bodybuilders have to diet and exercise in the months leading up to a competition. A competitor reveals what she ate every day ahead of the competition.
Her diet consisted mostly of oatmeal, protein shakes, and 3 small meals of meats and veggies. When it comes to competing, if you walk on a stage or enter a contest, it needs to be a level playing field. Bikini models and competitors alike take steroids to maintain a lean and cut figure. When it is your job, or you're trying to make it your job, you'll do what you need to in order to maintain a certain look.
Preparing for a competition takes about three to five months , depending on how in shape you are. Taylor says if you're already in good shape, working out three to five times per week, it should take about 12 weeks. If you're not, you're looking more at 20 weeks.
Probably the most obvious difference between the figure and bikini competition bodies are the capped deltoids in the women of the figure competition. On the other hand, women in the bikini competition have less muscles than those of the figure competition. They have muscles but are more toned and in a softer look. If you want to try and do your own contest prep without a coach, here are some tips for you to follow for the best outcomes: Do your research.
Don't copy and paste someone else's plan. Avoid the old school methods of prep and instead follow new standards that are more research-based. Figure is a little more hard and lean than bikini , and overall size and symmetry begin to come into play.
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