On the day before and the day of the competition, do a carb load. Don’t overdo it or you will look smooth, but try having 200 grams the day before and 300 the day of. Know your body and know what makes it look good and what doesn’t.

You should also mentally prepare for competing. Have your mind set on your goal as to why you wanted to enter a competition in the first place. Visualize yourself up on the stage hitting your poses and imagine the audience cheering you on. Mentally preparation can be just as important as physically preparing when in comes to a successful bodybuilding competition showing.

Standing Relaxed Symmetry Round
During this time, the judges are looking for overall body symmetry in the competitors. They are looking for relationships between the muscle groups. Are they all developed evenly? Within each specific group, does it flow nicely? Does the competitor have a symmetrical bone structure? The more evenly developed the competitor is, the higher he or she will be placed.

There is no direct flexing in this round. Competitors are viewed in what is called the Standing Relaxed position. Typically, this consists of the competitor’s heels together, toes pointed out at a forty-five degree angle, and lats semi-flared.

Every competitor has their own way of standing relaxed, but in reality it is semi-flexed. Every muscle should be tight on stage. The competitors are viewed from the front, both sides, and the rear.

Comparison or Muscularity Round
This is where the real flexing begins! Competitors are called upon to hit the Mandatory poses in this round. The judges are comparing the level of muscular development and definition each competitor has acquired in relation to the other competitors.

Free Posing Round
The Free Posing Round is where each competitor gets to express their muscularity how they see fit. Usually, this round is accompanied by music.

A good place to start learning about posing is to look through bodybuilding magazines to see how the models are presenting themselves. Try out a few of these poses while looking at yourself in a full-length mirror. What works for one person may not work for you, but it just might!

Think about the beat of your music and then choose poses that go along with that beat. Start out with your most powerful pose and hold it for 3 to 5 full seconds. Make sure that your routine flows smoothly and there is enough time in between poses for a little fun.

What muscles should you be accentuating? The easiest answer is all of them, but you will want to show off certain parts of your body specifically. You need to know your muscles, and we hope by now you do. Here are some areas you will want to focus on:

Front Double Bicep
Arms are out to the sides with biceps flexed and the competitor is facing forward towards the judges and audience.

Front Lat Spread
Hands are located somewhere near the competitor’s waistline and elbows are flared out showing the lats. The competitor is facing forward.

Side Chest
The competitor is turned so judges can see his profile. He has one calf flexed by raising his heel from the ground. Hands are clasped or wrist is grabbed with the back arm coming across the front of the torso somewhere below the pec line. The forward arm is pulled down and back toward the competitor’s rear. The chest is raised and flexed. The rib cage is usually expanded.

Side Tricep
The competitor is in the same basic position as the side chest except his arms are clasped behind him. The forward arm is flexed straight down showing off the triceps. The back arm is stretched across the lower back and it’s hand is clasped with the forward arm’s hand.

Abdominal and Thigh
The competitor is now facing forward. His arms are tucked behind his head and one leg is placed farther forward than the other and flexed. The competitor is also flexing his abdominal
muscles.

Rear Double Bicep
The competitor is facing the rear of the stage away from the judges and audience. Arms are out to the sides and biceps are flexed. One leg is back and that calf is flexed. The back muscles are also flexed.

Rear Lat Spread
The competitor is in the same basic position as the Back Double Biceps except the hands are attached at the waist and the elbows are pulled out and the lats are flared outward.

Most Muscular – the classic “strong man” bodybuilding pose
Typically, judges will call for the competitor’s favorite most muscular pose. At this point, they have the option to hit which ever of the most muscular poses they feel make them look the best.

If you want to come up with some poses of your own, by all means do so! You know your body best of all and if there are certain muscles you really want to show off – such as your glutes – definitely do it!

When you come up with a posing routine, you should practice so that you know it like the back of your hand. If you hear your music on the radio, you should be doing your routine in your head. Every chance you get, watch yourself going through the routine and maximizing your muscle tone so that you make an impressive performance.

Have someone take pictures or video of you and be highly critical of it. You can also have someone else look at it for you and tell you where you can improve and where you are strongest. While you are posing, breathe normally and focus on flexing of the muscles. You want to appear cut and ripped as much as possible.

Many women are concerned with how their bodies look. Dieting and weight obsession are very real parts of life for many women. Bodybuilding and women really fit together well when you think about it. Focusing on healthy weight gain and muscle fitness makes a woman look and feel a lot better.

Bodybuilding is a lot more than just dieting and lifting weights. Much of the advice given in previous chapters can apply to both men and women. But women do need to change a few things when it comes to a workout plan that will work.

Some women have never considered bodybuilding as a sport because they are afraid that they will get big, bulky, and become masculine looking. Nothing could be further from the truth. A trim, solid body on a woman is extremely sexy and very healthy.

Women cannot naturally produce the amount of testosterone that men do, so it is impossible for women to increase their muscle size in the same ways that men do just by picking up a weight or two. Without artificial substances, women won’t be able to get the same bulk as men do.

However, many of the same workout advice that we give to men apply to women as well: eat 5-6 small meals per day, drink plenty of water, and get lots of rest. The workouts are the same as well although some women may want to limit their reps initially until their strength is built up.

