Besides the obvious things you need to do to get on stage such as suit selection, tanning, training, nutrition and posing. Lets talk about the less obvious things you need to think about to succeed and stay motivated. 

1. Believe in Yourself - Believing in yourself and your decision to compete. Don't let anyone make you feel like something is wrong with you because you want to compete. This is your goal not theirs, so ask for their support and let them know the importance of your decision. You made the decision to compete for a reason; you were meant to compete or it never would have entered your mind. Believing this journey is part of your destiny will make it easier.

2. Support from Family and Friends -The first thing you can do to get support is to ask for it. Ask your husband or partner to help out around the house so you will have time for your training. Ask a friend to take a training class with you instead of going out for drinks. Surround yourself with other competitors that understand what you are going through.
3. Having a Positive Attitude - The only way you can enjoy your journey is to have a positive outlook and have positive thoughts towards your training, diet and preparation. If you do this, competing will be less of a chore and more of an enjoyable experience. Remember that your physical transformation won't be noticeable right way and by staying positive and knowing you will see results eventually will help you stay encouraged and on the right track.
4. Have an Action Plan - Without a detailed plan on how you will obtain your goals, you will have a more difficult time getting there. Outline everything from beginning to end so you know exactly where you need to be and in what order.

5. Organizational Skills - Being organized is very important when it comes to exercise, diet, and getting on stage. There are all kinds of challenges we need to overcome everyday. So, have a daily planner and plan time to train, cook, and prepare meals for the week.

We were very fortunate to have Utah's head judge Samantha Madsen at the workshop. She covered the rules and discussed the things judges watch for. Here is a sample of the items discussed:

 

Competitors will wear a two piece competition suit and heels. The judges will be looking for good-to-excellent muscle tone, firmness, clean tight lines, and low but reasonable levels of body fat. Judges are not looking for the high degree of muscle mass, cut, or vascularity of a bodybuilder or elite fitness competitor. Judges will look at overall shape and symmetry, assessing the degree of athleticism, proportion and skin tone of the competitor. Upper and lower body and extremities should flow aesthetically, creating a balanced, sculpted, feminine appearance.

Picking your tanning product can be frustrating if you haven't competed before. There are several products out there but only a few rank above the rest. We were fortunate to have Kate Heath, a master esthetician and a national competitor, speak to us at the workshop. Kate knows what it takes to get the best tan for stage. She recommends JanTana or ProTan.
Kate is the go-to person in Utah if you want a JanTana spray before a show. You can contact Kate by e-mail at wakegirlut@xmission.com or call her at 801-243-2803.

Stage makeup is not the same makeup you wear every day. You want to make sure you stand out on stage and your makeup will need to be darker with some contouring. We were also fortunate to have Maryanne Pickett, a professional makeup artist and master esthetician, speak to us. Maryanne knows what your makeup needs to look like under those harsh lights with your darker body tan. She has been doing competition makeup for some time and is the premier makeup artist for competitions. You can contact Maryanne by e-mail at maryanne@urbanallure.net or call her at 801-860-4277.