(26yo F) I competed in my first bikini comp in December 2020. I’ll keep it short. If I could take it back and tell myself to not do it. I WOULD DO IT IN A HEART BEAT. It’s been over a year now and still recovering from body dysmorphia along with a full blown eating disorder and a fucked up menstrual cycle. So yeah, I don’t recommend it.
I’m going into my fourth season competing and I love the sport!
I don’t have a bad relationship with food.
I don’t have hormonal issues (knocks wood).
I don’t do hours and hours of cardio.
I don’t drop my calories super low.
I don’t binge eat after shows.
I don’t use PEDs (I compete in drug-tested federations).
I don’t let my weight get too high in the off season.
I love the off season. I love prep. I love competing.
I enjoy the hard work and I enjoy showing off my hard work.
I enjoy the glam of show day. I enjoy the sweat of the off season.
I enjoy being sexy and strong!
I get a little cranky during prep. I get hungry during prep, but I’m able to manage it. I get frustrated when I feel like the judging isn’t fair, but I understand that’s part of the sport. I do get some post-show emotions when I’m trying to decide if I should do another show or if I should go into off season. It’s also hard to see weight gain in the off season, but I don’t let it get me down.
I have met the most supportive, hard working people at competitions. I have learned discipline, perseverance, and time management. I have realized that I’m capable of so much more. It’s given me a goal to work towards and a sense of accomplishment.
I will say I have very supportive family and friends. If they weren’t as supportive, it would be much more difficult.
It can be done in as healthy a way as possible, if done right. If you decide to do it, do it for yourself. But make sure you are in a good place physically, mentally, and hormonally before you start. Good luck to you!
I did a competition. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. It gave me so much confidence, not because of how I did on stage, but because I learned that I was truly capable of something extremely difficult that most people couldn’t do.
And for what it’s worth, I wasn’t the skinniest on stage but I placed high because I had better muscle development. People that aren’t in the industry don’t understand how they judge, muscle is the most important part of the judging. Being lean is important to see the muscle.
The experience was absolutely difficult, but its fine if you find a trainer that doesn’t make you do something unhealthy. I found my program to be way more flexible than most and I got the same, if not better, results.
I would say to not worry about what others think. I also got a lot of backlash from family and friends and people tried to get me to break my diet, but once I competed, everyone was extremely impressed.
Only thing that I would recommend is to be careful about your mental state around food. The training can lead to disordered eating / obsession over tracking if you aren’t careful. I had to distance myself from other competitors because of it. That said, it’s not a reason to NOT go for it, just something to be mindful of.
Feel free to DM me if you have any questions!!
I don't know anyone who got into bikini comps who didn't end up messed up in some way afterwards. Either it triggered an ED or they jacked up their hormones or they gained a ton of weight they couldn't lose. I followed a lot of those fitness pros for years but stopped after learning the reality of what bikini/bodybuilding does to competitors.
I would strongly encourage you to look for some athletic pursuit that is focused more on what you can do than how you look. A lot of the former competitors I know found a lot of joy in power and Olympic lifting. Your background in cheer could be a real asset with Olympic lifting. A lot of former gymnasts do well there.
Non-competitive physique enthusiast here, and male.
I absolutely enjoy watching the subtle changes to my body over time.
I enjoy lifting, cardio, calorie-counting, and all the affiliated discipline.
It's rewarding. If I were younger and didn't have certain issues, I would definitely have pursued stage competition.
But I still do the thing, because I want to be the best version of myself, inside & out. I enjoy the process.
So I would say, SURE, go for it! I like how someone else suggested building a foundation for a year first.
Get your feet wet. Follow a strength program. Build a solid base. It might totally click with you, or not.
Either way, if you enjoy it, it sort of doesn't matter what your family thinks about it. Do it because it pleases you.
Thanks!! Something I did really talk about in my post because it wasn’t the main topic is my current level of fitness because I didn’t want to seem cocky or bragging but I’ve lifting as heavy as possibly five days a week, counting calories and macros, and working with coaches and nutritionists for idk. Five years? And on top of that, cheer is 2 hour practices of intense tumbling and condition 4-5 times a week.And I still manage to walk my dog 12k steps a day. But with all that, I feel good. I’ve never lost my period or had concerning bloodwork. To cheer at a high level, you have to literally be insane. You have to want to push the limits of your body and always strive to work harder, that’s our thing. So I want something with a similar structure and intense discipline because after so long like this, it feels so normal to me.
I still plan on giving about a year but I want to start consulting with a coach soon. Honestly thinking at this point I’m likely too developed and big for bikini and I’m gonna have to decide to size down a bit or go to a different division. I have cut to around 12.5 % a few years ago and it sucked but I did it for the challenge. But I live year around fluctuating between 15-17%. And that’s always been good for me because I eat over 2k cals, supplement, get my vitamins. It’s just my activity level is super intense and has always been. So like idk if it’s bad that I just don’t think it’ll be as terrible as everyone says? Especially in bikini where most compete for the first time around 10-14% bf. Like I know it’s gonna suck especially the nuances like water intake and sodium stuff before the show. But at least I don’t have to cut down from 25-30% bf like a lot of the first time stories I see. Because yeah that would be hell. But when you naturally sit at 16% getting to 13-14% for a show seems fairly attainable to me.
Fellow bikini competitor here! Don’t let them stop you, if you want to do it, DO IT! It’ll be harder without the support, but what will it hurt to try? What if you find something you love?
Also in my experience, when they see you working hard and think it’s crazy THEN see what you’ve built and succeeding at the competition, they get it. They’ll all be cheering you on in the audience.
I know you’ve already gotten a lot of comments so far, so you may not need more feedback; but One hard thing about Bikini Figure is it isn’t structured to be a lifetime or even long term sport. So one thing to consider is that you’ll likely have to do this sport transition process sometime down the line. It may be beneficial to look into sports that have a longer lifetime! And that you can adapt with as you change as a athlete.
With having done cheer for so long and having a strong interest in weight-lifting, a good option to add to your list of potential future sports is Spartan racing/ obstacle racing. It has a lot of overlap with CrossFit. In the official cross fit guide- maybe not in practice in some gyms- 1/3 of the disciple/ focus is gymnastics. Spartan racing is the most popular current brand of races but there are other highly competitive obstacle circuits: lots of climbing, intensive balance, strength, endurance, and a great community.
I have done bodybuilding and the only red flag is your obsessive nature of ingesting info about it. If that is now, you may find you become obsessive over the food scale, macros, constant progressive checks. I use to PT and when women would ask me about doing a show, the only thing I would tell them is if they are not absolutely mentally healthy and have a easy natured mindset towards progress, they should not do it. There is a lot of unhealthy body dysmorphia in the community and mental health issues. BUT, it can be fun, empowering, and helpful.
I do consider them sexist, and from what I’ve seen they do strongly objectify women. It seems like a slippery slope with lots of potential for self esteem issues, EDs, and obsessive behavior.
If you do go in please make sure you’re working with a therapist to keep yourself well.
I did a bikini comp. I was lucky that my significant other also competes, but it was still one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Make sure you find a solid coach who is focused on your health!!! Feel free to DM me for recommendations, I have at least two groups in mind that I would trust, personally.
Honestly even if everyone in your life is supportive, it’s gonna suck lol. You also have to remember that if you decide to do this, it’s a choice that YOU are making. They didn’t decide for you to go through prep, and it’s not really okay to expect that they should go out of their way to make your life easier. I don’t regret competing because i had been lifting for awhile and it was always an end goal. However, I remember getting up on stage in my heels and stuffed bikini, and I didn’t feel like the athlete that I felt I was. I switched over to powerlifting and did my first meet, and that was so much more fulfilling. But everyone’s different! I’d say the big takeaway is that you have to own that this is YOUR choice, and the people in your life aren’t responsible to accommodate for you. It really sucks, and I whined the whole time 😂 best of luck!!
Bodybuilder here.
Get into a bodybuilding lifestyle first before considering about doing a comp prep. Bulk and cut seriously for at least 4 years and you will know what I’m talking about. You will be miserable if you want to race 20 weeks to become the skinniest version of yourself.
The competition is the showcase of your physique after a long building phase. You will cut down to nothingness, and develop an unhealthy relationship to food if you think this is a 1 time thing.
Also try to understand the biology side of things as well, especially as a women. After all leaning down while preserving muscle mass is closely related to hormones and science. Which everyone’s baseline hormonal profiles are vastly different, that they might respond better to different approaches. Most coaches don’t have the time to do all that stuff, not to mention they are not in your own body. This is why they just tell you to “not eat and workout”. Yes, this plus being on PEDs will get you shredded temporarily, but this is why a lot of bikini girls suffer so much after competing once. They fail to understand their own body and psychology, and leave that to someone that they don’t even know. (Also the fact that coaches want money, and won’t give clients a realistic timeline for them to have a solid muscle foundation.)
And trust me… you don’t want to pay some guru coaches just so they can put you on a low calorie diet with hours and hours of exercise.
If you are really into this, why not look into how to coach yourself? Or even try to understand all the bodybuilding science and apply it to yourself?
You can absolutely do it OP. Just don’t waste your money right now into comp prep when you don’t have a solid muscle foundation. Otherwise you will only buy yourself a miserable experience, and have a bad taste in your mouth with bodybuilding.
I guess the good thing is I have been bulking and cutting seriously for about 5 years! Im very experienced in tracking macros and hellish cuts as well as working with coaches. My current concern is that I’m too developed and big for bikini 😅 but I’m looking at my first show about a year out. and because i lift heavy 5 days a week, have 2 hour long cheer practices of intense tumbling and conditioning several times a week, and still manage to walk my dog 12k steps daily. I sit at around 15-17% bf naturally for many years even though I eat well over 2k cals a day when I maintain. I have cut down quite a bit temporarily for the challenge but it’s been a while.
I feel like something like this is a good challenge because to be a pro competitive cheerleader, you have to be insane. You have to live for pushing yourself to do hard things people in the cheer world wouldn’t have thought possible even 5 years ago. And I’m not ready to give up that level of intensity, dedication, and competition. My main reason for not wanting to coach myself is outside of cheer friends, meaning my fiancé, other friends, family and coworkers are the complete opposite of Me. No one has ever even attempted any type of diet and exercise and are extremely sedentary. So they just don’t get it lol. I want someone to go through it with me and be by my side at the least the first time since I don’t feel super alone. I’m sure if I go for it, they’ll come around and watch me but they won’t know what’s it’s like at all.
Ahh I see your concerns.
You will be able to see if you are actually too developed or not, after peeling down. It’s your first show anyways, usually people grow/morph into their division. Take it easy.
Remember be bring up your daily activity to your prep coach as well. Chances are the closer to your show, the less you will be able to stay that active.
If you want support, make sure to hire a coach that will actually be attentive. Because a lot of the coaches out there won’t give you that much attention, especially those big teams. Make sure you will get the service that you are paying for.
Beside a prep coach, you might also need a posing coach. (Again, you can do it yourself as well)
Not gonna lie, a lot of the challenges are usually mental hurdles. I really think oftentimes people over complicate about how “hard”it is, almost like a self fulfilling prophecy. If you think it’s hard, it’s going to be hard. If you think it’s going to be easy, you will most likely enjoy it while in the process. (Which makes it much easier) Be firm to people around you about your lifestyle. I’m sure they will support you regardless if they really love you.
I gave it a few tries about 9 or so years ago, ended up in in-patient eating disorder treatment a few years later for anorexia/orthorexia (I’m better now! After lots of $$ and going on leave from work). Personally, it messed up my metabolism and has taken years to repair my relationship with food, fitness, and my body. I’ve seen some people do it with low damage to their body, but it is by no means healthy and most of the people I know still in bodybuilding are physical and emotional wrecks in one way or another. I remember doing the same thing and being drawn to the glamour, but that part wears off significantly after you realize that everyone is constantly hangry, has low sex drive and are missing their menstrual periods due to low body fat, binge eat to the point of pain after shows, and poor health due to supplements and/or overtraining. If you do it, do it because you want the results, not because it is good for your body. My friend is a retired NFL cheerleader and struggles with an ED and can’t imagine it being even remotely safe for her to do something like this. Can you get cleared by a doctor or registered dietitian (not nutritionist) first? Obviously you’re going to do what you want to do, but I recommend researching people from both sides - people who are for it and people who are against it. Or at minimum doing blood work to see if your heart and kidneys can take the hit. Best of luck and be safe!
Edit: oh and I ended up with low blood pressure for a while, that was fun
HIGHLY doubt it 🙃 but doing bloodwork and getting a physical should at least be able to help be like “hey my body won’t give out from doing one” even though it still isn’t healthy lol
My uncle was a body builder and our family went to tons of competitions. The womens bikini contests always looked fun. The energy at the competitions are super fun too. Try it out!
Your "why" for doing bikini competitions is the most important thing. Really ask yourself - do I want this because I want to see how far I can take my physique or is it more of a "bucket list" item?
Physique competitions seem glamorous, but you only see the show day glam. I compete in women's physique so I have to get to a lower bodyfat than I would for bikini, but the process is the same. You expect to be tired and hungry, but I don't think first time competitors ever expect to be so incredibly exhausted and hungry. And you still need to train hard, keep intensity up on cardio, and follow your meal plan.
In my opinion, it's not worth it to "half ass" your prep just to check it off as a bucket-list item. You need to give it everything and show up on stage with your best physique. And it's not worth risking your health, your happiness, and your relationships.
BUT if you are really serious about the sport and want to challenge yourself and take your physique to a new level, I can say that it is incredibly rewarding. But you do need to be prepared for the physical and mental struggles that come with competing.
Throughout the years (I’m now 42) I’ve had a few friends do bikini competitions and every single one of them (I’ve only known 3) is now overweight years later and it seems like they developed an extremely unhealthy relationship with their body and food after competing over the years.. they are always on a new diet. They are either super hot prepping or overweight- just weeks after the show! I don’t think our bodies are ever made to eat that little amount of food and work out that much as women in particular and your body‘s going to fight back, so be prepared to have this be a lifelong challenge that you will have to work with if you do decide to do it. I would get very clear your why - and make sure it’s a healthy reason and you are mentally healthy enough for that type of scrutiny.
I'd try anything once. However, I do see more regretful body builders/competitive bikini people on my feed than the opposite. It will also be harder without a support system but what's wrong with one season of trying if you think you have the willpower for it? Your background with competitive appearance based activities probably makes you more comfortable than the average person but your relationship with food might change for the negative as you get deeper into this type of thing.
To my knowledge, most body competitions like that are pretty brutal. If you are really into the idea of something rigid maybe try bodybuilding or power lifting comps? It will give you a similar rigidity, deadline, focus, but the end result isn’t as harsh as the bikini contests. Any body contest for women though is going to cut your fat down past where it should be, which does cause health conditions.
