How Do You Choose A Contest?

[IRONURSE]

My question is: How do YOU choose a contest?
Do you pick based on what competition was there last year? Having done this one before? Distance? Cool trophys? How many places they award? Age or weight classes? Etc....

Thanks! :D

***Originally posted this in girl talk but meant to put it here!***

[miss figure]

For me it was always the qualifier for the finals so i picked the show which was closest to the finals so it meant i didnt have to diet to qualify then diet for the final

xx

[Melissa]

My question is: How do YOU choose a contest?
Do you pick based on what competition was there last year? Having done this one before? Distance? Cool trophys? How many places they award? Age or weight classes? Etc....

Thanks! :D

***Originally posted this in girl talk but meant to put it here!***

I usually tend to pick shows that are just a little too big for my britches to keep myself motivated and driven. last year I competed in figure at the Atlantic States and Junior Nationals. And this year, I'll be doing the Eastern USA's and hopefully qualifying for Nationals. Knowing the caliber of competitors that could be at each show (especially Nationals), it leaves no room in my mind for anything other than 100% effort. Hell, knowing that there's a slight possibly that I could be on stage with exceptional athletes such as Tammy and Lisa James has been what's kept me on track through such a long offseason. I need to earn my spot up there with those women.

[IRONURSE]

For me it was always the qualifier for the finals so i picked the show which was closest to the finals so it meant i didnt have to diet to qualify then diet for the final

xx

Smart thinking! :)

[IRONURSE]

I usually tend to pick shows that are just a little too big for my britches to keep myself motivated and driven. last year I competed in figure at the Atlantic States and Junior Nationals. And this year, I'll be doing the Eastern USA's and hopefully qualifying for Nationals. Knowing the caliber of competitors that could be at each show (especially Nationals), it leaves no room in my mind for anything other than 100% effort. Hell, knowing that there's a slight possibly that I could be on stage with exceptional athletes such as Tammy and Lisa James has been what's kept me on track through such a long offseason. I need to earn my spot up there with those women.

True. But what about when you were just getting started? How did you pick your first 1 or 2 contests?

[Melissa]

True. But what about when you were just getting started? How did you pick your first 1 or 2 contests?

I actually chose based on location for my first show. There was a local show that was sponsored right in my hometown. From there, since I knew virtually nothing about the sport, I followed in the footsteps of a very close friend who was a couple years into competing at the time and began choosing shows that he started off with.

[sba220]

I usually tend to pick shows that are just a little too big for my britches to keep myself motivated and driven. last year I competed in figure at the Atlantic States and Junior Nationals. And this year, I'll be doing the Eastern USA's and hopefully qualifying for Nationals. Knowing the caliber of competitors that could be at each show (especially Nationals), it leaves no room in my mind for anything other than 100% effort. Hell, knowing that there's a slight possibly that I could be on stage with exceptional athletes such as Tammy and Lisa James has been what's kept me on track through such a long offseason. I need to earn my spot up there with those women.


Ripping your pants is a sign you are too big for your britches.;)

[MsGuns]

My question is: How do YOU choose a contest?
Do you pick based on what competition was there last year? Having done this one before? Distance? Cool trophys? How many places they award? Age or weight classes? Etc....

Thanks! :D

***Originally posted this in girl talk but meant to put it here!***

Pic a show in your hood...sorry city or close by city...
What org are you lookin to compete in?
There are a lot...I compete in the NGA, FAME and IFPA.

[IRONURSE]

Pic a show in your hood...sorry city or close by city...
What org are you lookin to compete in?
There are a lot...I compete in the NGA, FAME and IFPA.

