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Thoughts on bikini competitors?
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I recommend checking out Kara Corey on Youtube. She is a pro bikini competitor and has a TON of amazing content. I was interested in competing, but decided (after watching her videos) that it's not for me - but she obviously loves the sport and is extremely knowledgeable. I know that my relationship with food is too fragile to survive a competition prep, and I have a family that I love too much to be constantly snapping at them in a hangry state for 16 weeks. : ) But I'm truly fascinated and impressed by all that goes into it. It definitely isn't just throwing on a bikini and strutting around. Good luck to you, whatever you decide!10
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cwolfman13 wrote: »If it requires that you pay for entry or for coaching to prep for a contest...beware a scam. This isn't too dissimilar from those people who used to grab teens at the mall in the 80's and tell them that they have a future in modeling in order to get them to sign up with their 'agency' and pay for head shots.
That said, if your head is on straight and you know that it won't make you develop any body/eating/exercise issues, etc. then go for it. Might be fun.
You always have to pay for entry. Every stage competitor I know has a coach as well. But yeah, I'd definitely look into it more and likely talk to some of the people being coached by these coaches and go to some shows before I committed to anything.
So you have to pay for entry for a bunch of people to look at you half naked...? Yikes!
Another, perhaps more positive and less demeaning/insulting, way to look at it would be that you pay for entry for the chance to show the pride you have in the body you've built, and to compare the results of your hard work and dedication against others who have put in similar hard work and dedication.
It's not everybody's thing, but it's some people's thing. And IMO they don't deserve derision for it.
Thank you Anvil.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »If it requires that you pay for entry or for coaching to prep for a contest...beware a scam. This isn't too dissimilar from those people who used to grab teens at the mall in the 80's and tell them that they have a future in modeling in order to get them to sign up with their 'agency' and pay for head shots.
That said, if your head is on straight and you know that it won't make you develop any body/eating/exercise issues, etc. then go for it. Might be fun.
You always have to pay for entry. Every stage competitor I know has a coach as well. But yeah, I'd definitely look into it more and likely talk to some of the people being coached by these coaches and go to some shows before I committed to anything.
So you have to pay for entry for a bunch of people to look at you half naked...? Yikes!
Another, perhaps more positive and less demeaning/insulting, way to look at it would be that you pay for entry for the chance to show the pride you have in the body you've built, and to compare the results of your hard work and dedication against others who have put in similar hard work and dedication.
It's not everybody's thing, but it's some people's thing. And IMO they don't deserve derision for it.
This. There's nothing wrong with it, any more than there is with people paying money to do whatever else they want to do. Which is to say: Nothing wrong at all with it.5 -
It's expensive. The prep is hard. Getting a taste of that leanness can sometimes be difficult as you put weight back on. But if you're passionate about it, try. Otherwise, don't.5
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People will do whatever they want with their bodies, gain 500 lbs, crash diet, everything in between. My only problem with this sort of thing is that we're letting other people judge us by a standard they call "fitness," but most doctors would call unhealthy. Cardio and some weight training is fine, but women need a certain amount of body fat to support the estrogen they need for regular periods, bone health, and fertility. When women try to achieve the required level of leanness to win these contests they are only going to end up fit to walk that stage, not fit for much else.
Fifty years ago, the "ideal" women in Playboy tended to look like Marilyn Monroe, soft and slightly chubby by today's standards. Most women had to be a little plump to have the required big breasts men wanted to see. Now they can get as lean as a construction worker and still have big round breasts because they have them surgically implanted. How sad that today's ideal is seldom seen in nature and has to be "man made."
I hope for the day women embrace the softness that comes naturally to a body with low testosterone and are satisfied with the breasts they developed at puberty. I'm appalled that women are willing to undergo expensive, surgery to enlarge secondary sexual characteristics.36 -
Slowfaster wrote: »My only problem with this sort of thing is that we're letting other people judge us
...