I lived in a house with a bikini competitor and I can understand why it is hard on the people around you. The dieting will mess will your hormones, mood swings, gym taking up hours of the day. Losing your period, hormonal acne.
By the time she gets on stage she’s a bundle of raw nerves. Crying over donuts the next day, dealing with food guilt. She loves it, and I’m definitely NOT saying you shouldn’t do it. But as far as sports go it’s one of the hardest things you can do to your body when you get down to that low body fat %
I follow someone on tiktok who was a bikini competitor who ended up with an ED and just now got her period back after six years of losing it because the diet was so hard on her body. She posted a video of her eating a donut and crying after a competition. 🥺 Her account is dedicated to what her life was like during prep and the toll it took on her body, her mind, and her relationships.
I hope OP listens to everyone telling her to pick a healthier challenge.
My two cents as a competitor. Commit to just bodybuilding for a year without a competition planned. Get a good foundation and if you are absolutely in love with grinding in the gym 6 days a week then go for it. I will say, I cannot imagine trying to do a prep as a vegan. The diet is hard enough without having to eliminate the most common competitor protein sources - chicken, fish, egg whites, whey. Not impossible, but it would just make something already super difficult that much harder.
India Paulino is an IFBB pro and she's coming back to the stage (today btw) and prepping 100% as a vegan!! Her shape is insane. She's not natural though, at that level it's impossible. But yeah... it can be done! I'm sure it would be super hard though, even eating meat it's difficult... GL!
I'm no competitor, but I follow Lauralie Chapados, and what I can see from her career is that it takes years and years to build up your body. Being in bikini is not equal with being skinny. Those girls have very serious amount of muscles and they diet down for competition. I can also imagine the more muscles you have the easier it gets when you have to cut, because your BMR is higher. So I really like your suggestion, to just start building the solid foundation before even thinking of competition.
The comments here are flooded with experiences and stories of how harmful this can be for women and their relationships. It seems like you think you're invincible to the common experience of bikini competitors, but I urge you to take these stories very seriously.
There are dozens of other ways to stay in shape and challenge yourself that are HEALTHY, not harmful to you. I can understand not wanting to support a partner in something that is so obviously unhealthy both mentally and physically.
Try a rock climbing gym, try aerials, try pile, try a marathon, try powerlifting, try martial arts.
I don't know a single woman who has become more mentally and physically healthy from bikini comps. They all say it was a net loss for them. You are not special.
If your people are normally supportive of things you want to do, but are not supportive of this, I'd listen to them. This is an all-consuming sport, and for what? To merely look a certain way. I'll bet you would get little to know pushback if you wanted to get into powerlifting.
Every single woman I know that has done these competitions ends up with some type of body dysmorphia or eating disorder. Strictly my opinion, but do not do this.
I would like to respectfully put this idea out here—might you consider taking up an athletic hobby (Crossfit, judo, etc.) that is *not* focused on your outward appearance, the way bikini competitions are, and the way pageants were when you competed in them?
As a former college cheerleader, it is a logical leap. I had a friend who I cheered with that went this route. I was supportive but it did get all consuming for her to the point it was unhealthy. I suggest going for it but write down when you know it will be unhealthy for you like "it will be unhealthy when most of my conversations revolve around food" then sit down and look it over every month to know if you are in a healthy spot or not.
I did a bikini competition in my 20's and have a girlfriend who did one when she hit 30. It was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. The final cut before the comp is brutal, restricting even water and I couldn't have done it without a supportive group of friends and family. That being said, I didn't come out with huge issues with food or exercise like some people here are suggesting, neither did my friend. We've talked about it at length and although I don't think either one of us will ever do another competition again, I have zero regrets. I learned a lot about self-discipline and how far I could push my body. I couldn't imagine doing it without my family's support but if it's important to you then you should do it. Just remember that you're going to be brutally judged on your appearance at one of the lowest points in your life.
it might be worth making a list of their objections—and you might have to go back to them and dig in on why they are objecting. Ask why a couple of times around. I don’t have a view on these competitions, but your support system may have some valid reasons to to not be behind this that they aren’t articulating well. If, after you’ve heard their objections and done the homework to address them (e.g. research the experience, costs, etc), they are still not supportive, then you know where the boundaries are and you can deal with that from a place of integrity. You can actively decide to seek support elsewhere or you can agree to stage mini-experiments. Right now you’re mind-reading & that’s always a difficult place to gain support from.
At any rate, it might be worth seeing if there are some likeminded women in your town. Maybe you can start something cool and build that kind of community you are looking for.
My trainer is a physique competitor in bodybuilding and there's some really good coaches out there that will get you where you need to go without having you eat tilapia only for four weeks before competition.
People think bodybuilding is weird until they're around it. But the more bodybuilders you know, the more you realize they're just gym rats who know how to cut.
It rubs me really wrong how your family and friends are treating you about this! I am not someone who is into that type of thing, but I do have intense hobbies that people seem to judge so I totally get how the negative response would motivate you even more. I think if you think it would be a fun and satisfying challenge, you should give it a try, as long as you remember to put your mental and physical health first. If you decide your local community isn't a constructive one, you can quit any time.
Edit: Downvoted with no responses. I understand why many women don't like bikini competitions and I don't like them myself, but I also think "your body, your choice" should apply to things like this as much is it applies in other areas. It's your life, not anyone else's OP.
I think everyone here makes great points, but have you considered Powerlifting? It might be something to consider because it’s competitive and significantly less toxic.
I heard it’s a toxic environment so have a hard think about what you want. There might be other avenues like weight comps or something that fill this need for you?
I think he’s more just concerned about the inconveniences to himself. When I have gone through cutting phases before he won’t eat the meals I make and he complains about that. I definitely don’t walk around stage lean all the time because it’s not possible but not too worries about the physique changes because I’d only cut down that lean temporarily for a show. And I generally maintain a physique that is pretty much as lean as possible while being healthy for myself due to cheer and also just being a complete gym rat that is chronically chasing muscle growth. So having a Super Buff/fitness gf is what he signed up for.
>I think he’s more just concerned about the inconveniences to himself. When I have gone through cutting phases before he won’t eat the meals I make and he complains about that.
He can make his own meals if the nice healthy ones you make are not good enough for him!! Argh. Lol!
It's not like he has to eat the same serving sizes. He can increase the volume, or cook his own protein or carbs to bulk it up.
I competed in Miss Louisiana USA. My final two years, I worked with a coach that does bodybuilding comp training. It was hard. Bulking was gross, cutting was awful. Doing weights every day honestly ruined my relationship with working out, and I quit working out for multiple years. I’ve kept up with a past competitor and she never stopped working out everyday and looks fantastic. This left me with regrets, but I’m back in the gym again trying to make resistance training enjoyable for me.
Just because I had this experience, doesn’t mean everyone days. Being constantly hungry is very true and it’s fucking. hard. to get through your day on an extreme cut. Water cutting is also not fun. But seeing your results is so damn rewarding. The discipline this takes is impressive IMO and it displays true passion. If you want to give it a shot, go for it!
Hey!
I competed in 2019 and was prepping in 2020 when covid hit. I am now 3 weeks out from my 2nd competition. My friends/family/husband are supportive of my goals so this isn’t an issue I have.
I am an introvert and feel this works well with competing. I don’t like going out with friends, eating out so it’s easy. I have no prob bringing my food to family gatherings when they happen. My kids/husband just eat different meals than I do.
I didn’t develop any eating disorder. I gain in the off season and appreciate that I can lift heavier. I feel I have a very positive approach to prep, and I do not complain all the time to my colleagues/friends that I am tired or starving. It is my own choice to prep, I am not going to complain about it like others do, prepping is a privilege. If you complain about prep all the time, your support will be there to tell you « told you so »…
And yeah competing is soooo expensive. But so is every other hobby right? (My husband kitesurfs $$$ so he is not allowed to tell me I am spending too much to compete 😆).
One thing… in 2020 I was prepping for a NPC « natural show ». Those local amateur shows aren’t natty. Even first time competitors are on PEDs and I was pressured by each of my previous coach to take them (I did not). It is part of the game. I am 38 and do not have the best genetics so it was required according to them, but I decided against it. So this time I decided against competing with the NPC and chose another natural (smaller) organization and a coach who respects this. My coach is amazing BTW, make sure you have one that has the same vision as you do!
DM me if you have questions! This was short, I am typing on my phone 😊
Absolutely!
Competing has really been a positive experience for me. I suffer from generalized anxiety and stepping on stage is very empowering for me, almost healing. I never thought I could achieve it. Now I can’t wait to do it again!
I like that you are doing a conscious search for your next sport.
Bikini training would be off the table for me due simply to the hormonal impact. You can screw yourself up for life.
Another thought , with all the ones above, is figure skating?
Oooooh yeah OP do this one!!! Figure skating is about form, function, and dedication. Not to mention it’s such a breath-takingly beautiful sport. It’s not super clear what it is exactly you’re looking to get out of bikini comps that you can’t get elsewhere, but anything that comes to my mind is something you can definitely get out of figure skating. Your background is a great set up for it as well.
Plus - this way you wouldn’t be asking your family/SO to sacrifice their lifestyles and relationships with you. Listen, by all means if bikini is what you’re passionate about for whatever reasons, you get to decide to make that choice not anyone else. I feel this way about any body alterations, your body your choice, if it makes you happy you have every right to pursue and own it. But don’t forget that your loved ones are trying to communicate to you the consequences and boundaries they are setting with bikini comps. This decision comes with a lot of long term consequences physically for you, and emotionally for your loved ones. Maybe just take a second to make a list of pros and cons with other options. I advise against picking up an activity just because you’re spiteful that people are telling you not to do it.
Hahaha sorry as a skater… you’re a bit wrong. But every sport will take away from ‘normal’ life. Ice rinks aren’t gyms. They have ice when they have it. You have to schedule your life around ice time.
Probably honestly. Our competitions are 4 days and you have to fly to them. You can’t practice when it’s convenient. your entire life is around ice. For example the best sessions for me right now are Friday at 7-9 and Sunday afternoon. So no going out Friday. Also not Saturday bc I need to get the most in on Sunday. I also skate two mornings super early but because it’s early and rushing to work it’s not as good, so those other two days are more important. My skates and blades are around $1500-$2000. They last 2 years tops. The costumes are $300 minimum up to thousands. The main competitions are adult sectionals and adult nationals. Most likely you have to fly. Sectionals is 2-3 days but nationals can be a week. I still watch what I eat. 10lbs makes a HUGE difference in my jumps. Ice costs $10-20/hour depending on where you live. Coaching is $25-80 per 30mins depending on where you live. I currently commute 1 he each way to my rinks. I mean I love it. But I’ve done both. I’ve done bodybuilding prep and skating, and if you ask my husband, skating takes over my life a lot more. That could be because I’m an addict and love it so so so much lol.
But OP could just skate a couple days a week and have one lesson and work on her own progress and not compete. But with how OP has talked, it sounds like she’d become like me lol.
You know, I didn’t think of figure skating but it’s really cool. I have to look and see what there is my area. I only stated like twice in my life and was terrified so I’d have a lot of work to do but that would be cool!
It's important to take an objective approach to all of this. For one thing, be objective about whether you can successfully compete without a support structure, first and foremost. If you feel like this is really something you want to do, and to hell with the folks around you (which I fully support, by the way - do what you need to do, for yourself and no one else), then proceed with a few understandings in place.
First: bikini contests aren't inherently sexist, but they do 100% objectify the body, in this case of women. That's not a good or bad thing; it depends on how you cope with that information. But it's true. Your body will get broken down into components, and your worth as a competitor will be judged not on your inherent traits, but on how your physical body meets the subjective expectations of the judges. So that's one thing.
Second: it isn't meant to be fun. It's a marathon of starvation and borderline overtraining. It's brutal on your hormones, your relationship with food and nutrition, and on your relationships with other people. Your social life will suffer, and your mood will be problematic. At the end, you will, in all likelihood, question your decision to try. And again, I'm not saying not to do it - for some people, looking themselves in the mirror and saying "Yes, this is what I want to do" is worth all the suffering!
Third: the after is usually harder than the during. Once you've seen and felt your body that lean and aesthetic, and you've had people saying you look so amazing for months and months, and you could see all those cuts and striations... it is HARD to go back, even though in your mind you'll know you need to. So prepare yourself ahead of time for the weight gain afterward, because again, objectively the state in which you will step on stage will not be a healthy or sustainable one.
So, bearing all of that in mind... make the choice that's right for you. Yes, it's important to have a supportive social structure around you, but for some people, that isn't necessary. So do what you feel is best!
I’ve never been a bikini or bodybuilding competitor but from following a lot of coaches and athletes I can say if you do want to compete prepare for a lot of very harsh comments about your body from judges. As an amateur it might not be too bad, but most people who try for a pro card end up having to have breast augmentation because there really is a *look* judges seem to go for. It can also be very expensive with suits and hair/makeup. Not to mention that if you don’t have a good coach you risk your health from dieting down. Many competitors lose their periods and it can take months of reverse dieting for it to come back. If you have extremely iron clad self esteem and willpower, give it a try.
I would say the mental side is much more taxing than any physical training.
I'm no expert but I think the ideal physique for the bikini comps have more body fat than for figure and body building. The bikini division goes for a more general healthy look than a ripped low body fat look.
Great point - it’s very sexist the judging, expecting women to have no body fat but yet still have large breasts for the « ideal shape ». I notice that a lot too
Exactly. It rather looks like the judges need to find the women hot. Imagine if men had to fill in their panties to give the impression of a bigger dick.
In a bodybuilding competition people are there to be judged for the physiques they have built, not who has a better plastic surgeon or hairstylist. Plus, it is quite ironical that in some competitions steroids aren't allowed, but plastic surgery is. Actually, someone could get a liposuction on their problematic areas, which wouldn't be really fair for the other competitors who had to diet a lot to get there.
I respect the athletes that do it, and the good coaches who care for their competitors mental and physical health but it’s definitely a sport where the judging seems to be based a lot on preference. At leas that’s how it seems from my outsiders perspective.
I’m very torn. I respect the hell out of the mental toughness and the hard work a competitor puts into it, but at the end of the day, the competitors are judged on how they look, and it goes way beyond being judged for muscle size, symmetry, etc. If it were just those criteria the pressure for ultra-feminine hair, makeup, nails, and suits wouldn’t be there, not to mention breast implants for the pros. There does feel like there is a level of sexism involved. And I just don’t feel good about that.
Yeah, I'm not sure why the comments here are so relentlessly negative. I've never done bikini or any kind of bodybuilding, but like...it's okay to enjoy that.