Thanks for the reply. I'll be doing NPC. My husband currently competes in that one. We are about 28 miles N of ATL and there are several contests in the metro area. He is branching out this year by doing a few local shows, Europa in Orlando, and a show in Alabama. I'm very nervous about my first one! I still haven't nailed down a contest date yet. :eek:

[IRONURSE]

I actually chose based on location for my first show. There was a local show that was sponsored right in my hometown. From there, since I knew virtually nothing about the sport, I followed in the footsteps of a very close friend who was a couple years into competing at the time and began choosing shows that he started off with.
Yep. That's kind of how I feel. I am following in my husband's footsteps. I helped him with 4 contests last year but I still have soooo much to learn. Thanks!
:)

[dvsness]

Location and time of year.

[stephaniewicked]

I'm doing my first show in 6 weeks... I chose the show based on the fact that my bf (who's been competing for a few years) does so in the NPC and I went to all his shows last year and got a feel for everything. The show I'm doing is the first one of the season and it's not super huge, so I figured it would be a good place to start... then I can later decide if/which shows to do following that.

I live in NJ and all the NPC shows are listed on the NJ NPC website. You should be able to pick a federation and look for shows in your area.

[IRONURSE]

Location and time of year.

Thanks for the response.

How far will you travel for a show?

[IRONURSE]

I'm doing my first show in 6 weeks... I chose the show based on the fact that my bf (who's been competing for a few years) does so in the NPC and I went to all his shows last year and got a feel for everything. The show I'm doing is the first one of the season and it's not super huge, so I figured it would be a good place to start... then I can later decide if/which shows to do following that.

I live in NJ and all the NPC shows are listed on the NJ NPC website. You should be able to pick a federation and look for shows in your area.

Thanks for the reply.

I already know it will be NPC / masters / fbb. There are plenty of shows and 2 different promoters in our area.
The main reason that I asked the question is because I am trying to choose a first show and wanted to find out what others consider as important when choosing their shows.
Many say that a first show should be small "to get the experience without the stress and know you will walk with hardware and feel good!" Well my feeling on that is I like the idea of a smaller show but I want to earn a trophy, not get it by default because nobody else showed up. I saw that a few times last year and then when they would go to bigger shows and not place ,or not place as high, they were crying in the hallways.
I was also told that as the year goes on more and more are coming out as they are in better shape so the competition gets more intense. I did notice that to be true more than not last year.
Distance, $, time of year seem to be factors also.

Best of luck with your show! :)

[Allifit]

My first NPC show was a local show, the Reading Mt. Valley. I chose the show based on distance (an hour from me) and the fact that it was a national qualifier, and I wanted to qualify for nationals.

After I did that show (and I qualified) when I started looking at the national calender I was looking at distance and time of year. You need to factor into your decision making all fiancial strains like travel, airfare, entry costs, etc and if you'll be able to afford it all. Also time of year is important because you'll need to plan out how long you'll need to diet for and if that show date falls accordingly.

I recently did the Arnold Amateur and I chose that show because my trainer wanted me to do another amateur show before heading into nationals and the Arnold Am is the biggest most publicized amateur show in the states.... so naturally I chose that one. Also I was already going to be going to the Arnold so I wasnt going to incur any extra travel expenses I hadnt already.

I am looking at national shows for this year that will allow me 3-4 months OFF my diet..... I need the break.

[stephaniewicked]

IronNurse, I agree with you. It's much better to earn your placement, rather than just pay the registration fee to show up, walk on stage and go home with a trophy. There's lots of shows in my state, so I have lots of options to choose from in the coming months and I felt that the show I chose would be a good place to find my comfort level and get used to walking, being on stage, etc... before moving forward.
Sounds like you're on the right track with your thinking though. Best of luck to you in your contests, as well!!

[Melissa]

One thing I will suggest is to pick a show and THEN start prepping for it. Don't start dieting and say, "well, I'll see how I look in 12 or 16 weeks blah blah blah." You leave the door open for cheating and not following through. If you pick a show and register, you're locked in.

[dvsness]

Thanks for the response.

How far will you travel for a show?

The farthest I have gone is Cleveland (North Americans). I do not have the income to entertain the idea of traveling for shows usually, so I never did a state/regional level show that required an overnight stay. This year, finances are even tougher so I will definitely limit my show choice to NY or NJ.