You've Decided to do Your FIRST Bikini Competition... NOW WHAT?
Your first prep will always hold a special place in your heart. That first contact with your coach, the first time you try on a suit, the first time you weigh out food... it's all so exciting. Behind the excitement is about a million other things that actually go into stepping on stage. A TON of my clients are first timers, and many are usually totally on top of their diets and training plans, but way behind on all the "extra" stuff. The major one being their budget. Ok, let's ditch the idea that you'll magically get a ton of sponsorships before your first show and have some real talk. Competing is EXPENSIVE. Like really, really expensive.
Competing is Expensive. Like, Really, Really expensive.
Like, in most cases you'll be in way more than $1,000 before it's done. Now, if you spread this over the duration of your prep it's not so bad, but having to fork out a ton of cash on top of the stress and adrenaline you already have during peak week can be a total nightmare. Here are some costs to make sure to put into your budget. These are just estimates from my experience:
- Coach - Free to Thousands (ok, not so helpful I realize.... but the prices out there are all over the board. Personally, I've paid anywhere between $150 and $250 per month)
- Gym Membership - Hopefully you're not paying more than $30-$40/month for this
- Show Shoes - $60-ish
- Suit - $125+ (totally depends on the designer and the bling. You can save money here by RENTING a suit from AmandaLouise.)
- Show Tan - $100 - $250
- Hair/Makeup - $100 - $300
- Jewelry - $50
- Bodybuilding Organization Annual Membership - $150
- Registration Fees - $150
- Show Photos - $100
- Show Video - $100
- Travel to the Show - Varies
- Family Show Tickets - $20 - $50 each
- Posing Lessons - I charge $50 per private session, some coaches will include this in their coach fee...
You get the point right? It's A LOT!!!!! I ended up busting out my credit card at my first show and spending WAY more than I thought I would. I don't tell you this to freak you out, but to help you prepare better than I did.
Now let's talk about the appointments and "to-do's" behind all those costs. If you haven't subscribed to AmandaLouise yet, DO IT! I'll send you a FREE 12 Week Competition Countdown Checklist that will make sure you check off all the boxes on the competition to do list.
I Want My FREE Competition Countdown Checklist
Here's the major appointments I want you to focus on. YOU TAN! So, I always recommend that first timers (unless otherwise told by their coach) go with a tanning company that will be backstage at the event. Usually, they are referred to as the "official tanning sponsor" on the show website and flyer. This is so they can touch up your tan for you, and it's rather convenient. Tanning companies usually book on a first come, first serve basis, so DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Take a look at your show week schedule and make sure to get ideal appointment times if you can.
Next, your hair and makeup. BOOK AHEAD and do your research. Just because your friend works at MAC does NOT mean she's qualified to do competition stage makeup. The tan is GNARLY. (btw, dont tan your face.) The lights on stage are equally gnarly and it takes a really good make up artist with experience in the environment to make sure you A) match your tan and B) have enough makeup for the stage without looking like a drag queen. I'm speaking from experience here. LOL. If you're in Arizona, the ONLY girls I recommend are MaxxGlam. I trust them completely. You can check them out at http://www.MaxxGlam.com
Feeling a little overwhelmed? It's ok, it's totally normal. So normal that I wrote an entire eBook on the subject after going through those stressful days with so many of my clients. Competition Countdown: Your Fitness Competition Guide is dedicated to the first time athlete. It goes through ALL the stuff you need to know that isn't included in a diet or training plan. It also comes with an excel based budgeting workbook so there's no unexpected major credit card debt come show day.
Dedicated to the first time athlete...
Check out what some of my clients are saying about the book...
"Your ebook was and is super helpful for me.. I have a better I idea of what to expect and now I'm ahead of schedule with booking hair, tan, etc.! All thanks to you!"
"OMG, this is SAVING me!"
"So helpful. I'll definitely be signing up as an affiliate and be spreading the word!"
See that last one? The quote where my client said she'd be signing up as an affiliate? Because I am ALL ABOUT helping my fellow competitors, I have set up an affiliate program for this ebook. Basically, once you are a fan, you can sign up through www.ClickBank.com for a FREE affiliate membership. From there I can help you create "hoplinks" to the ebook sales page. Your hoplink tracks the fact that the person purchasing the ebook came from you. For every book sold through your hoplink, you get 50% commission!!!! That's right, you get HALF just for telling your friends! That's cash money my loves. Not free product, not a shout out, CASH MONEY. I love nothing more than to help my girls afford their dreams, and every little bit counts! Feel free to email me if you have any questions about it, but it's pretty easy to set up.
SO, what have we learned today?! Competing is expensive and has a lot that goes into it... but you can handle it! The key to success is BEING PREPARED!!!!!