I hope for the day women embrace the softness that comes naturally to a body
You don't see the irony here? I'm not a fan of the idea of bikini competitions but I also try not to judge people's bodies, myself.17 -
Bikini competition is a sport, just like skydiving or prepping for triathlon. Takes dedication and money.
It sounds like fun.10 -
Slowfaster wrote: »People will do whatever they want with their bodies, gain 500 lbs, crash diet, everything in between. My only problem with this sort of thing is that we're letting other people judge us by a standard they call "fitness," but most doctors would call unhealthy. Cardio and some weight training is fine, but women need a certain amount of body fat to support the estrogen they need for regular periods, bone health, and fertility. When women try to achieve the required level of leanness to win these contests they are only going to end up fit to walk that stage, not fit for much else.
Fifty years ago, the "ideal" women in Playboy tended to look like Marilyn Monroe, soft and slightly chubby by today's standards. Most women had to be a little plump to have the required big breasts men wanted to see. Now they can get as lean as a construction worker and still have big round breasts because they have them surgically implanted. How sad that today's ideal is seldom seen in nature and has to be "man made."
I hope for the day women embrace the softness that comes naturally to a body with low testosterone and are satisfied with the breasts they developed at puberty. I'm appalled that women are willing to undergo expensive, surgery to enlarge secondary sexual characteristics just to attract men. It's no different than the 19th century Chinese women having their feet bound to satisfy the sexual fetishes of the men at that time and place.
I agree - to a point. But very limited to that point. Let's not detract from her post, though, to argue! :-)
If the OP has a really good coach, then that coach will have a strong idea of what the judges seek for that specific contest. That way they (coach and athlete) can prepare for that expected set of expectations (that sounds funny when I say it out loud) and bring her best physique to the stage. And, let the cards fall where they may.
Since this is her first contest - well, assuming that she does indeed do it....and that is a HUGE assumption!....this is really be more of an introduction to this lifestyle. She may absolutely love it or she may absolutely hate it! I suggest that we all give her our opinions on the matter and give her some guidance so that she can educate herself and then allow her to make her own decision.
We all judge. Everyday. All day. It may be subtle or it may be front and center. And, we are all judged. No getting past that. Physical attractiveness is very subjective. Everyone has a different idea of what "sexy" is. Of what "hawt" is. Of what "pretty" is.
Not that anyone cares, but I do not find "soft and slightly chubby" attractive at all. I like a very athletic and toned woman. Just my thing. And, all about the booty | hamstring tie-in and shoulders. Yep! Shoulders! Who knew? But that is what I find SUPER attractive.
I know a few ladies who compete. And they all compete because they love the sport. That is why I call them athletes. They train just like baseball players and football players and track and field folks. All of the ladies that I know compete against themselves. That is the great thing about this. They are trying to bring their best self to the stage. The placement - they really do not care. If they win or finish well, okay....if they come in dead last, okay.
Anyway, let's allow her to decide if that is what she wants to do. Or, if that is something that she thinks that she would like to do. And then let's support her with her decision. I mean, that is what we do here, right?12 -
geneticsteacher wrote: »I think we all need to re-read Dietland.
@geneticsteacher I read Dietland last month! Started a thread in Debate because I figured it would be contentious, but it didn't get much traction: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10665729/dietland-book-and-amc-series
Would love if more people participated there.1 -
I recommend checking out Kara Corey on Youtube. She is a pro bikini competitor and has a TON of amazing content. I was interested in competing, but decided (after watching her videos) that it's not for me - but she obviously loves the sport and is extremely knowledgeable. I know that my relationship with food is too fragile to survive a competition prep, and I have a family that I love too much to be constantly snapping at them in a hangry state for 16 weeks. : ) But I'm truly fascinated and impressed by all that goes into it. It definitely isn't just throwing on a bikini and strutting around. Good luck to you, whatever you decide!