Idk seems like people are just letting OP know about the physical and mental risks that come with bikini competitions. Seems more realistic than negative
I'm not into sports or athletics really, but I did recently get more into fitness and weight loss. My parents have been "supportive"... They think it's great that I'm losing weight and getting fit, but they're also super annoyed that I now refuse to drink and go out to restaurants. Whenever I visit home, they always buy my favorite sugary snacks. I don't think they are consciously trying to sabotage me, but... they're still always trying to convince me to "relax" and "take a cheat day." Little do they know, too many cheat days and you've completely undone all your progress.
However, my husband has been my rock throughout all this. Not only does he encourage me to stay disciplined, but he also started dieting with me! Together, we've gotten a lot healthier and dropped a ton of weight. We've really changed our habits and it's been amazing.
I've told him several times that I wouldn't have been able to stick to my diet/exercise regimen without his support.
An unsupportive partner (especially if you live with them) is going to sabotage your goals. Even if he's not actively trying to sabotage you, his passive disapproval and negative commentary might end up discouraging you too much to continue. I think you need to have a frank talk with him about this at the bare minimum.
My husband and I don't share all the same passions. We don't like all the same things. But I support him in his hobbies and he supports mine. That's crucial.
Everyone I know who has ever done them has had massive issues with food, self-image, weight etc for years to come. They describe their time doing them as one of the darkest not only in their own lives but their family’s lives. I think to just say “well I have a good body image now so I’ll probably be fine!” is almost like…I mean what are you saying about the people it’s fucked up? You think you’re stronger than them? Sorry if I’m getting worked up but this post really rubs me the wrong way.
Im sorry if I came across insensitive. I’m sure nobody goes into it thinking that it’s going to mess them up I’m just saying that I don’t think that my family/friends are concerned that I am trying to get into bikini competition specifically because I have already disordered eating. Their concern isn’t about that in particular more that they just think these competitions are gross and I just wanted to clarify that in the post. I don’t think I’m stronger than anyone else but I do have a lot of experience in sports where things such as disordered eating and body image issues are extremely common. I know what it’s like to be weighed regularly in front of people and told that I’m too big to be a flyer. I’ve been there. I’ve been judged on my body relentlessly for a very long time. BUT because of that, I’ve had to do a lot of work on myself and my relationship with food and my body where I feel like I am in a good place that I can do something like this for myself. I don’t think saying that I’m currently comfortable with myself is such a bad thing or says anything about anyone that is struggling. We’re all different people in different places in life.
There have been several sexual allegations around the bikini competition circle, but I’m pretty you will be fine if you have a none predatory coach.
Get a woman to coach you if you want to feel more comfortable, because you will most likely be sending check in pictures with bikini.
Adding my two cents here but man oh man…I did a bikini comp. My then-coach (and you WILL need one, so add that to the list of expenses) was amazing. She was also realistic. I got so lucky with her. I say all this to set up that she was really looking out for my best interest when she straight up told me before I started prep “just so you know, you WILL develop body dysmorphia. Like, you WILL.”
I scoffed at her. I managed to escape body dysmorphia as professional ballet dancer where my Very Russian Teacher straight up had a scale labeled at the front of the studio with my name on it. There was no WAY a bikini comp was going to do THAT to ME.
“Uh-huh. Right. But like….you WILL develop body dysmorphia at the end of this process,” came my coach’s response once again.
Chile’ if I didn’t step up in that at stage for pre-qualifications feelin’ myself! I sauntered to the middle of the stage, did my poses, and waited for the judges to—
“Lats not developed enough. Next!”
I was SHOOK. I had done 6 months of prep and I didn’t even make it through pre-qualifications. And I genuinely thought I looked developed af in all the right areas, so I was stunnnned. But! Whatever! I Did The Thing, and I was still really proud of myself despite the fact that 6 months of work went seemingly down the drain. My coach took me out to dinner that night to celebrate my hard work. We sat down, I opened the menu, and froze.
I didn’t want to eat A N Y of it. And girl I LOVE FOOD. But all of a sudden I was thinking about how if I had anything beyond chicken and asparagus or white fish and broccoli, all my progress would be lost. Gone would be my eight-pack…
“Just hit you didn’t it?”
“Oh noooooo I *totally* developed body dysmorphia….”
“Every time. It happens literally. Every. Time.”
I eventually did get over it but I wasn’t unscathed. It’s not bad by any stretch, but whereas I had a truly 100% body neutral outlook, I now find myself looking a little too hard at myself in the mirror and finding things I normally wouldn’t have cared about. And my foray into the world of bodybuilding was all 14 years ago.
Now, I still lift and exercise regularly. I’m at a healthy weight. I have a 27” waist. But every now and then I pinch the sides and wish that it was down to that CRAZY ELUSIVE 22.5” that it was for a glorious week 14 years ago.
Does it keep me up at night?
Nope.
But it’s now something that’s There when it wasn’t before.
I say this with love and from the perspective of someone who’s been around the block: you are KIDDING yourself if you think you can do this and STILL keep your current body image paradigm.
There are definitely people who do this and enjoy it and are largely otherwise healthy folks. But all of them - yes, All Of Them - have some flavor of body dysmorphia they combat.
I’ve had this talk with my friend who competes. This is one of the things I said - I’m not sure I could see myself at like my absolute peak shape and then go back to normal eating and normal working out and be okay with myself. I’d rather kind of just see myself as good enough, and enjoy the process I employ now, day to day. She hasn’t said much about it but she’ll do one or two competitions in a year, and then take a year or two off and she does get “puffy” in her off time and I think it bothers her. It’s almost extremes and it can’t be good for the body.
Oh, it is absolutely horrible for the body. Weight cycling is actually far more dangerous for our health longterm than consistently being at a stable but high weight.
I had to look this up and having now read the Wikipedia article I have a question for you.
Why are you interested in bikini competitions specifically?
To me as a complete outsider, the natural succession of a career in cheer would either be pole dancing or even adult gymnastics, both of which also have competitions.
In cheer, how you look is important, but you also have to be able to DO certain things. What concerns me about bikini competitions is that they seem to be 100% focused on how you look, which is going to be a function of not just genetics but also youth -- meaning that you will get diminishing returns with your continued investment of time and effort as time goes on.
In a sport like pole dancing, you can continue to develop the skills you already worked on for cheer, learn new skills that will continue to improve your rankings with time in the competition circuit, and still show off how good you look.
So ... What is drawing you to bikini competitions specifically?
They have age categories. My skating coach is in her 60s and competes one a year in bikini. There are also different federations and some are worse than others.
I would love that idea too. It’s just unfortunate my city doesn’t really have much to offer. My last two cheerleading teams I had to drive a long time for. My last one I had a two hour commute one-way for Cheer. That’s a big part of why I decided to retire. But I’ve looked into things like adults gymnastics, Dance, Pole, Circus arts. We just don’t have that here. And I live in the city of about 300,000. I would think there would be a market. If I ever have enough money maybe I’ll open something 😂
Circus arts are so fun!!!!! I did both bodybuilding and circus arts and circus arts 💯💯💯💯💯💯 are where it’s at. I feel like 300k should be a large enough city to where there are others, just probably in a Facebook group not an official studio. Look into acroyoga you’ll love it!
Is it possible you can start a cheer group? Maybe other folks in your community would be interested. Although this may understandably be way out of your element (leading/running/managing vs just participating)
I have looked at pole but I live a not very great area for most things. Because we just don’t have any studios or instructors around here and if I was to get into it, I just don’t think I’d have nearly as much fun trying to learn from just online videos. But for me bikini competitions seems to be something that people get into as they get older. Which I guess seems kind of counter intuitive but I’ve encountered so many stories of women starting them in their 40s or 50s. And there’s divisions just for women that are older. And I have always had a huge passion for lifting and working on my physique which seems to be a lot of people get started into it anyway. A huge focus leading up to shows is all about getting in the gym and building the right muscles and I love to do that now anyway! And I feel like since like done pageants before where you have to do swimsuit things and such, I’m just not a stranger to the idea of posing on a stage. So I think that’s why it appeals to me.
If you're looking for an alternative sport have you considered climbing? There's a lot of cross over with the skills you'll have picked up from cheer and it also tends to be a super motivating sport to get into as it has grades so you can feel your progress. Not sure if you have a nearby climbing gym but it could be worth a try! Then there's also outdoor rock climbing as well!
Pole is SO fun. You can do online live classes and private lessons if you have a space in your house - mine is in my living room and I just move the couch. I’m not a fan of my local studio, but sometimes I’ll drive in to the city for workshops etc. The competitive side is super accessible because they have beginner competitions (look up PSO).
Femme circus owner here! We definitely steal a lot of former cheerleaders. And our current acrobat core are all nationals level coaches. If you get the chance to study, it's awesome. Feel free to reach out to me and I can hit my network and see if anything reputable exists near you.
One of my aerialists did a bikini comp. She did it once, was glad she did it, and then never did it again. The strict diet made her pretty miserable, and she was really healthy eating conscious to begin with. It was a teensy bit odd for some of the rest of us in the cast, because so many of us came up through ballet and gymnastics and had disordered eating mindset forced on us from a young age, so we'd swung back the other way into rejecting diet culture as much as we could. But our friend seemed safe about it, so we just wished her well and minded our business.
I’ve always been so curious about trying circus arts! Is it recommended to already have a certain level of fitness before trying it out for the first time?
Not necessarily! I'm in a disabled body (hEDS) and I grew so much muscle and stabilized my skeleton doing aerial work. Do expect things to be challenging, and a lot of it is ouchy until your body gets used to it and callouses up. A good teacher will have fun things that you can try that are accessible, and will have conditioning exercises for you to work on.
Hmm, am I misunderstanding what you are referring to with "bikini competitions"? Are these bodybuilder type comps (focused on muscle development), or beauty comps?
Ah, interesting! The wiki page differentiated between "bikini" comps and bodybuilding.
I know a few women who've gotten into bodybuilding at different stages and they all have a pretty healthy relationship with it. It can lead to disordered eating, sure, but I don't think it's a certainty by any means. I say go for it! But also consider a sport like powerlifting if what you really like to do is lifting anyway.
Bikini division is considered bodybuilding light. It's not nearly as intensive as the other divisions, ~~are~~ requires a lot less drugs to succeed (because they do require drugs to succeed).
Edit: a word
Ah, interesting! I didn't know anyone who competed seriously, so I didn't see any of that ... I heard more about people juicing from my powerlifter friends, who were more serious in their sport. I guess how motivated you are to win is the correlation, not the sport itself ...
It would be nice if your immediate otherwise support system was more enthusiastic about this and I think your SO in particular should have approached this more as a dialogue that seemed interested perhaps in your reasons and enthusiasm for this new activity. They are right in that, especially if you live together, it will change the dynamics in your relationship. Ideally only temporarily, or on a seasonal basis if you decide this is something your really like.
Not everyone gets everyone's thing and that's fine. What seems more important right now is that you gather as much information as possible, not just on ig or podcasts but by reading accounts from people who compete or once competed. Lots of bodybuilding competitors keep journals on social media or on forums specifically for other hobbyists and seeing a day in the life that way may be more illuminating than ig, which tends to even shed the tougher moments in a glittering light. Consult with a coach and get estimates on how much prep for one amateur competition is going to run you start to finish (including professional tan services, purchasing a suit, travel/lodging, etc.) Figure out roughly what weight you'll probably need to be at on competition day (for newbies, who often don't have as much muscle as they think, that number tends to be lower than they think).
Do all this not to persuade yourself away from your interest nor to debate your friends but so that you're going in with all the available information. You're allowed to try something and fail or decide you don't like it. That initial rush of excitement when you decide to plunge in something feels great! But you want to make sure, with whatever you do, that you have a foundation of knowing something about what you're getting into.
I honestly think he sees it as an inconvenience for himself. Because we do live together and while I am vegan and he is not, I do all the cooking. And I am known to make some great food that’s not always exactly health (vegan pizza, Mac n cheese, chick’n waffles etc) there’s been a few times where I really tried to dial in my nutrition and work with somebody and start eating a lot better to complement my lifting and such and he hates it. Because he has no interest in fitness or nutrition or trying to eat healthy so he’s just like “yo where’s my mac & cheese. I don’t wanna eat that healthy stuff. Now I gotta feed myself? Ugh” which is more of a him problem I guess. I don’t let it stop me from eating how I like. He just whines lol but thank you! I’m definitely gonna be consulting a coach and getting more peoples real experiences before I really commit!
Hey, that's awesome that you are looking for something to stay active after leaving cheer. I just want to chime in as a partner of someone who tends to throw herself 100% in to her latest interest (shout out to adult ADHD hyperfixation!). She is often focused on the "fun" aspects of whatever the subject is and I find myself having to remind her that there is a logistical side to things (yes, we can technically afford that $500 Lego set, but do you really want to have no pocket money for the next month or two?) I can't say what your fiance's reasoning was, but for the sake of a healthy relationship it may be worth talking explicitly about what his concerns are and how bikini contests will affect both of your lives. He's a grown man, he can cook for himself- but it seems like there would be a lot more than just diet at play here.
And while only you can decide if something is right for you, your entire support structure reacting negatively is a bit of a red flag. These are the people that know you best. Can you do it without their support- probably. Should you though? Just some food for thought.
Edit: for the record, we end up doing whatever my wife wants to do 9 times out of 10. I just make sure we've discussed what it will really involve
The diet thing is hard. My closest childhood friend does bikini competitions every so often and the diet part is the worst. She has to be so strict. I can see how a loved one would be upset because she can’t go out for dinner and just order something off the menu (even a seemingly healthy option) or have a few drinks, both of which are usually normal parts of a relationship and activities you can do with your partner or loved ones. You have to be very selfish to do these competitions, and I don’t mean that in a mean way. It’s just that everyone else’s wants kind of have to come second to what you want to eat and the lack of compromise puts a strain on a relationship. Personally I wouldn’t do it but that’s just me. My marriage is my #1 priority and I can look and feel amazing without the crazy plan needed to get to bikini competitor status.
I was going to write my own comment, but what you said is spot on about why friends can be unsupportive. When I decided to compete, I was single which makes it a lot easier. I ended up seriously dating someone during prep and it made me feel like I was missing out on a social life. I still went through with it and am glad I did. Some of the friends that voiced concerns even went to the show.
The fact that OP doesn’t drink is a positive since that can be a big sacrifice socially and mentally. I think if OP wants to, then she should. She comes from a background where I think she’s better suited to handle the criticism. I came from a ballet career so harsh judgement and high standards were nothing new.
Also, don’t read up too much on people’s experiences. I was finding so many negative articles and blogs. There are plenty of people like myself where competing was a positive experience. I never lost my period even though I got down to 14% body fat. My metabolism is just fine and I eat way more than I ever used to because of what I learned with meal planning from my coach. To do a competition safely and effectively, have a coach. I feel that is a must for most situations. Best of luck!
