Muscle for Life

As someone who’s helped legions of people (har har) lose fat, get lean, and build muscle, it’s no surprise I also get asked about preparing for natural bodybuilding and bikini competitions. After all, there’s a lot of overlap between natural bodybuilding and getting fitter as a recreational weightlifter. While I’ve never done a bodybuilding show or coached serious competitors, I’ve gotten “photoshoot lean” several times. And while it was fun seeing ab veins in the mirror and I got to take a lot of cool pictures, this physique came with a price: mild lethargy, decreased performance and motivation in the gym, semi-persistent low-grade hunger, and less sex drive. Natural bodybuilders get considerably leaner than I was and suffer a lot more to get in that condition.  If you look around for information on what it’s really like to prepare for these competitions, though, you’re likely to come across rose-colored accounts that make getting shredded look like a cakewalk.  The truth is that getting down to “s