Ladies if you have competed in figure competitions..

I did one 8 years ago! It was a life learning experience and while I will never do it again it was something I'm proud of and would never take back the sacrifices I made. I would highly recommend hiring a trainer who knows the sport. Figure competitions are more than working out and eating right. There's posing practice and stage performance that take much training and practice. I started out training with a girl that earned her pro card and learned so much from her. We trained heavy and hard for almost 4-5 mths before my show and the last 9-12 weeks were the very rigorous leaning out phase. It's a phase that's not for the weak: Twice a day cardio, low carbs etc. What area are you in?

Honestly, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. Between the grueling diet and maintaining relationships outside of living in the gym I just couldn't balance it all and school and work FT. I was an absolute ***** to say the least. I am a much different person now and know how to balance things however as great of shape I was in and I was beating myself up everyday bc I couldn't get below 10% body fat or I wasn't as cut in some areas as others bc I was comparing myself to my friend who was a professional. I had very low self esteem and it hurt me for a long time after the show and that's why I vowed to never do one again; but never say never bc it was fun!

I'll look and see if any of the girls know a trainer in your area; I'm in Columbus and we are a breading ground for figure/fitness girls. I will say in the beginning it was about eating protein, protein and more protein to build lean muscle. In the lean out phase I lived on egg whites, oatmeal and boiled chicken, Ick!! Here's a link to a trainer who turns out professionals left and right; plenty of nutrition and training info on here. Good luck! I know Pittsburgh puts on an awesome show!!

http://www.mikedaviesfitness.com/

Jamie Eason is on Bodybuilding.com and has a great nutritional and exercise plan. I started it last week and really working on getting in full swing.

Jamie Eason is also a Bikini Model, not a Figure Competitor there is a difference in the categories..

For Bikini, you need a softer look, less muscle tone, more like you see in the fitness mags or a victoria secret model.

Figure needs to be balanced and have a lot more muscle. your shoulders need to be rounded out, larger lats to create the V shape on your back, and your legs need to be shredded. I am currently training for my first Figure competition and I've been building muscle for it since 2008.