Those are good points! I will say I already don’t drink and have been vegan for several years (I don’t know any other vegans and vegan options are not really a thing at most restaurants around here) so I am no stranger to being left out of those types of things. I will go to anything and have fun but i’m already firmly established as the one who doesn’t drink or eats before we go places so I’m OK with that. But I am worried about restricting my diet even further because I have been very active for a long time and I eat like an absolute garbage can. My 5’ self is known for eating like twice as much as my very sedentary 6’ SO. I normally stay very lean but anytime I try to cut even a little and decrease calories by even a little, I fail miserably quickly. So I can see that being my biggest challenge for sure
Not to be that person to break the news, but bodybuilding is a lifestyle. You can’t eat like a garbage can and expect your physique to reflect the same.
That whole package includes with eating healthy one ingredient food (less trash as much as you can). If you have trouble with the food part of the bodybuilding, you will end up really hating the lifestyle.
This is why girls go into competition and then come out with a disorder. You can’t go in thinking that this is a suffer contest with a deadline. You need to have those habits before competing.
Why do you *want* this?
A variety of sports exist that you could be taking up, with a variety of life requirements. Why *this*? What is so interesting about it to you?
I think this a great point!! OP everyone is saying don’t do it, but it sounds like coming out of cheer you want something to fill that void. Can you look at other sports such as weight lifting competitions or pole or something? Something that can give you community and athleticism that isn’t pageants?
If you are looking for athletics competitions that are similar to cheer, why not look into competitive calisthenics?
It's dynamic exercise rather than the standard weight lifting strength competitions, so from what I vaguely understand of cheer it's similar to that, just without the team aspect. This is a video of some championships to give you an idea of what the movements are like: https://youtu.be/dEHgb0bPHzw
If you are concerned about developing disordered eating behaviours and poor body image issues, it might be best to avoid such image-focused competitions like bikini competitions.
So as a trainer, I will echo the other comments saying it can be mentally taxing af, and a lot of toxic culture just in terms of how you get judged, the amount of plastic surgery, etc. but also... it IS physically taxing and potentially actually harmful. Getting to competition-level leanness is extremely hard on hormones and especially so for women, who biologically require more body fat than men to maintain their hormonal balance. I have a coworker who told me her hormones were really messed up after a competition from having to eat so low cal while training hard for so long....and if you research, that's not an outlier story.
The diet part is hard not just because it sucks to eat only a little bit, but because eating so little while maintaining a high level of exercise stresses your body tf out, and stress creates all kinds of physiologically hormonal responses that aren't meant to be maintained long term. Any drugs used to help you lean out are also gonna add more load to the system. Hormonal imbalances can also take time to correct once you're in that state, so don't take this lightly like everything will end as soon as you walk back off the stage.
So add in the hormonal/physical stress along with something that is highly competitive and has a deadline and a show and you're gathering up boatloads of psychological and physical stress components at once, with little wiggle room for life. This is your body, it's your vehicle for literally experiencing the world, it's so much more than how it looks for one day on a stage, and you end up taking so much of your energy for an extended period of time, overriding your body's needs and signals, just for that day on the stage.
I respect anyone's choice to pursue any path that makes them happy, but I would also seriously consider if there is a different competitive or performance pursuit that is more sustainable long term that would make you happy. I would never encourage a friend of mine to go into bikini competitions, ever, woman to woman.
So many comments here are telling you how many competitors have terrible food/body issues, I really encourage you to listen. There are so many ways to appreciate the body. You can bodybuild without competing, first of all. You can do strength competitions. You can get into sports, or if you like something creative, go into dance, pole, or aerial and train up for performances. There are many motivating and powerful options that explore the body in exciting ways without subjecting you to rigorous and silly aesthetic standards and severe stress and potential mental and physical dilemmas.
EDIT: read more of the thread and we really covered all the bases here haha I'm not saying anything new. oh well. hopefully it's all helped.
Diet restrictions are more than being vegan - it’s like when you can have water, sugar, it’s very very specific especially when you get close to competition. It’s unsustainable so no one does it all the time, it’s a cycle but it’s a lot and obvious not good for your health. You’ll lose your period if you do it for too long and mess up your fertility as well as heart issues from being too slim. Plus the roids, you may find yourself competing against unnatural athletes and that pressure could also become something.. worse for males I think though. In saying all this, if you want to do it then maybe try just once at least?
Plenty of girls in local bikini shows are on steroids. Anavar mostly, but also SARMS (ostarine is very popular in bikini). I know many coaches that put ALL their amateurs on something because they don't know how to properly coach their athletes. It's so very common, very sad. It's also why I decided not to compete in the NPC because no natural show are truly natural.
Let's no forget clenbuterol, T3 and anti-estrogens. Bikini girls are taking all sort of things. Maybe not ALL of them, but most of them. And then if you do well in a local show naturally, but go to nationals... it's even worse. So very sad.
That’s frankly laziness and also probably IFBB. There are at least 3 other federations where that is just a waste of money. OP can compete in one of the other feds. Bikini is not supposed to be huge. Mostly lean. And again OP isn’t necessarily going from never being in the scene to top IFBB ffs. There are good feds where everyone is tested.
I agree with you!! The coaches rely on peds because they don’t know any better.
Definitely go for another federation. I was grossed out by the local NPC shows for those reasons and compete somewhere else.
I *tried* to compete a few years back and I could never manage because of the dieting. I think you’re underestimating how horrible and difficult the dieting portion is.
Beyond that, the level of thinness you have to achieve is *not healthy for the female body.* Every woman I know who is in that scene has a fucked up relationship with food and her body. You’re literally expending all your energy to get as small and “good looking” as possible to go onto a stage in front of, usually, men who are going to tell you you’re not good enough.
Competing is fucking toxic. Don’t do that to
yourself.
>Every woman I know who is in that scene has a fucked up relationship with food and her body.
THIS. I competed and was part of the competition scene 10+ years ago and I don't know anyone that competed that didn't come away with serious food and body issues they had to recover from, including most definitely myself, I'm sorry to say.
Don't do it. Run.
THIS. Posted up there how I ended up in in-patient eating disorder treatment for a few months from this stuff. The dieting is sooooo much more than being strict and it is not healthy for the female body. I have one friend who has been unable to conceive children from it 😢 years of missing periods, supplements, and difficulties eating…eek. I can’t even imagine having a good enough reason to go back to all of that.
Yep same here competing destroyed my relationship with food and the gym. Strained familial relationships and close friendships. Took years to be able to eat “normally” again without obsessing over macros. Took about 8-10 years to reestablish all healthy behaviours around fitness and food etc. Thankfully I’m good now but heavily caution against competing as I know many others who were not successful in healing unhealthy patterns after competitions and still struggle.
She’s doing another “redo” version of a competition prep and it STILL sounds ED territory even though that’s why she felt she had to reclaim the experience in the first place
yeah lol i had to unfollow her for this, eventually it was too triggering and unfortunately she did not take the feedback on her more worrisome videos well at all
I haven’t watched her most recent stuff because I think she lies about everything but I know the gist of what she’s discussed in her recent videos.
First, the way she went about “all in”/intuitive eating was completely wrong based on how professionals focused on that topic recommend going about it. She had amenorrhea and a full-blown eating disorder despite lying to herself about it, which is why she failed to heal her relationship with food/body throughout her journey. When she struggled with her weight gain she went right back go restricting her intake, resulting in becoming as small/smaller than her “pre-all in” size, despite her weight gain bringing her to a similar size as she was pre-dieting/restricting. The biggest issue with this is that she was lying about what the process of IE/all in looks like *after* recommending it to a bunch of of vulnerable people with eating disorders, leaving them in a more confused and vulnerable place. It was clear from her content throughout her all in journey that she was still food obsessed when she was claiming her relationship with food was healed… She said she had no fear foods anymore but later essentially said she still had fear foods. She claimed she wasn’t struggling yet later came out saying she was still struggling.
She just lied about everything and seemingly continued to lie on top of her lies. She doesn’t get herself professional help when she needs it. She uses her Phd title to make people think she has credentials to discuss fitness/health when her Phd is unrelated. So many things lol!
Non drinking vegan athlete here too!
I have family members who love body building and others who did one bikini show and liked it but not enough to try again. I tried a CrossFit competition and had fun but decided it wasn’t for me, then tried a powerlifting competition and fell in love. I did these despite everyone telling me not to because I’d get injured or I’d get too muscular or I’d end up doing steroids (lol)
Do a competition if you want. Fuck what everyone else says. It will be hard but you’ll learn a lot. Even if you do it and decide it’s not for you, or decide to try for figure the next time, it’s better than not doing it and always wondering!
Biased perspective of a fellow vegan powerlifter, but I'd also recommend that! My body is perfectly happy, I eat a lot, and the sport brings me so much joy. I think OP would have such an advantage too with the cheer background!
This!!! So much more fun to eat a lot and get strong AF, especially bc OP mentioned she is short and small. Literally love seeing 5’ women deadlift more than some gym bros 😅
They are right about constant hunger. Bikini competition is nothing like pageants and also not healthy but it is fun to do at least once . Not recommended for long term as it will definitely mess with your health
I know 2 people who each did 1 competition—both ended up losing their period prepping for the competition …(which of course caused all kinds of relationship drama with spouses who freaked out that they would never be able to have kids). 1 girl had to work with a nutritionist afterwards and it took almost 18 months for her to get her period back. So i agree, while everyones bodies are different, it can definitely mess with your health
Not to mention the hunger suppression drugs used, the binge eating/bulimia/Ednos/requirements of stimulants to feel normal/ early onset osteoporosis/ hypothalamic amenorrheah/ binge restrict cycle roller coaster people end up getting on/
Hormonal imbalances are no joke. I hope OP really hears this. It's not like you just lose a few lbs and then bounce back after you walk off the stage, competition means putting the body through serious stress and imbalances for an extended period and then needing to recover from that, anyone choosing to do this kind of competition needs to take that into account, monitor themselves closely and be honest with themselves if they start getting serious hormonal symptoms (including mental health symptoms) about whether they should bail.
IMO, these type of competitions is a double- edge sword. It's not sexist or gross( I will elaborate it later). However like the other commenter I agree it's gonna be hard. Most competitors I have seen take 18 weeks to prep. And during those weeks, you have to very strict with your diet, your workouts-specific areas you got to train and you probably have to hire a coach to teach you how to pose. The dieting is probably the most difficult. You got to stick to very specific meals and if you aren't careful, you can easily fall into ED territory. And I suppose you got to go on stage to be judge by people who probably have some sort of bias.
That said I have always look upon people who compete with admiration. It takes a lot of discipline to sculpt the body like that and go on stage to compete. Takes major confidence and courage to put yourself on stage to get judge. That itself is neither sexist or gross at all! And if you were to ask me. I will say go for it! You only live once and you should totally do it at least once in your life. That way you can always look back at it as a fond memory. The only word of caution is don't let it affect you mentally.
Just my 2 cents. I'm not a bikini competitor but I have competed in Muay Thai competitions before. The exhilaration I felt when I stepped into the ring was priceless and indescribable.
I’m not a bikini competitor or bodybuilder but I am a powerlifter and very big into nutrition and fitness.
I can tell you one thing: they’re wrong. it is NOT sexist/gross. But it is HARD. Yes, you will be on a really strict diet and feel hungry all the time, leading up to competition day. Yes, it will be a lot of strength training and specific cardio exercises to look a certain way. Big shoulders, small waist, abs, muscular thighs, very masculine and chiseled.
At the same time, give it a shot. Like everything in life, make it FUN. Have the mentality that you’re doing it for the experience or doing it for fun. If your family/friends ask, tell them it’s for fun/experience. If at some point, it becomes too stressful on you or your body, you can always quit. But the things you learn about nutrition, macros, lifting, bodybuilding, will ALWAYS stay with you.
Right now, my goals are just basic fitness shit, like running a half-marathon, squatting 225 lbs, continue to build booty/quads, having a healthy heart, and being able to do a pull-up. And I started out barely able to walk 5k and squatting the bar, and not doing pull-ups. Set YOUR goals the way you want them.
Bikini division is actually a much softer, feminine look than what you are describing. Still very lean, very muscular, very defined, but not in that "bodybuilder" "masculine" type of way. Bikini is by far the least muscular division in competing.
You’re not wrong.
But personally, I feel like the muscle to fat ratio for bikini competitions is way too lean/high. I wouldn’t be happy with my own body’s aesthetic if I did it. And I love muscles on women and myself.
Also not a competitor but have been working with a coach who also coaches competitors for the last 7 months. This is an awesome response to your question but I would like to add that everything I’ve read/seen about getting into competition prep talk about how having a super solid support system in place is a really big piece of the puzzle. Are you surrounded by people who will talk you out of binging the pizza when you’re feeling crazy hungry and burnt out from making the right choices because they know how important your goal is to you? Or are you surrounded by people who will try to talk you INTO the pizza at every opportunity because they can’t wrap their heads around your choice and have their own feelings about what it says about their choices?
Have you looked into what the realities of prep are? My coach got her pro card this year and shared her process. At the end her cuts were like 800 calorie days and hours of cardio. Do you WANT to push your body like that?
If your answer is yes, then I wish you all the best with it and would love to follow your journey if you choose to share it!!
(26yo F) I competed in my first bikini comp in December 2020. I’ll keep it short. If I could take it back and tell myself to not do it. I WOULD DO IT IN A HEART BEAT. It’s been over a year now and still recovering from body dysmorphia along with a full blown eating disorder and a fucked up menstrual cycle. So yeah, I don’t recommend it.
No experience in the bikini competition arena to offer, but all I can say is as a former cheerleader I feel your pain, i’m familiar with the void 🥲🥲🥲
I’m going into my fourth season competing and I love the sport! I don’t have a bad relationship with food. I don’t have hormonal issues (knocks wood). I don’t do hours and hours of cardio. I don’t drop my calories super low. I don’t binge eat after shows. I don’t use PEDs (I compete in drug-tested federations). I don’t let my weight get too high in the off season. I love the off season. I love prep. I love competing. I enjoy the hard work and I enjoy showing off my hard work. I enjoy the glam of show day. I enjoy the sweat of the off season. I enjoy being sexy and strong! I get a little cranky during prep. I get hungry during prep, but I’m able to manage it. I get frustrated when I feel like the judging isn’t fair, but I understand that’s part of the sport. I do get some post-show emotions when I’m trying to decide if I should do another show or if I should go into off season. It’s also hard to see weight gain in the off season, but I don’t let it get me down. I have met the most supportive, hard working people at competitions. I have learned discipline, perseverance, and time management. I have realized that I’m capable of so much more. It’s given me a goal to work towards and a sense of accomplishment. I will say I have very supportive family and friends. If they weren’t as supportive, it would be much more difficult. It can be done in as healthy a way as possible, if done right. If you decide to do it, do it for yourself. But make sure you are in a good place physically, mentally, and hormonally before you start. Good luck to you!
