Prepping for a physique competition takes hours in the gym, dietary changes, and a lot of dedication. Spooner Uptown Chandler physical therapist, Shannon Ahearn, PT, DPT, talked us through the demands of getting competition ready.
What types of competitions do you do, and when did you compete?
I am a nationally qualified bikini competitor through the National Physique Committee (NPC). In February of 2022, I began training for my first competition. Based on my strength, physique, and activity level at the time, my coach and I determined that I was appropriate for a competition at the end of June 2022.
What is prep like?
This comes down to your personality, your coach’s personality, and compromise between the two of you- if you have a coach. For example, when my mom did a competition, she had a coach who was quite restrictive. So, she was doing a lot more cardio than I did and underwent an extreme caloric deficit, which was not my personal experience.
For my coach and I, we looked at my availability with work and what was doable for me. If someone is wanting to get into competitions, they should find a coach that is going to understand their needs and meet them halfway. You can achieve the same goal through various prep plans, but your success will ultimately depend on what is truly attainable for you.
Right now, I am in off-season, so I am only doing 2 sessions of HIIT training with 4 lifting sessions per week, but I was doing 5 days of lifting and 4-5 days of steady state cardio during my prep. I found ways to fit these into my schedule as I could.
What are the demands of prepping for a competition?
The first demand that comes to mind is the financial component to competing- you have a coach, your groceries- because you do have to eat a lot- a gym membership, and buying or renting your competition gear. This varies for everyone depending on if they opt to have a coach or not, where you buy your groceries, the gym you have access to, and so on.
The second is becoming educated about nutrition. I learned so much about what foods are healthy and what foods aren’t. I also learned how to read and understand the nutrition label. A lot of us probably don’t eat as much as we think we are, so being cognizant of that is a demand.
Finally, managing your overall health is important. Be mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy. Get enough sleep, water intake and manage your stress. This will help so much.
Is there a risk of injury while prepping?
One hundred percent. Our bodies are tricky. If there’s an underlying injury that may have happened while you were normally training and not prepping, that can come out when you’re tired, undergoing dietary and lifestyle changes, and experiencing new stressors. You are at a position right before the competition that you could injure yourself quite easily.
How could competitors reduce their likelihood of injury so they can compete?
I have actually had a really nice experience prepping for my competition because of my background as a Physical Therapist, and my coach is a Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA). There were times that I had to modify certain exercises because, for example, my hamstring just didn’t feel right.
When you start prepping, you change the intensity and the frequency of your training. This is a big opportunity for your body to get injured or to develop an underlying injury. So, keep in mind, just because you are following a program does not mean you have to follow it exactly if you are experiencing any pain or discomfort.
Also, getting screened by a Physical Therapist can be super helpful! You can bring your potential workouts to your Physical Therapist and work through a session together. They can watch your form and give you cues to help you move correctly. They can also give you insight as to why something might be causing you pain.
If you are looking to compete, get screened by a Physical Therapist today!