Figure Competitor Workout Plan & How It Works?: So, you think you want to join a figure competition, do you? “Yes,” you say. After all, you’re working hard, eating healthy, and maintaining a reasonably slim physique.
You have a good work ethic, you’re determined to accomplish your goals, and you want to face new challenges.
Okay, if that’s the case, then I would say go for it! Which, of course, leaves you with much to learn and accomplish.
The journey to figure competitor workout plan and shaping your physique is probably the toughest you’ll ever endure, but it’s also one of the most rewarding.
Being able to show you have the physical and mental strength to get into contest form and stand on the stage that day is enough to give you the boost of self-confidence to go after any of your lifelong dreams, not to mention, you get in great shape!
Do you know? When the fame of bodybuilding declined among people, the figure competitions were introduced as a sub-category for variation.
However, figure competition is a type of physique training program for both men and women to show attractive muscles and figures.
In figure competitions, competitors are judged based on their muscle proportion, not size. It is particularly not easy to transform your body shape into fascinating muscular curves.
Getting ready for a fitness competition is somehow different from regular and hard exercises at the gym.
Preparing yourself to rock on stage needs discipline and a strict workout plan. Still, No worries! Because we have complete guideline instructions for you to accomplish your goals.
Figure competitor workout plan comprises of distinguishing phases for the toning of each single body muscle.
Do you have fitness competition ideas? If yes! Don’t bother yourself.
Here is a complete workout plan for you that will help you out to ready if you dreamt of being a participant in a fitness competition.
However, your lead depends upon your diligence and smart work.
Table of Content
How Do You Train for a Figure Competition Workout?
You can get your figure ready for competition by following a simple 12-week workout plan divided into three phases.
Each session consists of 4 weeks, and three sessions make 12 weeks plan. Besides, this is a 12-week workout plan for females as well as males.
We have written down a figure competitor workout plan for you; these are the ideal exercises that give you a super fit figure.
Furthermore, we are also providing you with a list of exercises that you can do for better results. Stuck to one exercise a day, it must include a 45 minutes cardio, at a steady pace, for 4-5 days a week.
1st Session (Weeks 1-4)
Walking Barbell Lunge:
It is directly applicable to glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles for increased strength and stamina. Also, it helps to achieve an attractive look.
Steps:
- Stand up and hold a barbell across your shoulder on the upper back end. Take a massive step forward and bend your other leg on the floor( backward direction).
- Drop your hips into the lunge and raise the chest. It will bend your left knees to 90 degrees (towards the floor).
- Step back with the right foot and step forward with others, and then press your right knee to the floor
Dumbbell Shoulder Press:
It works on pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders), triceps (arms), and trapezius (upper back). Steps are mentioned below:
Steps:
- Stand upright, and your hands the dumbells with your shoulder support.
- Bent your elbows to 90 degrees to the outside direction, and front of hands towards the head.
- Then extend your elbows to raise the weight above the skull.
- Slowly return to starting position. Repeat it, and average depends on your working capacity.
Straight-leg Deadlift:
It mainly enhances the medial gastrocnemius (calf muscle) working capacity. It puts more stress on back and legs, which in return gives curve muscular legs for competition.
So here are some instructions for you:
Steps:
- Push hips back and forth to parallel your trunk with the floor.
- Grasp the bar (use double handgrip) by downing your torso using shoulder width.
- Make sure your spine, hips, and shoulders stay in a straight line.
- The bar must be at equilibrium in your hands while you are putting it up. Keep your chest high, abs tight, and knees slightly bent.
- When you lock out the hips, push yourself upward it straightens your arms, tries to stand in an upright stance once it has done return the bar to the floor, and keep repeating it as per your body capacity.
Lateral Raise:
Lateral dumble raise is beneficial for upper body development. It improves deltoids and builds massive shoulders. With the following steps, you can perform it:
Steps:
- Stand or sit erect (unbend spinally) with having dumbles in both hands.
- Brace your core and start raising weights until your both hand become parallel to the floor. Lower them back in the same fashion.
- The selection of the right weight is necessary for safe and proper lateral raise.
- Try to do at least 10-12 reps correctly and gradually increase the number.
Hamstring Curls
It targets on Hamstrings, calf muscles, glutes, quads, shins. Its primary target on the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles and the hamstrings. It includes the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus muscles. Hamstring curls are a beneficial workout for giving your legs a firm look.
Steps:
- Lay down on your stomach and adjust the roller under calves. The roller pads should not be too high that the pressures on Achilles tendon.
- On inhaling, hold the support handles of the machine and fully stretch your legs.
- On exhaling, only lift your feet while your hips must be on the bench.
- Again inhale, and force your ankles maximum towards your buttocks while flexing your knees.