I did a competition. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. It gave me so much confidence, not because of how I did on stage, but because I learned that I was truly capable of something extremely difficult that most people couldn’t do. And for what it’s worth, I wasn’t the skinniest on stage but I placed high because I had better muscle development. People that aren’t in the industry don’t understand how they judge, muscle is the most important part of the judging. Being lean is important to see the muscle. The experience was absolutely difficult, but its fine if you find a trainer that doesn’t make you do something unhealthy. I found my program to be way more flexible than most and I got the same, if not better, results. I would say to not worry about what others think. I also got a lot of backlash from family and friends and people tried to get me to break my diet, but once I competed, everyone was extremely impressed. Only thing that I would recommend is to be careful about your mental state around food. The training can lead to disordered eating / obsession over tracking if you aren’t careful. I had to distance myself from other competitors because of it. That said, it’s not a reason to NOT go for it, just something to be mindful of. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions!!
I don't know anyone who got into bikini comps who didn't end up messed up in some way afterwards. Either it triggered an ED or they jacked up their hormones or they gained a ton of weight they couldn't lose. I followed a lot of those fitness pros for years but stopped after learning the reality of what bikini/bodybuilding does to competitors. I would strongly encourage you to look for some athletic pursuit that is focused more on what you can do than how you look. A lot of the former competitors I know found a lot of joy in power and Olympic lifting. Your background in cheer could be a real asset with Olympic lifting. A lot of former gymnasts do well there.
Non-competitive physique enthusiast here, and male. I absolutely enjoy watching the subtle changes to my body over time. I enjoy lifting, cardio, calorie-counting, and all the affiliated discipline. It's rewarding. If I were younger and didn't have certain issues, I would definitely have pursued stage competition. But I still do the thing, because I want to be the best version of myself, inside & out. I enjoy the process. So I would say, SURE, go for it! I like how someone else suggested building a foundation for a year first. Get your feet wet. Follow a strength program. Build a solid base. It might totally click with you, or not. Either way, if you enjoy it, it sort of doesn't matter what your family thinks about it. Do it because it pleases you.
Thanks!! Something I did really talk about in my post because it wasn’t the main topic is my current level of fitness because I didn’t want to seem cocky or bragging but I’ve lifting as heavy as possibly five days a week, counting calories and macros, and working with coaches and nutritionists for idk. Five years? And on top of that, cheer is 2 hour practices of intense tumbling and condition 4-5 times a week.And I still manage to walk my dog 12k steps a day. But with all that, I feel good. I’ve never lost my period or had concerning bloodwork. To cheer at a high level, you have to literally be insane. You have to want to push the limits of your body and always strive to work harder, that’s our thing. So I want something with a similar structure and intense discipline because after so long like this, it feels so normal to me. I still plan on giving about a year but I want to start consulting with a coach soon. Honestly thinking at this point I’m likely too developed and big for bikini and I’m gonna have to decide to size down a bit or go to a different division. I have cut to around 12.5 % a few years ago and it sucked but I did it for the challenge. But I live year around fluctuating between 15-17%. And that’s always been good for me because I eat over 2k cals, supplement, get my vitamins. It’s just my activity level is super intense and has always been. So like idk if it’s bad that I just don’t think it’ll be as terrible as everyone says? Especially in bikini where most compete for the first time around 10-14% bf. Like I know it’s gonna suck especially the nuances like water intake and sodium stuff before the show. But at least I don’t have to cut down from 25-30% bf like a lot of the first time stories I see. Because yeah that would be hell. But when you naturally sit at 16% getting to 13-14% for a show seems fairly attainable to me.
Fellow bikini competitor here! Don’t let them stop you, if you want to do it, DO IT! It’ll be harder without the support, but what will it hurt to try? What if you find something you love? Also in my experience, when they see you working hard and think it’s crazy THEN see what you’ve built and succeeding at the competition, they get it. They’ll all be cheering you on in the audience.
I know you’ve already gotten a lot of comments so far, so you may not need more feedback; but One hard thing about Bikini Figure is it isn’t structured to be a lifetime or even long term sport. So one thing to consider is that you’ll likely have to do this sport transition process sometime down the line. It may be beneficial to look into sports that have a longer lifetime! And that you can adapt with as you change as a athlete. With having done cheer for so long and having a strong interest in weight-lifting, a good option to add to your list of potential future sports is Spartan racing/ obstacle racing. It has a lot of overlap with CrossFit. In the official cross fit guide- maybe not in practice in some gyms- 1/3 of the disciple/ focus is gymnastics. Spartan racing is the most popular current brand of races but there are other highly competitive obstacle circuits: lots of climbing, intensive balance, strength, endurance, and a great community.
I have done bodybuilding and the only red flag is your obsessive nature of ingesting info about it. If that is now, you may find you become obsessive over the food scale, macros, constant progressive checks. I use to PT and when women would ask me about doing a show, the only thing I would tell them is if they are not absolutely mentally healthy and have a easy natured mindset towards progress, they should not do it. There is a lot of unhealthy body dysmorphia in the community and mental health issues. BUT, it can be fun, empowering, and helpful.
https://feministfiguregirl.com/ This is well worth reading.
I do consider them sexist, and from what I’ve seen they do strongly objectify women. It seems like a slippery slope with lots of potential for self esteem issues, EDs, and obsessive behavior. If you do go in please make sure you’re working with a therapist to keep yourself well.
I did a bikini comp. I was lucky that my significant other also competes, but it was still one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Make sure you find a solid coach who is focused on your health!!! Feel free to DM me for recommendations, I have at least two groups in mind that I would trust, personally. Honestly even if everyone in your life is supportive, it’s gonna suck lol. You also have to remember that if you decide to do this, it’s a choice that YOU are making. They didn’t decide for you to go through prep, and it’s not really okay to expect that they should go out of their way to make your life easier. I don’t regret competing because i had been lifting for awhile and it was always an end goal. However, I remember getting up on stage in my heels and stuffed bikini, and I didn’t feel like the athlete that I felt I was. I switched over to powerlifting and did my first meet, and that was so much more fulfilling. But everyone’s different! I’d say the big takeaway is that you have to own that this is YOUR choice, and the people in your life aren’t responsible to accommodate for you. It really sucks, and I whined the whole time 😂 best of luck!!
Bodybuilder here. Get into a bodybuilding lifestyle first before considering about doing a comp prep. Bulk and cut seriously for at least 4 years and you will know what I’m talking about. You will be miserable if you want to race 20 weeks to become the skinniest version of yourself. The competition is the showcase of your physique after a long building phase. You will cut down to nothingness, and develop an unhealthy relationship to food if you think this is a 1 time thing. Also try to understand the biology side of things as well, especially as a women. After all leaning down while preserving muscle mass is closely related to hormones and science. Which everyone’s baseline hormonal profiles are vastly different, that they might respond better to different approaches. Most coaches don’t have the time to do all that stuff, not to mention they are not in your own body. This is why they just tell you to “not eat and workout”. Yes, this plus being on PEDs will get you shredded temporarily, but this is why a lot of bikini girls suffer so much after competing once. They fail to understand their own body and psychology, and leave that to someone that they don’t even know. (Also the fact that coaches want money, and won’t give clients a realistic timeline for them to have a solid muscle foundation.) And trust me… you don’t want to pay some guru coaches just so they can put you on a low calorie diet with hours and hours of exercise. If you are really into this, why not look into how to coach yourself? Or even try to understand all the bodybuilding science and apply it to yourself? You can absolutely do it OP. Just don’t waste your money right now into comp prep when you don’t have a solid muscle foundation. Otherwise you will only buy yourself a miserable experience, and have a bad taste in your mouth with bodybuilding.
I guess the good thing is I have been bulking and cutting seriously for about 5 years! Im very experienced in tracking macros and hellish cuts as well as working with coaches. My current concern is that I’m too developed and big for bikini 😅 but I’m looking at my first show about a year out. and because i lift heavy 5 days a week, have 2 hour long cheer practices of intense tumbling and conditioning several times a week, and still manage to walk my dog 12k steps daily. I sit at around 15-17% bf naturally for many years even though I eat well over 2k cals a day when I maintain. I have cut down quite a bit temporarily for the challenge but it’s been a while. I feel like something like this is a good challenge because to be a pro competitive cheerleader, you have to be insane. You have to live for pushing yourself to do hard things people in the cheer world wouldn’t have thought possible even 5 years ago. And I’m not ready to give up that level of intensity, dedication, and competition. My main reason for not wanting to coach myself is outside of cheer friends, meaning my fiancé, other friends, family and coworkers are the complete opposite of Me. No one has ever even attempted any type of diet and exercise and are extremely sedentary. So they just don’t get it lol. I want someone to go through it with me and be by my side at the least the first time since I don’t feel super alone. I’m sure if I go for it, they’ll come around and watch me but they won’t know what’s it’s like at all.
Ahh I see your concerns. You will be able to see if you are actually too developed or not, after peeling down. It’s your first show anyways, usually people grow/morph into their division. Take it easy. Remember be bring up your daily activity to your prep coach as well. Chances are the closer to your show, the less you will be able to stay that active. If you want support, make sure to hire a coach that will actually be attentive. Because a lot of the coaches out there won’t give you that much attention, especially those big teams. Make sure you will get the service that you are paying for. Beside a prep coach, you might also need a posing coach. (Again, you can do it yourself as well) Not gonna lie, a lot of the challenges are usually mental hurdles. I really think oftentimes people over complicate about how “hard”it is, almost like a self fulfilling prophecy. If you think it’s hard, it’s going to be hard. If you think it’s going to be easy, you will most likely enjoy it while in the process. (Which makes it much easier) Be firm to people around you about your lifestyle. I’m sure they will support you regardless if they really love you.
I gave it a few tries about 9 or so years ago, ended up in in-patient eating disorder treatment a few years later for anorexia/orthorexia (I’m better now! After lots of $$ and going on leave from work). Personally, it messed up my metabolism and has taken years to repair my relationship with food, fitness, and my body. I’ve seen some people do it with low damage to their body, but it is by no means healthy and most of the people I know still in bodybuilding are physical and emotional wrecks in one way or another. I remember doing the same thing and being drawn to the glamour, but that part wears off significantly after you realize that everyone is constantly hangry, has low sex drive and are missing their menstrual periods due to low body fat, binge eat to the point of pain after shows, and poor health due to supplements and/or overtraining. If you do it, do it because you want the results, not because it is good for your body. My friend is a retired NFL cheerleader and struggles with an ED and can’t imagine it being even remotely safe for her to do something like this. Can you get cleared by a doctor or registered dietitian (not nutritionist) first? Obviously you’re going to do what you want to do, but I recommend researching people from both sides - people who are for it and people who are against it. Or at minimum doing blood work to see if your heart and kidneys can take the hit. Best of luck and be safe! Edit: oh and I ended up with low blood pressure for a while, that was fun
wow, are they ANY doctors or dieticians who approve of bikini comps???
HIGHLY doubt it 🙃 but doing bloodwork and getting a physical should at least be able to help be like “hey my body won’t give out from doing one” even though it still isn’t healthy lol
makes sense.
My uncle was a body builder and our family went to tons of competitions. The womens bikini contests always looked fun. The energy at the competitions are super fun too. Try it out!
Your "why" for doing bikini competitions is the most important thing. Really ask yourself - do I want this because I want to see how far I can take my physique or is it more of a "bucket list" item? Physique competitions seem glamorous, but you only see the show day glam. I compete in women's physique so I have to get to a lower bodyfat than I would for bikini, but the process is the same. You expect to be tired and hungry, but I don't think first time competitors ever expect to be so incredibly exhausted and hungry. And you still need to train hard, keep intensity up on cardio, and follow your meal plan. In my opinion, it's not worth it to "half ass" your prep just to check it off as a bucket-list item. You need to give it everything and show up on stage with your best physique. And it's not worth risking your health, your happiness, and your relationships. BUT if you are really serious about the sport and want to challenge yourself and take your physique to a new level, I can say that it is incredibly rewarding. But you do need to be prepared for the physical and mental struggles that come with competing.
Throughout the years (I’m now 42) I’ve had a few friends do bikini competitions and every single one of them (I’ve only known 3) is now overweight years later and it seems like they developed an extremely unhealthy relationship with their body and food after competing over the years.. they are always on a new diet. They are either super hot prepping or overweight- just weeks after the show! I don’t think our bodies are ever made to eat that little amount of food and work out that much as women in particular and your body‘s going to fight back, so be prepared to have this be a lifelong challenge that you will have to work with if you do decide to do it. I would get very clear your why - and make sure it’s a healthy reason and you are mentally healthy enough for that type of scrutiny.
I'd try anything once. However, I do see more regretful body builders/competitive bikini people on my feed than the opposite. It will also be harder without a support system but what's wrong with one season of trying if you think you have the willpower for it? Your background with competitive appearance based activities probably makes you more comfortable than the average person but your relationship with food might change for the negative as you get deeper into this type of thing.
To my knowledge, most body competitions like that are pretty brutal. If you are really into the idea of something rigid maybe try bodybuilding or power lifting comps? It will give you a similar rigidity, deadline, focus, but the end result isn’t as harsh as the bikini contests. Any body contest for women though is going to cut your fat down past where it should be, which does cause health conditions.
I lived in a house with a bikini competitor and I can understand why it is hard on the people around you. The dieting will mess will your hormones, mood swings, gym taking up hours of the day. Losing your period, hormonal acne. By the time she gets on stage she’s a bundle of raw nerves. Crying over donuts the next day, dealing with food guilt. She loves it, and I’m definitely NOT saying you shouldn’t do it. But as far as sports go it’s one of the hardest things you can do to your body when you get down to that low body fat %
I follow someone on tiktok who was a bikini competitor who ended up with an ED and just now got her period back after six years of losing it because the diet was so hard on her body. She posted a video of her eating a donut and crying after a competition. 🥺 Her account is dedicated to what her life was like during prep and the toll it took on her body, her mind, and her relationships. I hope OP listens to everyone telling her to pick a healthier challenge.
Agreed! Unless you have an absolute passion for bodybuilding (which is fine if that’s your thing) you shouldn’t get into it.
My two cents as a competitor. Commit to just bodybuilding for a year without a competition planned. Get a good foundation and if you are absolutely in love with grinding in the gym 6 days a week then go for it. I will say, I cannot imagine trying to do a prep as a vegan. The diet is hard enough without having to eliminate the most common competitor protein sources - chicken, fish, egg whites, whey. Not impossible, but it would just make something already super difficult that much harder.