Many women struggle with excess fat and flabby muscle tone on their thighs and in their buttocks. Because women are naturally curvier than men, working these areas makes for a very flattering figure.

To work these areas, you will want to do a lot of dumbbell squats, leg curls, standing calf raises, and leg presses. Add some lunges as well as dumbbell squat dead lifts as well for maximum effectiveness. You may want to invest in an exercise ball so that you can work your abs and make them tight and defined.

Change your workout every time you perform it and focus on one or two body parts each day you train. By doing this, you are not over-exerting muscles without giving them time to heal. Recovery is very important to the body’s muscles, so give them the time they need to heal and grow.
Many women live their lives by the numbers that they read on a scale. When you are bodybuilding for fitness, this is a mistake. Don’t concentrate on what the scale says you weigh, focus on your size and tone.

This can be calculated in the form of inches or body fat percentage. You will probably not see a huge weight loss on the scale, but you should see an improvement in your overall body’s look after a period of time.
Here are some areas that women should really focus on in their bodybuilding routine:

Upper Back
Use pull-ups to build the muscles in your upper back which will accentuate your shoulders and make your waist look smaller.

Side Deltoids
Side laterals and overhead laterals will help tone these muscles making your shoulders more defined and, again, your waist look smaller.

Hips and Waist
These areas are mostly chiseled through diet by teaching the body to re-distribute body fat. It is the finishing signature to the rest of your body and will make your overall appearance look much more pleasant.

Quads
The front muscles in your upper thighs need to be worked so that they are toned and defined. Doing lots of squats will help in this area and will complete your overall look. After all, what woman doesn’t want to have some killer legs!

Women are used to dieting and depriving themselves of food. When you are bodybuilding, however, the reality is that you need to actually eat more. The key lies in the foods that you eat. Eat the right foods, and they will work for you instead of against you!

As a woman, you need to remember that you will not be able to build your muscle like men do; however, your approach toward bodybuilding will be much the same. The results will be different, but you will still look incredible and be able to be proud of how you look.

Steroids and growth hormones stimulate muscle growth often quite quickly which is why they are so popular among bodybuilders. They also enhance performance making a person stronger and extending their stamina.

Steroid use is generally not condoned in the sports world and constant testing is done of the athletes to see if they are getting an unfair advantage by using steroids or growth hormones.

Steroids do have some advantages. They are used in treating a variety of health problems including AIDS, cancer, and other serious diseases. They help the body fight the ill effects of these diseases and promote healing.

However, steroids have some serious health implications when taken for reasons other than therapeutic. They can cause serious liver damage and even lead to liver failure.

Steroids increase testosterone production which can lead to overly aggressive behavior, a decrease in libido, and low sperm count.

The reason many bodybuilders use steroids is because they increase water retention in the muscles which leads to an anabolic state. However, this increase in fluid retention makes the heart work harder which can increase blood pressure and even bring on a heart attack.

All steroids eventually change to estrogen which causes feminization in men. That causes an enlargement of the breasts along with an increase in fatty deposits.

Growth hormones stimulate the elements in the body that make muscles grow. They are naturally produced by the body, but many bodybuilders take them to basically tell their muscles to get bigger. They can be dangerous, though, as well.

You can get huge, ripped muscles without having to resort to using illegal substances like steroids or artificial growth hormones. They can make you bigger quicker, but the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages you are taking by introducing these substances into your body.

Nitric Oxide, a key molecule manufactured by the body, causes vasodilation [an expansion of the internal diameter of blood vessels], which in turn leads to increased blood flow, oxygen transport, delivery of nutrients to skeletal muscle and a reduction in blood pressure.

Nitric oxide promotes extended ability to life weights. It also signals muscle growth, speeds recovery, and increases strength along with stamina. This element also increases energy levels and some people even feel that it promotes a better sex life!

During a workout, when a muscle contracts and blood vessels dilate, Nitric Oxide is present for a brief moment. The release of nitric oxide creates surges of blood flow, which is the muscle pump we are familiar with. Unfortunately this pump is only temporary, and will dissipate shortly after you complete your workout.

It often comes in pill form, and should be taken in the manufacturer’s recommended dosage. Nitric oxide also comes in powder form as well, so you can take it in a shake just like with other powdered supplements.

The best type of protein supplement on the market is whey protein because it is the highest yield. Whey is the best investment because of its capacity as a post-workout recovery supplement. This is a critical time after severe physical stress when the cells will act like a sponge and take in almost anything. The extreme hunger of the cells and the fast-acting properties of whey will make sure you use the best window for recovery to the fullest.

If not, the body will hunt the stored reserves of nutrients and when on a diet for example that will cause them to rob other muscle-tissue of glutamine. So whey is the best protein, especially on a diet. It also supplies the most amino acids that bodybuilders use.

Its unfortunate high cost however makes me advise you to use it sparingly. Whey protein is the only choice when on a diet however. When on low-carb diets whey can function as an alternate source of energy, sparing hard-earned muscle protein and glutamine stores within the body.
As with creatine, the best time to take your protein supplement is post-workout. As we said before, it’s good to combine your protein with some form of carbohydrate for maximum results. Combine the powder with some eggs, low-fat milk, ice cream, and olive oil. You can also add in some fruit for flavor.