Competition goals can vary from person to person. When I competed I always wanted to improve upon the last package I brought to the stage. For some people this means getting better conditioning while for others it means to build more muscle. This is the key to competing–coming up with the right competition goals.

When preparing for a competition you need to keep in mind what you hope to accomplish on stage. If you are looking to be bigger than everyone else in your division, your approach will be adjusted according to that goal. If you are looking to be leaner than anyone else in your division, that's an entirely different approach.

Goals when preparing for competitions are broken into two things–preparation goals and competition day goals.

Preparation Goals

Here is where you pay close attention to your progress. Track your body fat percentage to insure that you're heading in the right direction. This will help you know whether or not you need to increase or decrease cardio. I personally think that body weight is a useless measurement when competing unless your division has weight limitations, so I don't worry at all about that number.

Competition Day Goals

You will work on these goals throughout preparation and will see the results on stage. These goals can include a good posing routine that is smooth and understandable, increased mass, showing the best version of yourself, hiding flaws, etc. Make sure you keep track of these goals so that when you do your next competition you know what to change and what to keep the same.

Take the time to write down all your goals. I personally use Google Sheets for this purpose.

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What happens when you start planning to compete in a bodybuilding show? Is it any different from normal training and planning? Unfortunately many things do change.

Meal Planning Changes

When preparing for a contest you have to be more focused on your nutrition. You are going to need to tough out some major changes in your nutrition to help get you ripped. You cannot cruise with your nutrition when you are working towards getting on stage. Planning becomes an all the time thing.

Training Approach Changes

For me I have to focus on bringing up lagging body parts. That's why I have planned so far in advance. I want to be sure I have the focus and time to get the job done. I need (for myself) to look big enough when I hit the stage. That is extremely important to me.

Training Schedule Changes

As you get closer to a competition there tends to be more visits to the gym. Generally I find myself in the gym twice a day for the month prior to the show. This means planning my life out more carefully. It is something that you have to do carefully.

Overall Lifestyle Changes

While I try to live the bodybuilding lifestyle all the time, when preparing for a competition it is extremely different. I find myself looking at every angle. I pay more attention to my sleep schedule, my eating schedule and my training schedule. It just is what I do.

Conclusion

In order for all of these changes to happen you need a good support system. This is where you may have to make the biggest changes. If someone is standing in your way consider eliminating contact with them during your prep. The key is to remove all roadblocks on the way to the competition stage.

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