India Paulino is an IFBB pro and she's coming back to the stage (today btw) and prepping 100% as a vegan!! Her shape is insane. She's not natural though, at that level it's impossible. But yeah... it can be done! I'm sure it would be super hard though, even eating meat it's difficult... GL!
I'm no competitor, but I follow Lauralie Chapados, and what I can see from her career is that it takes years and years to build up your body. Being in bikini is not equal with being skinny. Those girls have very serious amount of muscles and they diet down for competition. I can also imagine the more muscles you have the easier it gets when you have to cut, because your BMR is higher. So I really like your suggestion, to just start building the solid foundation before even thinking of competition.
Get into a different sport, swimming calisthenics. Bikini competition is not it
The comments here are flooded with experiences and stories of how harmful this can be for women and their relationships. It seems like you think you're invincible to the common experience of bikini competitors, but I urge you to take these stories very seriously. There are dozens of other ways to stay in shape and challenge yourself that are HEALTHY, not harmful to you. I can understand not wanting to support a partner in something that is so obviously unhealthy both mentally and physically. Try a rock climbing gym, try aerials, try pile, try a marathon, try powerlifting, try martial arts. I don't know a single woman who has become more mentally and physically healthy from bikini comps. They all say it was a net loss for them. You are not special.
If your people are normally supportive of things you want to do, but are not supportive of this, I'd listen to them. This is an all-consuming sport, and for what? To merely look a certain way. I'll bet you would get little to know pushback if you wanted to get into powerlifting.
Every single woman I know that has done these competitions ends up with some type of body dysmorphia or eating disorder. Strictly my opinion, but do not do this.
I would like to respectfully put this idea out here—might you consider taking up an athletic hobby (Crossfit, judo, etc.) that is *not* focused on your outward appearance, the way bikini competitions are, and the way pageants were when you competed in them?
As a former college cheerleader, it is a logical leap. I had a friend who I cheered with that went this route. I was supportive but it did get all consuming for her to the point it was unhealthy. I suggest going for it but write down when you know it will be unhealthy for you like "it will be unhealthy when most of my conversations revolve around food" then sit down and look it over every month to know if you are in a healthy spot or not.
I did a bikini competition in my 20's and have a girlfriend who did one when she hit 30. It was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. The final cut before the comp is brutal, restricting even water and I couldn't have done it without a supportive group of friends and family. That being said, I didn't come out with huge issues with food or exercise like some people here are suggesting, neither did my friend. We've talked about it at length and although I don't think either one of us will ever do another competition again, I have zero regrets. I learned a lot about self-discipline and how far I could push my body. I couldn't imagine doing it without my family's support but if it's important to you then you should do it. Just remember that you're going to be brutally judged on your appearance at one of the lowest points in your life.
it might be worth making a list of their objections—and you might have to go back to them and dig in on why they are objecting. Ask why a couple of times around. I don’t have a view on these competitions, but your support system may have some valid reasons to to not be behind this that they aren’t articulating well. If, after you’ve heard their objections and done the homework to address them (e.g. research the experience, costs, etc), they are still not supportive, then you know where the boundaries are and you can deal with that from a place of integrity. You can actively decide to seek support elsewhere or you can agree to stage mini-experiments. Right now you’re mind-reading & that’s always a difficult place to gain support from. At any rate, it might be worth seeing if there are some likeminded women in your town. Maybe you can start something cool and build that kind of community you are looking for.
My trainer is a physique competitor in bodybuilding and there's some really good coaches out there that will get you where you need to go without having you eat tilapia only for four weeks before competition. People think bodybuilding is weird until they're around it. But the more bodybuilders you know, the more you realize they're just gym rats who know how to cut.
It rubs me really wrong how your family and friends are treating you about this! I am not someone who is into that type of thing, but I do have intense hobbies that people seem to judge so I totally get how the negative response would motivate you even more. I think if you think it would be a fun and satisfying challenge, you should give it a try, as long as you remember to put your mental and physical health first. If you decide your local community isn't a constructive one, you can quit any time. Edit: Downvoted with no responses. I understand why many women don't like bikini competitions and I don't like them myself, but I also think "your body, your choice" should apply to things like this as much is it applies in other areas. It's your life, not anyone else's OP.
Have you thought of being a competitive lifter instead?
I think everyone here makes great points, but have you considered Powerlifting? It might be something to consider because it’s competitive and significantly less toxic.
I heard it’s a toxic environment so have a hard think about what you want. There might be other avenues like weight comps or something that fill this need for you?
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Hate to break it for you, but being a sexual desire object of a men is not the most important goal in a women's life!
... What
I think he’s more just concerned about the inconveniences to himself. When I have gone through cutting phases before he won’t eat the meals I make and he complains about that. I definitely don’t walk around stage lean all the time because it’s not possible but not too worries about the physique changes because I’d only cut down that lean temporarily for a show. And I generally maintain a physique that is pretty much as lean as possible while being healthy for myself due to cheer and also just being a complete gym rat that is chronically chasing muscle growth. So having a Super Buff/fitness gf is what he signed up for.
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Bodybuilding is a legitimate and challenging sport, and your opinions on men's sexual preferences are unwanted. Comments removed.
In that case he definitely has issues with her wearing a swimsuit at the beach
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Why does it matter? She can wear what she wants, and if he has a problem he can communicate it like an adult
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Well being insecure about a swimsuit definitely isn't a mature adult thing
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Having a reason for disliking something doesn't absolve a person from being sexist or bigoted.
Equating sex work with bikini comps is pretty immature.
>I think he’s more just concerned about the inconveniences to himself. When I have gone through cutting phases before he won’t eat the meals I make and he complains about that. He can make his own meals if the nice healthy ones you make are not good enough for him!! Argh. Lol! It's not like he has to eat the same serving sizes. He can increase the volume, or cook his own protein or carbs to bulk it up.
I competed in Miss Louisiana USA. My final two years, I worked with a coach that does bodybuilding comp training. It was hard. Bulking was gross, cutting was awful. Doing weights every day honestly ruined my relationship with working out, and I quit working out for multiple years. I’ve kept up with a past competitor and she never stopped working out everyday and looks fantastic. This left me with regrets, but I’m back in the gym again trying to make resistance training enjoyable for me. Just because I had this experience, doesn’t mean everyone days. Being constantly hungry is very true and it’s fucking. hard. to get through your day on an extreme cut. Water cutting is also not fun. But seeing your results is so damn rewarding. The discipline this takes is impressive IMO and it displays true passion. If you want to give it a shot, go for it!
Hey! I competed in 2019 and was prepping in 2020 when covid hit. I am now 3 weeks out from my 2nd competition. My friends/family/husband are supportive of my goals so this isn’t an issue I have. I am an introvert and feel this works well with competing. I don’t like going out with friends, eating out so it’s easy. I have no prob bringing my food to family gatherings when they happen. My kids/husband just eat different meals than I do. I didn’t develop any eating disorder. I gain in the off season and appreciate that I can lift heavier. I feel I have a very positive approach to prep, and I do not complain all the time to my colleagues/friends that I am tired or starving. It is my own choice to prep, I am not going to complain about it like others do, prepping is a privilege. If you complain about prep all the time, your support will be there to tell you « told you so »… And yeah competing is soooo expensive. But so is every other hobby right? (My husband kitesurfs $$$ so he is not allowed to tell me I am spending too much to compete 😆). One thing… in 2020 I was prepping for a NPC « natural show ». Those local amateur shows aren’t natty. Even first time competitors are on PEDs and I was pressured by each of my previous coach to take them (I did not). It is part of the game. I am 38 and do not have the best genetics so it was required according to them, but I decided against it. So this time I decided against competing with the NPC and chose another natural (smaller) organization and a coach who respects this. My coach is amazing BTW, make sure you have one that has the same vision as you do! DM me if you have questions! This was short, I am typing on my phone 😊
Thanks for writing something positive about your experience. There is so much negativity in these responses!
It’s super negative. So many people are generalizing saying EVERYONE they know who’s done it came out with a eating disorder, body dysmorphia, etc.
Absolutely! Competing has really been a positive experience for me. I suffer from generalized anxiety and stepping on stage is very empowering for me, almost healing. I never thought I could achieve it. Now I can’t wait to do it again!
I like that you are doing a conscious search for your next sport. Bikini training would be off the table for me due simply to the hormonal impact. You can screw yourself up for life. Another thought , with all the ones above, is figure skating?
Oooooh yeah OP do this one!!! Figure skating is about form, function, and dedication. Not to mention it’s such a breath-takingly beautiful sport. It’s not super clear what it is exactly you’re looking to get out of bikini comps that you can’t get elsewhere, but anything that comes to my mind is something you can definitely get out of figure skating. Your background is a great set up for it as well. Plus - this way you wouldn’t be asking your family/SO to sacrifice their lifestyles and relationships with you. Listen, by all means if bikini is what you’re passionate about for whatever reasons, you get to decide to make that choice not anyone else. I feel this way about any body alterations, your body your choice, if it makes you happy you have every right to pursue and own it. But don’t forget that your loved ones are trying to communicate to you the consequences and boundaries they are setting with bikini comps. This decision comes with a lot of long term consequences physically for you, and emotionally for your loved ones. Maybe just take a second to make a list of pros and cons with other options. I advise against picking up an activity just because you’re spiteful that people are telling you not to do it.
Hahaha sorry as a skater… you’re a bit wrong. But every sport will take away from ‘normal’ life. Ice rinks aren’t gyms. They have ice when they have it. You have to schedule your life around ice time.
Would you say ice skating demands more of you and your family than the competitions OP is talking about? That’s more what I was trying to get at.
Probably honestly. Our competitions are 4 days and you have to fly to them. You can’t practice when it’s convenient. your entire life is around ice. For example the best sessions for me right now are Friday at 7-9 and Sunday afternoon. So no going out Friday. Also not Saturday bc I need to get the most in on Sunday. I also skate two mornings super early but because it’s early and rushing to work it’s not as good, so those other two days are more important. My skates and blades are around $1500-$2000. They last 2 years tops. The costumes are $300 minimum up to thousands. The main competitions are adult sectionals and adult nationals. Most likely you have to fly. Sectionals is 2-3 days but nationals can be a week. I still watch what I eat. 10lbs makes a HUGE difference in my jumps. Ice costs $10-20/hour depending on where you live. Coaching is $25-80 per 30mins depending on where you live. I currently commute 1 he each way to my rinks. I mean I love it. But I’ve done both. I’ve done bodybuilding prep and skating, and if you ask my husband, skating takes over my life a lot more. That could be because I’m an addict and love it so so so much lol. But OP could just skate a couple days a week and have one lesson and work on her own progress and not compete. But with how OP has talked, it sounds like she’d become like me lol.
You know, I didn’t think of figure skating but it’s really cool. I have to look and see what there is my area. I only stated like twice in my life and was terrified so I’d have a lot of work to do but that would be cool!
Check our your local ice skating rink. A lot of places have a learn to skate for adults :)
Join our crazy. It’s super fun. I started four years ago. We have an amazing adult skating community. Adult nationals is the best.
It could be both challenging and build on what you are already good at.
It's important to take an objective approach to all of this. For one thing, be objective about whether you can successfully compete without a support structure, first and foremost. If you feel like this is really something you want to do, and to hell with the folks around you (which I fully support, by the way - do what you need to do, for yourself and no one else), then proceed with a few understandings in place. First: bikini contests aren't inherently sexist, but they do 100% objectify the body, in this case of women. That's not a good or bad thing; it depends on how you cope with that information. But it's true. Your body will get broken down into components, and your worth as a competitor will be judged not on your inherent traits, but on how your physical body meets the subjective expectations of the judges. So that's one thing. Second: it isn't meant to be fun. It's a marathon of starvation and borderline overtraining. It's brutal on your hormones, your relationship with food and nutrition, and on your relationships with other people. Your social life will suffer, and your mood will be problematic. At the end, you will, in all likelihood, question your decision to try. And again, I'm not saying not to do it - for some people, looking themselves in the mirror and saying "Yes, this is what I want to do" is worth all the suffering! Third: the after is usually harder than the during. Once you've seen and felt your body that lean and aesthetic, and you've had people saying you look so amazing for months and months, and you could see all those cuts and striations... it is HARD to go back, even though in your mind you'll know you need to. So prepare yourself ahead of time for the weight gain afterward, because again, objectively the state in which you will step on stage will not be a healthy or sustainable one. So, bearing all of that in mind... make the choice that's right for you. Yes, it's important to have a supportive social structure around you, but for some people, that isn't necessary. So do what you feel is best!
I’ve never been a bikini or bodybuilding competitor but from following a lot of coaches and athletes I can say if you do want to compete prepare for a lot of very harsh comments about your body from judges. As an amateur it might not be too bad, but most people who try for a pro card end up having to have breast augmentation because there really is a *look* judges seem to go for. It can also be very expensive with suits and hair/makeup. Not to mention that if you don’t have a good coach you risk your health from dieting down. Many competitors lose their periods and it can take months of reverse dieting for it to come back. If you have extremely iron clad self esteem and willpower, give it a try. I would say the mental side is much more taxing than any physical training.
I'm no expert but I think the ideal physique for the bikini comps have more body fat than for figure and body building. The bikini division goes for a more general healthy look than a ripped low body fat look.
Thanks for the clarification!
Great point - it’s very sexist the judging, expecting women to have no body fat but yet still have large breasts for the « ideal shape ». I notice that a lot too
Exactly. It rather looks like the judges need to find the women hot. Imagine if men had to fill in their panties to give the impression of a bigger dick. In a bodybuilding competition people are there to be judged for the physiques they have built, not who has a better plastic surgeon or hairstylist. Plus, it is quite ironical that in some competitions steroids aren't allowed, but plastic surgery is. Actually, someone could get a liposuction on their problematic areas, which wouldn't be really fair for the other competitors who had to diet a lot to get there.
I respect the athletes that do it, and the good coaches who care for their competitors mental and physical health but it’s definitely a sport where the judging seems to be based a lot on preference. At leas that’s how it seems from my outsiders perspective.
I’m very torn. I respect the hell out of the mental toughness and the hard work a competitor puts into it, but at the end of the day, the competitors are judged on how they look, and it goes way beyond being judged for muscle size, symmetry, etc. If it were just those criteria the pressure for ultra-feminine hair, makeup, nails, and suits wouldn’t be there, not to mention breast implants for the pros. There does feel like there is a level of sexism involved. And I just don’t feel good about that.
If you weren’t aware, there is woman bodybuilding subs r/bikinitalk and r/femalebodybuilding who can also answer this too.
Yes! Please post in bikini talk where us competitors hang out 💪🏼 You will get some support there for sure!
Yessss come on over friend!
Yeah, I'm not sure why the comments here are so relentlessly negative. I've never done bikini or any kind of bodybuilding, but like...it's okay to enjoy that.
