One of our most often-asked questions from off-season or pre-season competitors is “when should I apply to start contest prep with 3DMJ?”
This is not surprising, as we all know that there is a delicate balance between the two sides of the coin here. On one hand, everyone wants to make sure they have enough time to get lean enough. On the other, everyone also assumes that ‘the shorter the better’, as the prep phase can be quite uncomfortable and will cause at least some loss in muscle mass.
Here at 3DMJ, we have a system of calculations and estimations to ensure that we find this balance in the most effective way possible to elicit the highest likelihood of a successful show, season, and career for our athletes.
That said, we have some basic suggested timelines for those who are wanting to come aboard as one of our clients.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POTENTIAL 3DMJ CONTEST PREP ATHLETES:
For those starting in a lean off-season condition, we would recommend starting your contest prep diet no later than 5 months out for mens physique and bikini, and no later than 6 months out for figure and bodybuilding.
For those starting in an average offseason condition, add 1 month to that, and for those starting a bit out of shape add 2 months.
If you are significantly out of shape, feel free to submit an application, but we don’t recommend you targeting a specific show. We can let you know a time frame that would be appropriate and we can run an open ended prep.
WHY DO WE RECOMMEND THESE TIMELINES?
To elaborate on this subject, please see this EXTREMELY informative and detailed explanation from Coach Jeff Alberts below.
He goes over all of the common considerations and situations that can occur during a prep phase, which is how we have come to our general recommendations above.
This video will also give you further insight on what to expect if you are one of our athletes, and how we facilitate coaching throughout this time period.
Leave a Reply