- Hold on this position, and try to apply maximum force to develop your lower legs. Go back to your starting stance in a controlled manner.
- Do at least 10-12 reps in the beginning and gradually increase the number.
2nd Session (Week 5-8)
Hyperextension Benchpress:
The main focus of this exercise is to target on Hamstrings muscles. Also, act upon spinal cord Adductor Magnus and Gluteus. For doing this workout, here are some steps:
Steps:
- Lie facedown with the support pad on bench straight.
- Hook your feet under padded bar. Keep your feet straight and lean forward from your hips.
- Hold weight to the chest or behind the neck with both hands. Make sure to be in an equilibrium position before starting it.
- Raise your body in the upper direction, keep the held weights in front of the chest. Now down back it slowly.
Dumbbell Thruster :
It works on hamstrings, glutes, and shoulders muscles. Also, work supplementary on the core and upper back.
Steps:
- Hold dumbles in your hands in front of shoulders and stay straight with maintaining the width of feet.
- Inhale deeply, and start squads until thighs become parallel to the floor. Put pressure on your heels.
- Keep your chest up and hips back. After this stands up and extend your arms above your head.
- Again comes back to starting stance. Keep repeating it, and initially, try to do three sets per day.
Close-grip Pushup:
It targets Triceps Brachii, Synergists, Sternal Pectoralis Major, Clavicular Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Mechanics.
Steps:
- Lay down on the floor, and your hands must be under your shoulders or at least close to it.
- Straighten your body so that your elbows tucked in, inhaled deep while you are downing your trunk onto your hands.
- Push the body back and exhale. Repeat it several times.
Weighted Sit-Ups
The main muscles targeted are of core muscles. It stabilizes the lower back and hip. It is one of the simplest and most effective workouts. Step are giving below:
Steps:
- Lay on your back on a flat surface and bend your feet up to 90 degrees.
- At the start, grip a dumble in both hands against your chest.
- Put forward your trunk until the elbows of both arms touch the top of your thighs.
- Go back slowly to the starting posture and try to repeat it with consistency.
Incline Dumbbell Flye:
It is used to isolate the chest muscles. Here are steps to proceed it:
Steps:
- Settle down on an incline bench and direct the ends of dumbbells in the hip crease.
- Lay down and keep the weight close your trunk, then take a deep breath and, to lock out the top, press the dumbbells hard.
- Unlock your elbows and downs the dumbbells slowly and try to retain your elbows angle.
- Clasp your pecs together when dumbbells reach the chest and bring them back to their initial position.
- Do not allow the dumbbells to touch until a set is completed.
3rd Session (Weeks 9-11)
In these weeks, go ahead with your previous routine but change your muscles specified exercises continuously.
You can easily find out different workouts and shift them (per body part) from the list mention below. Practicing only a few numbers of activities cannot cover all body muscles to work.
However, variation in workouts is extremely helpful in attaining the desired look for the competition.
For instance, if you have done Lateral Raise (which gives strength to hamstrings) in 2nd phase, then try Front Plate Raise (primarily works on anterior deltoid) in the 3rd phase.
This will involve all your major body muscles to work out uniformly.
A Week Before Showtime (Week 12)
Be confident! So, what would be your workout plan before your big day? It must be simple that you should not take any kind of stress.
Do workout for three days, and I am emphasizing again, take rest for two days.
1st day: Do all upper body exercises that work on your chest and shoulders. Also, add an exercise that covers your lower body(limbs).
2nd day: Do lower body exercises, mainly work on thighs muscles.
3rd day: Try to perform the Back and Abs benefiting exercises.
- Besides, do cardio in all three days, and you can also use the yoga technique for refreshing and relaxing your mind and body.
4th and 5th day: Take some rest.
7th day: Now, it is your day to break the stage with your perfect figure.
Warning!
You must be cautious that you never try to work out all week. Your body muscles and organs need rest and also little time to recover from minor injuries or pulls.
Therefore, in all 12-week workout plan, you must take a rest of 2 days from exercise each week.
Alternative Exercise List
There are some more exercises we listed below for you so that you can shuffle your routine workouts.