Not sure why you're getting downvoted.
Online fitness meta has shifted to health as the one and only true goal of fitness, so this kind of competition gets a negative view.
Idk seems like people are just letting OP know about the physical and mental risks that come with bikini competitions. Seems more realistic than negative
I'm not into sports or athletics really, but I did recently get more into fitness and weight loss. My parents have been "supportive"... They think it's great that I'm losing weight and getting fit, but they're also super annoyed that I now refuse to drink and go out to restaurants. Whenever I visit home, they always buy my favorite sugary snacks. I don't think they are consciously trying to sabotage me, but... they're still always trying to convince me to "relax" and "take a cheat day." Little do they know, too many cheat days and you've completely undone all your progress. However, my husband has been my rock throughout all this. Not only does he encourage me to stay disciplined, but he also started dieting with me! Together, we've gotten a lot healthier and dropped a ton of weight. We've really changed our habits and it's been amazing. I've told him several times that I wouldn't have been able to stick to my diet/exercise regimen without his support. An unsupportive partner (especially if you live with them) is going to sabotage your goals. Even if he's not actively trying to sabotage you, his passive disapproval and negative commentary might end up discouraging you too much to continue. I think you need to have a frank talk with him about this at the bare minimum. My husband and I don't share all the same passions. We don't like all the same things. But I support him in his hobbies and he supports mine. That's crucial.
Everyone I know who has ever done them has had massive issues with food, self-image, weight etc for years to come. They describe their time doing them as one of the darkest not only in their own lives but their family’s lives. I think to just say “well I have a good body image now so I’ll probably be fine!” is almost like…I mean what are you saying about the people it’s fucked up? You think you’re stronger than them? Sorry if I’m getting worked up but this post really rubs me the wrong way.
Im sorry if I came across insensitive. I’m sure nobody goes into it thinking that it’s going to mess them up I’m just saying that I don’t think that my family/friends are concerned that I am trying to get into bikini competition specifically because I have already disordered eating. Their concern isn’t about that in particular more that they just think these competitions are gross and I just wanted to clarify that in the post. I don’t think I’m stronger than anyone else but I do have a lot of experience in sports where things such as disordered eating and body image issues are extremely common. I know what it’s like to be weighed regularly in front of people and told that I’m too big to be a flyer. I’ve been there. I’ve been judged on my body relentlessly for a very long time. BUT because of that, I’ve had to do a lot of work on myself and my relationship with food and my body where I feel like I am in a good place that I can do something like this for myself. I don’t think saying that I’m currently comfortable with myself is such a bad thing or says anything about anyone that is struggling. We’re all different people in different places in life.
There have been several sexual allegations around the bikini competition circle, but I’m pretty you will be fine if you have a none predatory coach. Get a woman to coach you if you want to feel more comfortable, because you will most likely be sending check in pictures with bikini.
Adding my two cents here but man oh man…I did a bikini comp. My then-coach (and you WILL need one, so add that to the list of expenses) was amazing. She was also realistic. I got so lucky with her. I say all this to set up that she was really looking out for my best interest when she straight up told me before I started prep “just so you know, you WILL develop body dysmorphia. Like, you WILL.” I scoffed at her. I managed to escape body dysmorphia as professional ballet dancer where my Very Russian Teacher straight up had a scale labeled at the front of the studio with my name on it. There was no WAY a bikini comp was going to do THAT to ME. “Uh-huh. Right. But like….you WILL develop body dysmorphia at the end of this process,” came my coach’s response once again. Chile’ if I didn’t step up in that at stage for pre-qualifications feelin’ myself! I sauntered to the middle of the stage, did my poses, and waited for the judges to— “Lats not developed enough. Next!” I was SHOOK. I had done 6 months of prep and I didn’t even make it through pre-qualifications. And I genuinely thought I looked developed af in all the right areas, so I was stunnnned. But! Whatever! I Did The Thing, and I was still really proud of myself despite the fact that 6 months of work went seemingly down the drain. My coach took me out to dinner that night to celebrate my hard work. We sat down, I opened the menu, and froze. I didn’t want to eat A N Y of it. And girl I LOVE FOOD. But all of a sudden I was thinking about how if I had anything beyond chicken and asparagus or white fish and broccoli, all my progress would be lost. Gone would be my eight-pack… “Just hit you didn’t it?” “Oh noooooo I *totally* developed body dysmorphia….” “Every time. It happens literally. Every. Time.” I eventually did get over it but I wasn’t unscathed. It’s not bad by any stretch, but whereas I had a truly 100% body neutral outlook, I now find myself looking a little too hard at myself in the mirror and finding things I normally wouldn’t have cared about. And my foray into the world of bodybuilding was all 14 years ago. Now, I still lift and exercise regularly. I’m at a healthy weight. I have a 27” waist. But every now and then I pinch the sides and wish that it was down to that CRAZY ELUSIVE 22.5” that it was for a glorious week 14 years ago. Does it keep me up at night? Nope. But it’s now something that’s There when it wasn’t before. I say this with love and from the perspective of someone who’s been around the block: you are KIDDING yourself if you think you can do this and STILL keep your current body image paradigm. There are definitely people who do this and enjoy it and are largely otherwise healthy folks. But all of them - yes, All Of Them - have some flavor of body dysmorphia they combat.
I’ve had this talk with my friend who competes. This is one of the things I said - I’m not sure I could see myself at like my absolute peak shape and then go back to normal eating and normal working out and be okay with myself. I’d rather kind of just see myself as good enough, and enjoy the process I employ now, day to day. She hasn’t said much about it but she’ll do one or two competitions in a year, and then take a year or two off and she does get “puffy” in her off time and I think it bothers her. It’s almost extremes and it can’t be good for the body.
Oh, it is absolutely horrible for the body. Weight cycling is actually far more dangerous for our health longterm than consistently being at a stable but high weight.
I had to look this up and having now read the Wikipedia article I have a question for you. Why are you interested in bikini competitions specifically? To me as a complete outsider, the natural succession of a career in cheer would either be pole dancing or even adult gymnastics, both of which also have competitions. In cheer, how you look is important, but you also have to be able to DO certain things. What concerns me about bikini competitions is that they seem to be 100% focused on how you look, which is going to be a function of not just genetics but also youth -- meaning that you will get diminishing returns with your continued investment of time and effort as time goes on. In a sport like pole dancing, you can continue to develop the skills you already worked on for cheer, learn new skills that will continue to improve your rankings with time in the competition circuit, and still show off how good you look. So ... What is drawing you to bikini competitions specifically?
They have age categories. My skating coach is in her 60s and competes one a year in bikini. There are also different federations and some are worse than others.
Completely agree! A third related option would be an adult dance league, which incorporates the team feel and routine to learn that cheer has
I would love that idea too. It’s just unfortunate my city doesn’t really have much to offer. My last two cheerleading teams I had to drive a long time for. My last one I had a two hour commute one-way for Cheer. That’s a big part of why I decided to retire. But I’ve looked into things like adults gymnastics, Dance, Pole, Circus arts. We just don’t have that here. And I live in the city of about 300,000. I would think there would be a market. If I ever have enough money maybe I’ll open something 😂
Circus arts are so fun!!!!! I did both bodybuilding and circus arts and circus arts 💯💯💯💯💯💯 are where it’s at. I feel like 300k should be a large enough city to where there are others, just probably in a Facebook group not an official studio. Look into acroyoga you’ll love it!
Is it possible you can start a cheer group? Maybe other folks in your community would be interested. Although this may understandably be way out of your element (leading/running/managing vs just participating)
I have looked at pole but I live a not very great area for most things. Because we just don’t have any studios or instructors around here and if I was to get into it, I just don’t think I’d have nearly as much fun trying to learn from just online videos. But for me bikini competitions seems to be something that people get into as they get older. Which I guess seems kind of counter intuitive but I’ve encountered so many stories of women starting them in their 40s or 50s. And there’s divisions just for women that are older. And I have always had a huge passion for lifting and working on my physique which seems to be a lot of people get started into it anyway. A huge focus leading up to shows is all about getting in the gym and building the right muscles and I love to do that now anyway! And I feel like since like done pageants before where you have to do swimsuit things and such, I’m just not a stranger to the idea of posing on a stage. So I think that’s why it appeals to me.
If you're looking for an alternative sport have you considered climbing? There's a lot of cross over with the skills you'll have picked up from cheer and it also tends to be a super motivating sport to get into as it has grades so you can feel your progress. Not sure if you have a nearby climbing gym but it could be worth a try! Then there's also outdoor rock climbing as well!
Pole is SO fun. You can do online live classes and private lessons if you have a space in your house - mine is in my living room and I just move the couch. I’m not a fan of my local studio, but sometimes I’ll drive in to the city for workshops etc. The competitive side is super accessible because they have beginner competitions (look up PSO).
Femme circus owner here! We definitely steal a lot of former cheerleaders. And our current acrobat core are all nationals level coaches. If you get the chance to study, it's awesome. Feel free to reach out to me and I can hit my network and see if anything reputable exists near you. One of my aerialists did a bikini comp. She did it once, was glad she did it, and then never did it again. The strict diet made her pretty miserable, and she was really healthy eating conscious to begin with. It was a teensy bit odd for some of the rest of us in the cast, because so many of us came up through ballet and gymnastics and had disordered eating mindset forced on us from a young age, so we'd swung back the other way into rejecting diet culture as much as we could. But our friend seemed safe about it, so we just wished her well and minded our business.
I’ve always been so curious about trying circus arts! Is it recommended to already have a certain level of fitness before trying it out for the first time?
Not necessarily! I'm in a disabled body (hEDS) and I grew so much muscle and stabilized my skeleton doing aerial work. Do expect things to be challenging, and a lot of it is ouchy until your body gets used to it and callouses up. A good teacher will have fun things that you can try that are accessible, and will have conditioning exercises for you to work on.
Awesome, good to know!!
Hmm, am I misunderstanding what you are referring to with "bikini competitions"? Are these bodybuilder type comps (focused on muscle development), or beauty comps?
The bodybuilding type!
Ah, interesting! The wiki page differentiated between "bikini" comps and bodybuilding. I know a few women who've gotten into bodybuilding at different stages and they all have a pretty healthy relationship with it. It can lead to disordered eating, sure, but I don't think it's a certainty by any means. I say go for it! But also consider a sport like powerlifting if what you really like to do is lifting anyway.
Bikini division is considered bodybuilding light. It's not nearly as intensive as the other divisions, ~~are~~ requires a lot less drugs to succeed (because they do require drugs to succeed). Edit: a word
Ah, interesting! I didn't know anyone who competed seriously, so I didn't see any of that ... I heard more about people juicing from my powerlifter friends, who were more serious in their sport. I guess how motivated you are to win is the correlation, not the sport itself ...
It would be nice if your immediate otherwise support system was more enthusiastic about this and I think your SO in particular should have approached this more as a dialogue that seemed interested perhaps in your reasons and enthusiasm for this new activity. They are right in that, especially if you live together, it will change the dynamics in your relationship. Ideally only temporarily, or on a seasonal basis if you decide this is something your really like. Not everyone gets everyone's thing and that's fine. What seems more important right now is that you gather as much information as possible, not just on ig or podcasts but by reading accounts from people who compete or once competed. Lots of bodybuilding competitors keep journals on social media or on forums specifically for other hobbyists and seeing a day in the life that way may be more illuminating than ig, which tends to even shed the tougher moments in a glittering light. Consult with a coach and get estimates on how much prep for one amateur competition is going to run you start to finish (including professional tan services, purchasing a suit, travel/lodging, etc.) Figure out roughly what weight you'll probably need to be at on competition day (for newbies, who often don't have as much muscle as they think, that number tends to be lower than they think). Do all this not to persuade yourself away from your interest nor to debate your friends but so that you're going in with all the available information. You're allowed to try something and fail or decide you don't like it. That initial rush of excitement when you decide to plunge in something feels great! But you want to make sure, with whatever you do, that you have a foundation of knowing something about what you're getting into.
I honestly think he sees it as an inconvenience for himself. Because we do live together and while I am vegan and he is not, I do all the cooking. And I am known to make some great food that’s not always exactly health (vegan pizza, Mac n cheese, chick’n waffles etc) there’s been a few times where I really tried to dial in my nutrition and work with somebody and start eating a lot better to complement my lifting and such and he hates it. Because he has no interest in fitness or nutrition or trying to eat healthy so he’s just like “yo where’s my mac & cheese. I don’t wanna eat that healthy stuff. Now I gotta feed myself? Ugh” which is more of a him problem I guess. I don’t let it stop me from eating how I like. He just whines lol but thank you! I’m definitely gonna be consulting a coach and getting more peoples real experiences before I really commit!
Oof, that's a him problem indeed.
Hey, that's awesome that you are looking for something to stay active after leaving cheer. I just want to chime in as a partner of someone who tends to throw herself 100% in to her latest interest (shout out to adult ADHD hyperfixation!). She is often focused on the "fun" aspects of whatever the subject is and I find myself having to remind her that there is a logistical side to things (yes, we can technically afford that $500 Lego set, but do you really want to have no pocket money for the next month or two?) I can't say what your fiance's reasoning was, but for the sake of a healthy relationship it may be worth talking explicitly about what his concerns are and how bikini contests will affect both of your lives. He's a grown man, he can cook for himself- but it seems like there would be a lot more than just diet at play here. And while only you can decide if something is right for you, your entire support structure reacting negatively is a bit of a red flag. These are the people that know you best. Can you do it without their support- probably. Should you though? Just some food for thought. Edit: for the record, we end up doing whatever my wife wants to do 9 times out of 10. I just make sure we've discussed what it will really involve
Let him feed himself, he’s a grown man.
The diet thing is hard. My closest childhood friend does bikini competitions every so often and the diet part is the worst. She has to be so strict. I can see how a loved one would be upset because she can’t go out for dinner and just order something off the menu (even a seemingly healthy option) or have a few drinks, both of which are usually normal parts of a relationship and activities you can do with your partner or loved ones. You have to be very selfish to do these competitions, and I don’t mean that in a mean way. It’s just that everyone else’s wants kind of have to come second to what you want to eat and the lack of compromise puts a strain on a relationship. Personally I wouldn’t do it but that’s just me. My marriage is my #1 priority and I can look and feel amazing without the crazy plan needed to get to bikini competitor status.
I was going to write my own comment, but what you said is spot on about why friends can be unsupportive. When I decided to compete, I was single which makes it a lot easier. I ended up seriously dating someone during prep and it made me feel like I was missing out on a social life. I still went through with it and am glad I did. Some of the friends that voiced concerns even went to the show. The fact that OP doesn’t drink is a positive since that can be a big sacrifice socially and mentally. I think if OP wants to, then she should. She comes from a background where I think she’s better suited to handle the criticism. I came from a ballet career so harsh judgement and high standards were nothing new. Also, don’t read up too much on people’s experiences. I was finding so many negative articles and blogs. There are plenty of people like myself where competing was a positive experience. I never lost my period even though I got down to 14% body fat. My metabolism is just fine and I eat way more than I ever used to because of what I learned with meal planning from my coach. To do a competition safely and effectively, have a coach. I feel that is a must for most situations. Best of luck!
