So you want to do a bikini competition – Part 3 – What to expect show day

Part 1 – So you checked out part one and read what it’ll cost you to compete

Part 2 – you read on what to expect during prep

Now into what you should expect on show day.  Whether you are just curious, you are in your prep and wanting to know what will happen, or you are in peak week and getting nervous – this is for you.

Again, this is my opinion, my personal experience, and my experience with coaching clients.  From the every competition I entered and those I coached my clients through, the shows all pretty much follow the same format.

Day before the show –

·      Competitor check-in and packet pick up will be held at the venue.  For bikini competitors they will take your height and you will pick up your competitor number.

·      Tanning appointment – you will get a few coats of spray tan.  Vendor usually rents a hotel conference room and has you come into a little “tent pod” and sprays you with what looks like the machine they use to spray cars..  Typically, you will be naked.

o   Have loose fitting clothes to wear after you tan,  so your clothing doesn’t ruin your tan.  Button down top preferred.

o   Bring dark, old sheets from home as some of your tan will rub off while you sleep and the hotel may charge you.

o   Be careful when washing your hands, brushing your teeth, using the bathroom – any splash will streak your tan.

Pre-Judging –

·      Hair and make-up appointments are booked in the early morning. 

·      Another tan touch up appointment is needed prior to prejudging.

·      Competitors meeting before the morning show (sometimes it’s the day before) - they will go over show order (bodybuilding, physique, figure, bikini) – you can see stage set up and they tell you which side you will be entering  from – and they will go over any information you need to know for the competition.

·      Then you wait.  Get comfy and wait backstage.  All competitors will be in this back room.  Some are lying down with head phones, some are pumping up, practicing their routines, getting oiled, eating their meals….stay focused on you.

·      When you are close to getting on stage you will start pumping up.  Get oiled. Bikini bite your suit. Run through your routine, then hit the stage..

On Stage –

·      You will be lined up in order by your competition number.

·      They will call your number and you will walk out to center stage and perform your routine.

·      After your routine they will show you where to line up in the back of stage while the rest of the competitors do their routines.  Here you will be doing your transitions. (still posing)

·      When everyone is done, they will start calling up competitors for comparisons.

·      During comparisons, they will call out competitor numbers to switch places and direct line up to face the back and face the front.  They may do this several times.- moving competitors around and having them turn back and turn around to the front.  

·      You can kind of determine your placement by call outs (if you are the first 5 to be called out, you will place top 5.  Usually, the girls placed in the center will be top 3)

·      After that row of comparisons, they will instruct that row to leave the stage and call up the next 5 girls for comparison.

·      You are done until the night show. Rest and eat your meals.

Night Show -

·      Repeat the process – wait until your class is about to be called up.

·      When you are close to getting on stage you will start pumping up.  Get oiled. Bikini bite your suit. Run through your routine.

·      Again, they will line you up by number backstage.

·      Do your individual routine and line up at the back of stage while the others do their routines.

·      Some shows will present all competitors with a medal.

·      Then they will call the top 3-5 for trophy/medal presentation.

·      If you win 1st place you will need to compete again for the overall title.  This would be comparisons with all the first-place winners in the other height classes. 

Difference between day show and night show –

·      Audience – usually only coaches and friends/family come to the prejudging, typically the night show has more of a crowd.  

·      Lighting – Bright in the day – and at night the lights are dimmed in audience area with lighted stage.

·      Music – no music in the day – music will be played during your routine at the night show

·      Vibe – the day is when you are being judged – the placing is pretty much final by the time of the night show –  so it’s pretty much time to relax and enjoy.

After the night show, you will most likely want to eat whatever you were craving all during prep.  You won’t have to think about where you want to eat- you’ve been thinking about this day. Heck, you’ve been thinking of this for weeks.

Note – you may be dehydrated - so rehydrate – take your fluid intake slow.  I don’t recommend alcohol consumption due to this fact as well. Also, watch the salt intake – too much carbs and salt will cause you to swell the next day.

Post show you’ll want to consume everything – talk to you coach about a post show plan.  Many people balloon after their show due to the deprivation and restriction for months – I know you don’t want to let your hard work disappear in a few weeks so get a plan together with your coach ahead of time. Trust me, what took you months to achieve can be lost in a matter of weeks if you don’t have a post-show plan in place.

I’m sure you will have an amazing experience and you’ll get the “bug” to do another.

After writing this, I just realized that post show rebound deserves a blog post of it’s own – so stay tuned for Part 4 of this series.