Yes, ma'am! Kara and "Shredded Jesus" are a great couple. I am subscribed to her youtube channel. Just watched her new video yesterday. She is a competitor and a coach and a registered dietician. She has a lot of amazing content and some 'common sense' things about this lifestyle. She is a class act (I would say). Great suggestion. Lots of others out there, too! But she is a great suggestion.1 -
Slowfaster wrote: »
Anyway, let's allow her to decide if that is what she wants to do. Or, if that is something that she thinks that she would like to do. And then let's support her with her decision. I mean, that is what we do here, right?
I don't know, is it? Yesterday I was thinking of lowering my daily calorie limit to 1100 and I got almost nothing but negative reactions to the idea, hardly "support" and a warning from the moderator saying that we do not encourage unhealthy practices here. Well, I happen to think that it's far more unhealthy for women to strive for the very low body fat percentage that these competitions require, so I wanted to point out some of the negatives. I know several women who used to do these competitions and, looking back, feel like they put their bodies through far too much to get there.
As for not caring whether they win or not? They may say that, but to me it's like women saying they got breast implants "for themselves," just a little hard to believe. Would they be having their bodies surgically altered if they lived on a desert island?
For the record I'm not "man bashing," people can't help what turns them on and right now the lean woman with a six pack is promoted everywhere as the ideal -- even the most recent Miss America has that look. So, no, men can't help liking what they like, but women can help whether or not they choose to work their butts off (literally) to meet that current "ideal," or choose to accept and be happy with themselves inside healthy bodies without surgery or a drastic level of body building.
I'm not "judging," anyone but I'm not going to encourage a young woman to do this sort of thing anymore than I'm going to encourage young women to starve themselves into anorexia so they can have a better chance at a modelling career. It's the voluntary self-harm I find appalling.
["Dietland" was eye opening for me.]
I agree with you completely. Double standards, everytime someone posts on here about 1200 the general consensus is you shouldn't do that. It's common for these women in bikini competitions to diet so hard they lose their periods. How is that healthy and WHY is that an allowed discussion on MFP??? I wish our society would focus more on normal BMI healthy athletic woman being attractive rather than this, it's too much pressure on young girls too who admire the modeling world. Same thing goes for men, men shouldn't be pressured into steroid use, etc. to achieve a certain look. Woo me all you want 😝
Curious how you feel about other athletes such as gymnasts or figure skaters, where slimness/aesthetics are a premium, or football/baseball/basketball players, powerlifters, bicyclists, etc., where steroid/PED usage is common.
Nobody is “pressured into” anything when it comes to physique sports. It’s a conscious decision and if they’ve done their homework, they go in knowing exactly what they’re going to need to do to be competitive.11 -
Seems like a step in the right direction as far as getting more women interested in weight lifting albeit with a heavy emphasis on training glutes (not quite balanced overall, but it's a more specific form of bodybuilding similar to mens' physique - v taper emphasis - but not quite balanced as mens' classic - v taper & symmetry emphasis). It's a more toned down version of womens' figure - higher BF% is normal.
I think often too many take things to an extreme and overdo it on cardio rather than focus on weight training. Can be unhealthy/obsessive if you allow it to be
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Slowfaster wrote: »
Anyway, let's allow her to decide if that is what she wants to do. Or, if that is something that she thinks that she would like to do. And then let's support her with her decision. I mean, that is what we do here, right?
I don't know, is it? Yesterday I was thinking of lowering my daily calorie limit to 1100 and I got almost nothing but negative reactions to the idea, hardly "support" and a warning from the moderator saying that we do not encourage unhealthy practices here. Well, I happen to think that it's far more unhealthy for women to strive for the very low body fat percentage that these competitions require, so I wanted to point out some of the negatives. I know several women who used to do these competitions and, looking back, feel like they put their bodies through far too much to get there.
As for not caring whether they win or not? They may say that, but to me it's like women saying they got breast implants "for themselves," just a little hard to believe. Would they be having their bodies surgically altered if they lived on a desert island?