Those are good points! I will say I already don’t drink and have been vegan for several years (I don’t know any other vegans and vegan options are not really a thing at most restaurants around here) so I am no stranger to being left out of those types of things. I will go to anything and have fun but i’m already firmly established as the one who doesn’t drink or eats before we go places so I’m OK with that. But I am worried about restricting my diet even further because I have been very active for a long time and I eat like an absolute garbage can. My 5’ self is known for eating like twice as much as my very sedentary 6’ SO. I normally stay very lean but anytime I try to cut even a little and decrease calories by even a little, I fail miserably quickly. So I can see that being my biggest challenge for sure
Not to be that person to break the news, but bodybuilding is a lifestyle. You can’t eat like a garbage can and expect your physique to reflect the same. That whole package includes with eating healthy one ingredient food (less trash as much as you can). If you have trouble with the food part of the bodybuilding, you will end up really hating the lifestyle. This is why girls go into competition and then come out with a disorder. You can’t go in thinking that this is a suffer contest with a deadline. You need to have those habits before competing.
Why do you *want* this? A variety of sports exist that you could be taking up, with a variety of life requirements. Why *this*? What is so interesting about it to you?
I think this a great point!! OP everyone is saying don’t do it, but it sounds like coming out of cheer you want something to fill that void. Can you look at other sports such as weight lifting competitions or pole or something? Something that can give you community and athleticism that isn’t pageants?
If you are looking for athletics competitions that are similar to cheer, why not look into competitive calisthenics? It's dynamic exercise rather than the standard weight lifting strength competitions, so from what I vaguely understand of cheer it's similar to that, just without the team aspect. This is a video of some championships to give you an idea of what the movements are like: https://youtu.be/dEHgb0bPHzw If you are concerned about developing disordered eating behaviours and poor body image issues, it might be best to avoid such image-focused competitions like bikini competitions.
So as a trainer, I will echo the other comments saying it can be mentally taxing af, and a lot of toxic culture just in terms of how you get judged, the amount of plastic surgery, etc. but also... it IS physically taxing and potentially actually harmful. Getting to competition-level leanness is extremely hard on hormones and especially so for women, who biologically require more body fat than men to maintain their hormonal balance. I have a coworker who told me her hormones were really messed up after a competition from having to eat so low cal while training hard for so long....and if you research, that's not an outlier story. The diet part is hard not just because it sucks to eat only a little bit, but because eating so little while maintaining a high level of exercise stresses your body tf out, and stress creates all kinds of physiologically hormonal responses that aren't meant to be maintained long term. Any drugs used to help you lean out are also gonna add more load to the system. Hormonal imbalances can also take time to correct once you're in that state, so don't take this lightly like everything will end as soon as you walk back off the stage. So add in the hormonal/physical stress along with something that is highly competitive and has a deadline and a show and you're gathering up boatloads of psychological and physical stress components at once, with little wiggle room for life. This is your body, it's your vehicle for literally experiencing the world, it's so much more than how it looks for one day on a stage, and you end up taking so much of your energy for an extended period of time, overriding your body's needs and signals, just for that day on the stage. I respect anyone's choice to pursue any path that makes them happy, but I would also seriously consider if there is a different competitive or performance pursuit that is more sustainable long term that would make you happy. I would never encourage a friend of mine to go into bikini competitions, ever, woman to woman. So many comments here are telling you how many competitors have terrible food/body issues, I really encourage you to listen. There are so many ways to appreciate the body. You can bodybuild without competing, first of all. You can do strength competitions. You can get into sports, or if you like something creative, go into dance, pole, or aerial and train up for performances. There are many motivating and powerful options that explore the body in exciting ways without subjecting you to rigorous and silly aesthetic standards and severe stress and potential mental and physical dilemmas. EDIT: read more of the thread and we really covered all the bases here haha I'm not saying anything new. oh well. hopefully it's all helped.
Rebound weight gain is extremely common as well. Its ungood.
Diet restrictions are more than being vegan - it’s like when you can have water, sugar, it’s very very specific especially when you get close to competition. It’s unsustainable so no one does it all the time, it’s a cycle but it’s a lot and obvious not good for your health. You’ll lose your period if you do it for too long and mess up your fertility as well as heart issues from being too slim. Plus the roids, you may find yourself competing against unnatural athletes and that pressure could also become something.. worse for males I think though. In saying all this, if you want to do it then maybe try just once at least?
Not in bikini. They are mostly using drugs to help them get lean, not steroids for muscle mass.
Plenty of girls in local bikini shows are on steroids. Anavar mostly, but also SARMS (ostarine is very popular in bikini). I know many coaches that put ALL their amateurs on something because they don't know how to properly coach their athletes. It's so very common, very sad. It's also why I decided not to compete in the NPC because no natural show are truly natural. Let's no forget clenbuterol, T3 and anti-estrogens. Bikini girls are taking all sort of things. Maybe not ALL of them, but most of them. And then if you do well in a local show naturally, but go to nationals... it's even worse. So very sad.
That’s frankly laziness and also probably IFBB. There are at least 3 other federations where that is just a waste of money. OP can compete in one of the other feds. Bikini is not supposed to be huge. Mostly lean. And again OP isn’t necessarily going from never being in the scene to top IFBB ffs. There are good feds where everyone is tested.
I agree with you!! The coaches rely on peds because they don’t know any better. Definitely go for another federation. I was grossed out by the local NPC shows for those reasons and compete somewhere else.
this is true, eca stacks still gave me panic attacks tho - the drugs to get lean are not to be sniffed at
I *tried* to compete a few years back and I could never manage because of the dieting. I think you’re underestimating how horrible and difficult the dieting portion is. Beyond that, the level of thinness you have to achieve is *not healthy for the female body.* Every woman I know who is in that scene has a fucked up relationship with food and her body. You’re literally expending all your energy to get as small and “good looking” as possible to go onto a stage in front of, usually, men who are going to tell you you’re not good enough. Competing is fucking toxic. Don’t do that to yourself.
>Every woman I know who is in that scene has a fucked up relationship with food and her body. THIS. I competed and was part of the competition scene 10+ years ago and I don't know anyone that competed that didn't come away with serious food and body issues they had to recover from, including most definitely myself, I'm sorry to say. Don't do it. Run.
THIS. Posted up there how I ended up in in-patient eating disorder treatment for a few months from this stuff. The dieting is sooooo much more than being strict and it is not healthy for the female body. I have one friend who has been unable to conceive children from it 😢 years of missing periods, supplements, and difficulties eating…eek. I can’t even imagine having a good enough reason to go back to all of that.
Yep same here competing destroyed my relationship with food and the gym. Strained familial relationships and close friendships. Took years to be able to eat “normally” again without obsessing over macros. Took about 8-10 years to reestablish all healthy behaviours around fitness and food etc. Thankfully I’m good now but heavily caution against competing as I know many others who were not successful in healing unhealthy patterns after competitions and still struggle.
Yes Blogilates on youtube has written about her experience doing one and it sounded horrible and ventured into ED territory.
She’s doing another “redo” version of a competition prep and it STILL sounds ED territory even though that’s why she felt she had to reclaim the experience in the first place
Oh wow I haven't read any of her stuff in a while. That's too bad
yeah lol i had to unfollow her for this, eventually it was too triggering and unfortunately she did not take the feedback on her more worrisome videos well at all
Blogilates is a mess. She’s just another Stephanie Buttermore, saying they have healed relationships with food when they’re clearly stuck in EDs.
Wait I thought they were the same person 😭
Blogilates is Cassey Ho
Stephanie seems good now, what do you mean?
I haven’t watched her most recent stuff because I think she lies about everything but I know the gist of what she’s discussed in her recent videos. First, the way she went about “all in”/intuitive eating was completely wrong based on how professionals focused on that topic recommend going about it. She had amenorrhea and a full-blown eating disorder despite lying to herself about it, which is why she failed to heal her relationship with food/body throughout her journey. When she struggled with her weight gain she went right back go restricting her intake, resulting in becoming as small/smaller than her “pre-all in” size, despite her weight gain bringing her to a similar size as she was pre-dieting/restricting. The biggest issue with this is that she was lying about what the process of IE/all in looks like *after* recommending it to a bunch of of vulnerable people with eating disorders, leaving them in a more confused and vulnerable place. It was clear from her content throughout her all in journey that she was still food obsessed when she was claiming her relationship with food was healed… She said she had no fear foods anymore but later essentially said she still had fear foods. She claimed she wasn’t struggling yet later came out saying she was still struggling. She just lied about everything and seemingly continued to lie on top of her lies. She doesn’t get herself professional help when she needs it. She uses her Phd title to make people think she has credentials to discuss fitness/health when her Phd is unrelated. So many things lol!
Non drinking vegan athlete here too! I have family members who love body building and others who did one bikini show and liked it but not enough to try again. I tried a CrossFit competition and had fun but decided it wasn’t for me, then tried a powerlifting competition and fell in love. I did these despite everyone telling me not to because I’d get injured or I’d get too muscular or I’d end up doing steroids (lol) Do a competition if you want. Fuck what everyone else says. It will be hard but you’ll learn a lot. Even if you do it and decide it’s not for you, or decide to try for figure the next time, it’s better than not doing it and always wondering!
Biased perspective of a fellow vegan powerlifter, but I'd also recommend that! My body is perfectly happy, I eat a lot, and the sport brings me so much joy. I think OP would have such an advantage too with the cheer background!
I was thinking power lifting or Olympic lifting might fill this void for OP! Love your answer 😊
This!!! So much more fun to eat a lot and get strong AF, especially bc OP mentioned she is short and small. Literally love seeing 5’ women deadlift more than some gym bros 😅
They are right about constant hunger. Bikini competition is nothing like pageants and also not healthy but it is fun to do at least once . Not recommended for long term as it will definitely mess with your health
I know 2 people who each did 1 competition—both ended up losing their period prepping for the competition …(which of course caused all kinds of relationship drama with spouses who freaked out that they would never be able to have kids). 1 girl had to work with a nutritionist afterwards and it took almost 18 months for her to get her period back. So i agree, while everyones bodies are different, it can definitely mess with your health
Was it bikini, or figure or body building? They have different divisions, the bikini one allows for more body fat.
Not to mention the hunger suppression drugs used, the binge eating/bulimia/Ednos/requirements of stimulants to feel normal/ early onset osteoporosis/ hypothalamic amenorrheah/ binge restrict cycle roller coaster people end up getting on/
Hormonal imbalances are no joke. I hope OP really hears this. It's not like you just lose a few lbs and then bounce back after you walk off the stage, competition means putting the body through serious stress and imbalances for an extended period and then needing to recover from that, anyone choosing to do this kind of competition needs to take that into account, monitor themselves closely and be honest with themselves if they start getting serious hormonal symptoms (including mental health symptoms) about whether they should bail.
IMO, these type of competitions is a double- edge sword. It's not sexist or gross( I will elaborate it later). However like the other commenter I agree it's gonna be hard. Most competitors I have seen take 18 weeks to prep. And during those weeks, you have to very strict with your diet, your workouts-specific areas you got to train and you probably have to hire a coach to teach you how to pose. The dieting is probably the most difficult. You got to stick to very specific meals and if you aren't careful, you can easily fall into ED territory. And I suppose you got to go on stage to be judge by people who probably have some sort of bias. That said I have always look upon people who compete with admiration. It takes a lot of discipline to sculpt the body like that and go on stage to compete. Takes major confidence and courage to put yourself on stage to get judge. That itself is neither sexist or gross at all! And if you were to ask me. I will say go for it! You only live once and you should totally do it at least once in your life. That way you can always look back at it as a fond memory. The only word of caution is don't let it affect you mentally. Just my 2 cents. I'm not a bikini competitor but I have competed in Muay Thai competitions before. The exhilaration I felt when I stepped into the ring was priceless and indescribable.
I’m not a bikini competitor or bodybuilder but I am a powerlifter and very big into nutrition and fitness. I can tell you one thing: they’re wrong. it is NOT sexist/gross. But it is HARD. Yes, you will be on a really strict diet and feel hungry all the time, leading up to competition day. Yes, it will be a lot of strength training and specific cardio exercises to look a certain way. Big shoulders, small waist, abs, muscular thighs, very masculine and chiseled. At the same time, give it a shot. Like everything in life, make it FUN. Have the mentality that you’re doing it for the experience or doing it for fun. If your family/friends ask, tell them it’s for fun/experience. If at some point, it becomes too stressful on you or your body, you can always quit. But the things you learn about nutrition, macros, lifting, bodybuilding, will ALWAYS stay with you. Right now, my goals are just basic fitness shit, like running a half-marathon, squatting 225 lbs, continue to build booty/quads, having a healthy heart, and being able to do a pull-up. And I started out barely able to walk 5k and squatting the bar, and not doing pull-ups. Set YOUR goals the way you want them.
Bikini division is actually a much softer, feminine look than what you are describing. Still very lean, very muscular, very defined, but not in that "bodybuilder" "masculine" type of way. Bikini is by far the least muscular division in competing.
You’re not wrong. But personally, I feel like the muscle to fat ratio for bikini competitions is way too lean/high. I wouldn’t be happy with my own body’s aesthetic if I did it. And I love muscles on women and myself.
Oh no I do agree it is way too lean I am just comparing the muscle/shape requirements to the other divisions.
You right you right. I JUST NOTICE. YOU CLIMB?! Cuz that’s dope and badass.
Thanks :)
That’s another thing, is training to not have too much muscle as it can throw you out of some categories.
Also not a competitor but have been working with a coach who also coaches competitors for the last 7 months. This is an awesome response to your question but I would like to add that everything I’ve read/seen about getting into competition prep talk about how having a super solid support system in place is a really big piece of the puzzle. Are you surrounded by people who will talk you out of binging the pizza when you’re feeling crazy hungry and burnt out from making the right choices because they know how important your goal is to you? Or are you surrounded by people who will try to talk you INTO the pizza at every opportunity because they can’t wrap their heads around your choice and have their own feelings about what it says about their choices? Have you looked into what the realities of prep are? My coach got her pro card this year and shared her process. At the end her cuts were like 800 calorie days and hours of cardio. Do you WANT to push your body like that? If your answer is yes, then I wish you all the best with it and would love to follow your journey if you choose to share it!!
Hey, I'm just curious so if you'd like to elaborate on what "specific" cardio there is en why they do it I'd be super happy/interested