Fitness Competitions: Natural or Not?

In December 2009, as I thought about my upcoming 50th birthday, I wanted to make sure that I was in better shape than ever. At the time, I looked pretty good, but I wouldn't have been comfortable standing onstage in a tiny bikini in front of judges and cameras and bright lights. I knew if I entered a fitness competition that would give me all the motivation I needed to see just how fit I could be on my 50th birthday.

I started training 5 to 6 days a week for 2 to 3 hours per day doing stretching, cardio, and mainly STRENGTH. I counted every calorie, every gram of fat, carbs and protein, as well as fiber, sodium and sugar. I was my own my own nutritionist (with the help of The Daily Plate at LiveSTRONG.com), my own personal trainer and my own workout buddy. I wanted to see if I had the discipline to do this by myself.

I trained in my home gym, the same place where I train my clients and where my Physiic classes are held. In the six months that I prepared for the competition, I never missed a workout and I never cheated on my meal plans. I was going to do everything I possibly could not to embarrass myself. I practiced posing and walking in those crazy 5” heels. I even did some guided imagery and hypnotherapy to get my mind in a peaceful place.

After a few months of training, I really never felt better. I was never hungry. My husband said I was eating all the time and I guess I was. Lots of chicken breast and broccoli. I never had cravings because my body was getting all the nourishment it needed to thrive. I thought I was going to get hooked on doing fitness competitions because I felt so great. That is, until those last few days before the competition...And then the competition itself....

The event that I competed in was titled the Max Muscle Mile High "Natural" Figure Championships. The word natural refers to the fact that the bodybuilders are subject to drug and polygraph testing, but that's about it. There are very few female bodybuilders anymore as the sport has evolved to a less muscular, more feminine look that is reflected in the fitness and figure categories. Beyond that, there wasn’t too much that I would call “natural” happening.

From the extremely dark, four to five coats of fake tan, to the oiled skin, the fake eyelashes, the blue contact lens, the hair extensions, the stage makeup, the competition suit that had to be glued in place, and the 5" heels ---the word "natural" may be a stretch. Add to it the fact that most competitors generally stop drinking water a day or two before competing so they are unnaturally dehydrated on the day of the competition. I admired the other competitors and the effort that went into their training and building the best physique possible, but I’m not sure I would say that their appearance was natural.

By the way, I got 2nd Place in the Novice Division and 5th Place Overall, but unless I get a lucrative sponsorship, ha-ha! I think it will be my one-and-only competition. Oh well! One more thing off the bucket list!

What do you think? Are fitness competitions natural or not?