For the record I'm not "man bashing," people can't help what turns them on and right now the lean woman with a six pack is promoted everywhere as the ideal -- even the most recent Miss America has that look. So, no, men can't help liking what they like, but women can help whether or not they choose to work their butts off (literally) to meet that current "ideal," or choose to accept and be happy with themselves inside healthy bodies without surgery or a drastic level of body building.
I'm not "judging," anyone but I'm not going to encourage a young woman to do this sort of thing anymore than I'm going to encourage young women to starve themselves into anorexia so they can have a better chance at a modelling career. It's the voluntary self-harm I find appalling.
["Dietland" was eye opening for me.]
I agree with you completely. Double standards, everytime someone posts on here about 1200 the general consensus is you shouldn't do that. It's common for these women in bikini competitions to diet so hard they lose their periods. How is that healthy and WHY is that an allowed discussion on MFP??? I wish our society would focus more on normal BMI healthy athletic woman being attractive rather than this, it's too much pressure on young girls too who admire the modeling world. Same thing goes for men, men shouldn't be pressured into steroid use, etc. to achieve a certain look. Woo me all you want 😝
Definitively, some women in bodybuilding lose their periods, NOT ALL. That's a sweeping generalisation, as the LACK of CALORIES affects our menstrual cycle, not body fat percentage. A woman can reduce her body fat as low as 9- 15% for physique or figure or fitness categories and still menstruate. Bikini division requires a higher bf than the other categories, oftentimes called the fatties of bodybuilding where they sit around 13-17%, as some fat is entertained @bust, buttocks and hips without striations or ribs ... Fairly common to see these competitors pregnant when out of season taking a year off.12 -
Slowfaster wrote: »
Anyway, let's allow her to decide if that is what she wants to do. Or, if that is something that she thinks that she would like to do. And then let's support her with her decision. I mean, that is what we do here, right?
I don't know, is it? Yesterday I was thinking of lowering my daily calorie limit to 1100 and I got almost nothing but negative reactions to the idea, hardly "support" and a warning from the moderator saying that we do not encourage unhealthy practices here. Well, I happen to think that it's far more unhealthy for women to strive for the very low body fat percentage that these competitions require, so I wanted to point out some of the negatives. I know several women who used to do these competitions and, looking back, feel like they put their bodies through far too much to get there.
As for not caring whether they win or not? They may say that, but to me it's like women saying they got breast implants "for themselves," just a little hard to believe. Would they be having their bodies surgically altered if they lived on a desert island?
For the record I'm not "man bashing," people can't help what turns them on and right now the lean woman with a six pack is promoted everywhere as the ideal -- even the most recent Miss America has that look. So, no, men can't help liking what they like, but women can help whether or not they choose to work their butts off (literally) to meet that current "ideal," or choose to accept and be happy with themselves inside healthy bodies without surgery or a drastic level of body building.
I'm not "judging," anyone but I'm not going to encourage a young woman to do this sort of thing anymore than I'm going to encourage young women to starve themselves into anorexia so they can have a better chance at a modelling career. It's the voluntary self-harm I find appalling.
["Dietland" was eye opening for me.]
I agree with you completely. Double standards, everytime someone posts on here about 1200 the general consensus is you shouldn't do that. It's common for these women in bikini competitions to diet so hard they lose their periods. How is that healthy and WHY is that an allowed discussion on MFP??? I wish our society would focus more on normal BMI healthy athletic woman being attractive rather than this, it's too much pressure on young girls too who admire the modeling world. Same thing goes for men, men shouldn't be pressured into steroid use, etc. to achieve a certain look. Woo me all you want 😝
Curious how you feel about other athletes such as gymnasts or figure skaters, where slimness/aesthetics are a premium, or football/baseball/basketball players, powerlifters, bicyclists, etc., where steroid/PED usage is common.
