Written by Kim Leggett (Clean Health Online Master Coach)
So, your client wants to compete? GREAT! The first step to prepping for a competition is COMMITTING to the process!
To learn more about coaching physique athletes to bring their best package to the stage, click here & enrol into Dr. Layne Norton’s online courses and SAVE!
Now, before you carried away and start gearing them up for a 12 week prep, it’s best to ensure that they given it good though and considered all facets that go into the whole process from meal prep, training, cardio, posing, budget for wardrobe, makeup, hair, beauty appointments and the list goes on! One big part of comp prep which gets overlooked is the amount of TIME that you need to dedicate (dare I say, sacrifice) to get everything done.
Here are some tips for fitting comp prep into daily life:
1. Meal Prep!
Meal prep can hugely help your client stick to a comp prep diet and be a massive TIME SAVER. Encourage your client to allocate one day a week to prep, for example an afternoon for 2-3 hours on a Sunday after their weekly grocery shop to prep meals for the week. Being organised pays off in the long run.
Get the tools out, this includes any tracking apps like MyFitnessPal, weighing scales to help keep portions precise and some containers.
Plan and purchase food: make sure a shopping list is ready to go ahead of time so exact quantities of meat, veggies and carbohydrates you need to buy to be set to cook and prep with.
2. Scheduling Training Times & Prioritize
If your client is working a full time job, has a family and/or has other commitments (aka. life) then they will NEED to schedule in training times in order to fit comp prep into their daily life. You also need to keep in mind that as the competition date draws closer they will need to dedicate MORE time (not less) to all things comp related. It does not seem (and isn’t) glamorous, but this may mean 4am wake ups to do cardio, lunch hour training sessions, and pre-bed posing sessions.
Reiterate the importance of reaching their goal to them and ensure they treat these training times like appointments and stick to them – they have to be non-negotiable.
3. Multi-tasking
This may sound odd to some but multi-tasking as much as possible is probably going to be key in being able to fit comp prep into their daily life. Need to pay some bills? Read up on some work? Encouraging them to do it while they’re doing their steady state cardio.
By multi-tasking, your client is saving time and energy by killing 2 birds with one stone.
4. Prioritize Recovery + Self Care Protocols
It may sound counterintuitive to everything else previously mentioned but prioritising recovery and self care is also a big part of the comp prep process. If your client is not recovery adequately, getting enough QUALITY sleep, tracking biofeedback etc. Your client is NOT going to be performing at their best.
Have you ever heard there are not enough hours in a day? When it comes to comp prep, your client will need to MAKE TIME in order to fit it into their routine seamlessly. By using these tips you can help assure them greater success in adhering to and enjoying the process!
References:
Norton, L. (PhD). (2020). Training the Physique Athlete. Clean Health Fitness Institute.
