Couple quick Tips:
Don’t leave colouring until the last minute. If you rely too much on ProTan at the last minute, you’ll end up spending all the previous night standing in the shower getting your brother to put on a new coat every 2 hours . Plus, many of the tanning colours tend to be a bit orangey. I learned to get a deep suntan first for next time, then do the ProTan competition colour later.
Bronzers make a big difference. I used Ultra Bronze on the abs & rear delts to good effect. If nothing else, it made me look darker rather than dark-orange =)
I’d look into some of the other colourants besides Pro-Tan (check deja-news for some ad (eek!) that was posted here a while ago). Pro-Tan and many of the others use acetone to bring the colour into the skin. A better solution just stays superficial and can be washed off later. Problem with this is with streaking under the hot lights. I think the product I’m trying to remember is DreamTan, but I might be mistaken.
Bring some Pam (yeah, you know that cooking spray). Spray lightly on the legs and chest and pad down with a paper towel.
Make sure you’ve got a good balance between carbing and dehydration for the prejudging. PREJUDGING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME. This is where most of the decisions are made. After the prejudging, indulge a bit to get a good carb-load for the evening show. Don’t worry about a little spill-over. The evening show is a time where you can enjoy yourself & the crowd.
Don’t forget to hit the bathroom before going to stage. Okay, I shouldn’t have to say this, but people make mistakes. Couple years ago, one guy was obviously a bit nervous and had some gas – let out a rather loud emanations in a rear double-bi pose. The guy still won the overall, though! At least bring a sense of humor on stage!
posing trunks should not be flashy. Definitely spend some time getting them chosen well. Get them custom-fitted (this is important!). It cost me only about $10 each – get a couple, just in case you screw up with the tanning lotions or have some other disaster! For a small frame, you will probably want small side-bands. For an endomorph, a wider side-band may be more suitable – depends a lot on your lower tie-ins and external obliques.
Spend the last few days before the contest posing. This is very important. In addition to making you comfortable with the 7 compulsories, it seems to help considerably to *squeeze* out a bit of Water. Practice your transitions.
If you want to do well in competition, you should attempt to make a bit of a presence for yourself. Don’t just hit the poses. Try to find combinations that look great on your body.
Music is pretty crucial, too. Depending on your build, you may want to select a more graceful piece, or go to some of the hard rock favorites. But, PLEASE, don’t do what someone else did this year. In his routine, this light-heavyweight set his music to the Lion King. Oh, this was just so damn funny! It only took one guy up on the balcony to yell, “SIMBA!!!” for the entire audience to erupt in laughter. The poor guy looked just so nervous, too!
If you want a little assistance with vascularity, you may want to try this: (okay, I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on TV, so you should research this on your own if you’re thinking about it) If you can find Dragon Balm or Hot S**t, apply topically 5-10 minutes before stage. Depending on your level of tan, take between 100-500mg Niacin. Niacin is very fast-acting and if you’re competing, chances are you’ll be on an empty stomach, so you may only need 100mg. Within a couple minutes you’ll get a serious flush that accompanies the vasodilation effect. Pumping up with an arm-roller after the niacin will hold serious blood in your forearms. Niacin is VERY safe, and the effects (flush, hot prickly feeling, vasodilation) all go away in about an hour.
Don’t start pumping up before about 5-10 minutes prior to stage call. Don’t pump the quads.