Workout for triceps:
- Lying Triceps
- Bench Dip
- Close-Grip Bench
- Standard Push-Up
- Standing Overhead Cable Triceps Extension
- Straight Arm Cable Pull-Down
Workout for Biceps:
- Incline Inner-Biceps Curl
- EZ-Bar Curl
- Overhead Cable
- Regular-Grip Barbell Curl
- Wide-Grip Standing Barbell Curl
- Standing Concentration Dumbbell Curl
Workout for Abs Muscles:
- Swiss Ball Crunch
- Arms-High Partial Situp
- Front Squat
- Pullup to Knee Raise
- Horizontal Cable Woodchop
- Straight-Leg Barbell Situp
Workout for Lower Body
- Pistol Squat
- Seated Hamstring Curl
- Leg Press
- Stationary Lunge
- Hack Squat
- Bulgarian Split
- Stationary Lunge
Workout for Shoulders:
- Front Plate Raise
- Smith Machine
- Incline Front Raise
- Crossover Rear Delt Fly With Band
- Overhead Press With a Barbell
- Shoulder Pushup
Use of Cardio:
Cardio is a physical activity that boosts up the blood circulation rates in the body. The recommendation of a cardio regimen depends upon several factors.
It is not easy to prescribe Cardio without knowing the previous training history. It depends on the body type that how much fat it requires to lose or gain.
Generally, most of the professional trainers suggest starting with 30 minutes workout for 3-4 days a week. According to your body’s requirements, take 2 or 3 days for muscular soothing at the start.
Aim to reach 30 minutes continues cardio and, when succeed, gradually increases the period of the session.
And if someone is already practicing cardio more than 30 minutes, do not extend the duration; just try to maintain it.
When would you expand your cardio? It is the question most likely comes into the competitor’s mind.
To increase your cardio session, you should take care of the things mentioned below.
- When reaching out 30 minutes and can perform it with a steady heart rate, it is an indication to expand the interval.
- Stop the loss of body fat with the same cardio routine without any change in the diet.
- Cutting calories by 100-200 and not noticing any weight loss is the indication you can increase the duration of cardio.
When your cardio reaches 50-60 minutes with a stable heart rate, you can add a day more.
However, it is an expert’s advice to take rest every week for at least 1-2 days as it helps the heart and other muscular organs to recharge their powers cells for next week’s training.
Why is it Essential to Have a Nutritionist?
Relatively, diet and proper body nourishment are on the top as it is impossible to work out without considering it.
Many people think that they know enough about their nourishment; mostly, they get wrong. Often it is difficult to understand what to eat and how much to eat? These questions often raise, and here you should need a proper guideline.
Extra support of a nutritionist helps you choose the right diet plan and which enhances the chances of your lead in the competition.
What Do Figure Competitors Eat?
For the figure competitor workout plan, you must take a properly calculated diet, which accommodates all essential components to maintain the body’s working capacity and muscular development.
We have enlisted some tips with you to back you in achieving your goal.
- With 12 weeks of general training, you should start taking a right counted the number of calories in the diet. It will enable the internal body mechanism to reply more concisely to workout.
- An extensive or strict workout routine could cause body tissue dehydration. Water is critical to your workout; it ensures that all calories consumed by the body in the right way. Therefore, try to consume at least a gallon of water each day.
- Consume a diet that contains more proteins as it is a fundamental component required for building muscles. First, Protein contains tons of amino acids that are building blocks for muscle development and strength. Second, it speeds up injury recoveries(get during training).
- Moreover, a competitor’s diet also includes an adequate amount of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are a source of energy and assist in getting a better physique. Therefore, quality carbs are fundamental to fuel intense workouts.
- Dietary fat in your diet provides more dense calories and help meet your caloric needs. It also regulates healthy blood flow along with hair and skin. Moreover, it increases the production level of “Testosterone Harmon,” particularly in males, which pack on muscles.
- Most importantly, you should kick out junk food from your meal plan. Usually, junk foods contain unhealthy saturated fats, which intensifies the cholesterol level and unnecessary fat accumulation in body tissues. So it would be best for you to minimize the use of junk food and emotional eating.
- Limited intake of high-fat dairy products and exchange them with low-fat versions. Make sure to get in a satisfactory amount of dietary fibers, up to 35 percent per day, as it helps to keep body cholesterol level under control.
Over time it becomes easy to determine the body’s energy level, what you should need to have in the diet, and in what proportions.
That will help you to get a more precise diet sheet. Yet, it all depends upon how you are following instructions.
As if you are taking crabs in but do not care about hydration. Similarly, if you are taking care of hydration with plenty of water, but your diet is insufficient in proteins, it causes an imbalance.
Conclusion:
You can be trained in 12 weeks just by following the above routines. Preparing for fitness figure competition workout requires something more than just hard work.
It also demands smart work, dedication, patience, and consistency. Follow the workout plan, and only in 12-weeks, you get ready for competition.
Mainly get it into a habit to take in a balanced diet for better and proper development of muscles. Group workout ideas could also help you to achieve your milestones. Besides, the one thinks you should know, never overburden yourself, and follow the instructions of your trainer carefully.
Increase your workout duration gradually as per your body’s responses. Following this 12 weeks plan will ultimately lead to your desired results.