This year, december 24th in on saturday and christmas day on sunday. I’ll plan to train on Thursday, friday and saturday morning (3 day in a row), before the party of december 24th and 25th and take it completely off the gym december 25th and 26th. Taking it off will also be good for your body to recover as physically as mentally.

You will certainly do some excesses in alcohol and foods (if you are not planning it, i suggest you to do so – This is also good for your body !) Relax ! When you’ll be back in the gym on december 27th, simply add 30 minutes of cardio after your training, maybe 2 days in a row, and all will return quickly to the normal. But there is nothing very serious in gaining some fat, in 2012, with the return to the normal with your nutritional and training protocol, you will lose all this fat gain during christmas time.

Enjoy this moment with your friends and family ! Also take advantage of this moment to rest properly !

Rule #1 – Do not deviate

The big part of your preparation will be to stay on the line and respect the initial planning. Always keep in mind that before becoming emotionnal, almost all athlete become emotionnal during a preparation due to overtraining, following tiredness, stress and others factors. When you develop your contest plan, alone or with you coach, you did it in funciton of of your metabolism, shape and objectives. So respect the plan ! However, keep in mind that having a second plan coulb be good in case off emergency…but only in case of emergency. The best way to avoid you to deviate is by planning and beeing follow by a coach. He will have an objectives approach and will be less emotive.

Rule #2 – Dont focus on your contest weight

A lot of bodybuilder and fitness athlete focus on their weight. Who cares about your weight ? When onstage, the game is all around symetry, definition, muscular development (does not mean heavy) and presentation. This is not the heavier guy who will win, but the athlete who have the best package on stage.

Rule #2 – Say NO to others help

Everybody is a specialist and know everything and each of them have is own theory about training, nutrition and preparation. ONLY listen your coach. He know what is good for you and what you should and shouldn’t do. Listening each others will only bring you in a stressful minding and making you doubt about everythings. Finally, you will get nothing good about this experience, get your worst shape ever, fall in a negative mood and a beautiful peak of cortisol during your prep and dirung the day of your show because you will not be ready.

Rule #3 – Be patient

Patience, patience, patience….losing fat is not a 24 hours process. Depending where you were when you start your contest prep, decreasing your bodyfat percentage can take some time. If you bring all the parameters together, there is no reason to do not get leaner, so be patient and respect your plan.

Rule #4 – Keep it simple

Trying to reinvent the wheel is not necessarely the best way. By experience, what is simple but efficace is always better. What works for you off season, will work during your contest prep, so don’t go over with new practice 2 months before a show, keep your experience for the off season phase.

Rule #5 – Visualisation

Visualisation is key success for all the athlete but also for everybody in life who want to accomplish thing at another level. This is a psychological approach that allow the body and mind to be on the same page. One on my principle is : « fake it as you make it » Does those word a magic and will give your everything right now…NO. But this will give you the determination to become better and better. Moreover, The brain is really strong. What you visualise and see and feel today, will one day become reality because your brain thing that this feeling, things and images is true. So keep focusing on success, determination, your best physics you would like to have and train hard !

Rule #6 – Cheating meal

Dont be too serious in your process. All year round, allow you one full day of cheeting. Don’t calculate and eat what your want to eat. However, 2 months before a show, cheeting day must be remove to ensure the quality of your physics. Moreover, don’t neglect your social activity and networking beacause your training for a show. There is a way to enjoy life and be in shape, find that track !

Rule #7 – Have fun

Remember, this is a sport and not a job ! So have fun and share beautiful moment as during your process as during the day of the show.

Rule #8 – Motivation is key success

Find a different way to motivate your self than just aiming the 1st place. 1st place is a finality but not a necessity. Share your passion, help others and develop friendship in this industry. Your a role model for the society. Too much athlete do it for themselves and are really narcissistic. Do it differently and be different, you will spread a good healthy vision for the others

Rule #9 – practice your posing

Too much bodybuilder and fitness athlete are not ready on stage and do not know what to do and how to put the emphasize on their physics. A greater physics with a weak presentation in not better than a smaller physics but with a extraordinay presentation ! Too much athlete neglect this part of sport. On stage, you posing round must be perfect; smiling, posing, look easy and charismatic. In Pro class, you have routine to do, even in pro class we often see Pro athletes without a good routine and posing session. As a Pro, we are role model for novice and open class, so, if you have a weak prensentation, you do not encourage the others to get better on posing.

Final word – Enjoy all the process

I often saw athlete that find dieting very hard and start complaining during the prep, do not enjoy the diet, training and preparation set up, moreover the day of the show they are tired and do not appreciate the day !. HEY ! You will be on stage for approximatively 10 minutes max ! but getting prepare will take, depending of your condition, 2 to 3 months what can represent close to 200 hours of training, posing practive, cooking time and more. So wake up and enjoy « The sports of Bodybuiling »

François Beauregard, IDFA Pro, www.francoisbeauregard.com

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