How Long Does It Take to Prepare for a Contest?

By Skip La Cour

Six Time National Bodybuilding Champion
Success Coach

Twelve weeks seems to be the standard amount of time that many bodybuilders invest while preparing for a bodybuilding contest. But where did they come up with 12 weeks as the right amount of time? Isn’t that just a number that has been passed down from bodybuilder to bodybuilder over the years? Shouldn’t the length of time you spend getting ready for a show be determined by the level of muscularity and definition you are striving to achieve and/or the shape you are in when you start?

I believe bodybuilders who start “getting serious” about an upcoming contest only 12 weeks ahead of time waste a lot of time that they could be using to set themselves up for an outstanding showing. This is especially true when in comes to training. You have 52 weeks every year to pack-on some high-quality muscle. The more time you spent focused on building muscle—the better.

I understand that everyone has different goals when in comes to competitive bodybuilding. I totally appreciate the fact that different people simply want different things and not everyone wishes to become a professional someday. Instead, many people simply want to see how far they can push themselves and transform their bodies. Doing well in a local or regional contest—but staying within the context of what they define as a “normal” life—is their primary objective.

Let me ask you a question. If a person who prepares for 12 weeks goes head-to-head on stage with a person who prepares for 15 weeks, who do you think will probably win—if they both had the same level of experience, genetic ability, determination, and execution? If all factors were equal, the one who prepared longer would win, right? Well, that’s exactly why I start preparing a lot earlier than 12 weeks. I want to become the very best I can be and I’m willing to do the work and make the sacrifices necessary to become my very best.

Regardless of your short, medium, or long-range bodybuilding goals, you’d be surprised just how much more you can achieve with your training performance and physique’s development simply by raising the standards of what you expect out of yourself in small, incremental stages. You can start those incremental steps a lot sooner than 12 weeks and still keep your life balanced. You simply have to make getting more out of yourself in the time you spend in the gym, setting up your day, and structuring your eating plan more of a priority.

I don’t diet in a calorie-deprived state for seven months as I prepare for a bodybuilding contest. It doesn’t take that long to get in ultra-shredded condition if you work hard enough. I use a longer period of time to build momentum and try to create the longest period of time I can with 100 percent execution.

I start my preparation by doing things such as eating my meals on time, drinking a certain amount of water for the day, taking all of my supplements on time, building up my concentration and focus while weight training, and structuring a consistent Max-OT Cardio training program. As time goes by, I will take all of these daily disciplines to higher and higher levels.