Nobody is “pressured into” anything when it comes to physique sports. It’s a conscious decision and if they’ve done their homework, they go in knowing exactly what they’re going to need to do to be competitive.
I don't agree with starving yourself, or steroid usage. That's not healthy. I'm curious why you support it? What's the point? I don't watch sports or support them. I was a competitive swimmer for 10+ years on an Olympic team, my coaches never pushed drugs on us actually just the opposite you got kicked off the team if they saw any funny business. My coaches also taught us good nutrition and to fuel our bodies. Maybe my team was a rarity? Their own bodies, they can certainly do what they want but I feel sorry for them. If bikini people don't lose their periods and it's safer than I've been taught to believe then sure go for it, goodluck. I just don't think it's wise to push yourself beyond that point of making yourself sick. What else does the OP need to do if she's already training hard, etc.? The way it's explained sounds like she's not putting in enough effort to cut down on calories? I'm no expert obviously in this area since I have no interest in it but I'm curious to know if it's not the stereotype of starving yourself. Maybe I would see this "sport" in a better light if it's were explained to me better. Along with dipping too low in calories beyond losing your period you may also have hair loss, have heart problems, organ problems, etc or so I've been told. How is that healthy? Is that WORTH it?12 -
The OP has never said she would engage in unhealthy practices to compete. She may very well decide it is not worth it if that is required. That being the case I don't understand why people are weeping for her lost periods and hair already.16
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A friend of mine did bikini shows for a bit - she looked great, but her periods stopped, her moods were awful, and she ended up with bulimia. So be careful. It is also pretty expensive ...8
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Following... interested as well0
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The OP has never said she would engage in unhealthy practices to compete. She may very well decide it is not worth it if that is required. That being the case I don't understand why people are weeping for her lost periods and hair already.
But it's not just "lost periods and hair"
I took this off the thread why eating too little calories is a bad idea....
"
The Short & Long Term Effects of Undereating Without Medical Supervision
In the short term undereating can have the following effect (this is by no means an exhaustive list):
Mood Swings
Fatigue
Constipation
Hair Loss
Menstrual Irregularities
Dizziness
Brittle Nails
Poor Skin Condition
Headaches
In the long term it can have far more negative effects, such as:
muscle loss
gallstones
electrolyte imbalances
organ damage
bone density loss
vitamin/mineral deficiencies
and whilst you might feel fine now, there is not always an advance warning of the long term effects."
Is ORGAN DAMAGE worth looking hot in a bikini?8 -
The OP has never said she would engage in unhealthy practices to compete. She may very well decide it is not worth it if that is required. That being the case I don't understand why people are weeping for her lost periods and hair already.
But it's not just "lost periods and hair"
I took this off the thread why eating too little calories is a bad idea....
"
The Short & Long Term Effects of Undereating Without Medical Supervision
In the short term undereating can have the following effect (this is by no means an exhaustive list):
Mood Swings
Fatigue
Constipation
Hair Loss
Menstrual Irregularities
Dizziness
Brittle Nails
Poor Skin Condition
Headaches
In the long term it can have far more negative effects, such as:
muscle loss
gallstones
electrolyte imbalances
organ damage
bone density loss
vitamin/mineral deficiencies
and whilst you might feel fine now, there is not always an advance warning of the long term effects."
Is ORGAN DAMAGE worth looking hot in a bikini?
You understand that none of this is currently happening right now and may never happen, right? All you need or can do is issue a kind and caring warning to look out for contests that require unhealthy tactics and move on. If the OP comes back and asks for advice on how to starve herself for an upcoming contest that is when you and I and everyone who cares will go crazy with warnings and advice.11 -
I know very little about bikini competition except what I've read on here and occasional articles in my news feed. Are competitors actually underweight and undereating on a regular basis? I don't know what the cut and bulk prep cycle involves but it seems like that amount of muscle would require a decent amount of calories to build and maintain, especially for a woman.5
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