Should I compete? Opinion about my physique, progress

[%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE]

Hello,

I'm a fitness dude, I am 25 years old and I've been going to the gym for some time, I have done a serious exaggerated bulk after which I reached 105kgs(231lbs - most was fat, but also I gained some muscle and power).

After that, I have done a serious cut to 78kgs(172lbs) and now I am 80kgs. Finally, I like the way I am looking in the mirror.

I am going to the gym 2 times a week (Chest+biceps, Shoulders+triceps) and one day per week in the park where I am practicing some calisthenics workout (My back workout), mainly some sets of muscle ups and dips.

I am 25 years old, I am a software developer. Now, looking at my body, I want to participate at some amateur national or local fitness contests in the summer/autumn of 2024.

Photo of me:

https://imgur.com/a/zHmxoTH

Reason? I don't really know why I want to do this, maybe to get rid of my body dismorphia, or maybe to prove something to me that if I stick to a plan and a goal, I can achieve it. Or maybe it will open some future opportunities for me in this direction.

So,

1. What's your opinion about my gains/body? Am I too fat/too skinny, should I bulk/cut?

2. Any chance that I will at least be accepted to participate to an amateur show? ) And if so, to not get the last place.

3. Do I need some coach/preparator which I have to pay? In order to teach me how to pose on the stage in front of the jury?

4. All this preparation will take too much time and energy? I don't want to neglect my free time, my job, my girlfriend, my family.

Also, can anyone share his experience of participating at amateur fitness contests? With photos, preparation, details(age, workout).

 

[src]

@%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE Have you ever worked out your legs?

 

[kay19]

@src Lmao seriously, bro looks like me up top and my little sister down below.

Given his split is chest and bis, shoulders and tris, I’m guessing the answer is no.

 

[dawn16]

@src This is a legitimate question as someone who’s only been lifting for a year but why do guys skip leg day? It’s literally the second half of their body and it’s one of the biggest/strongest muscles.

Also does doing something like this like having one half of the body super built and the other half underdeveloped affect your balance and joints?

No offense to the op either I don’t mean these questions with disrespect. The top half seriously does look great but like everyone else here is saying it’s time to do legs and hit them hard.

 

[joy314]

@dawn16 Because leg days are hard. And the days after leg days are also very hard.

 

[dawn16]

It’s weird to me, because having a lot more leg muscle makes it easier to keep your fat in check. More muscle= higher metabolism, and the legs are the biggest muscle in the body, plus do the most work on most forms of cardio. It’s a win/win to build the legs.

 

[depressed7]

@dawn16 And it just looks way better to have a balanced body.

You also don’t wear a suit jacket with shorts.

 

[cpf]

@depressed7

You also don’t wear a suit jacket with shorts.

Maybe you don't...

 

[kebo]

@dawn16 Mostly a combination of:

• Leg day is hard, if you’re squatting, deadlifting (or a variation like RDLs) etc, and given the total poundage you’re moving vs upper / push / pull days
• An over-focus on the traditional mirror muscles of chest and arms.
• The belief legs can be “hidden” in a way other elements of a physique cannot

 

[firehotta]

@dawn16 I don’t do legs atm because I don’t think girls care about them.

 

[joy314]

@firehotta Copying the comment I made today on gymmemes subreddit.

There was "women, what is your 'men stare at boob' body part?" askReddit post recently.

Number 1 was ass. Number 2 was forearm.

So yes, girls care about ass.

 

[jolual789]

@joy314 Abs get all the attention, but it's really all the thrusting muscles that girls care about for obvious, biological reasons. If you're not good at hip hinging at the gym, you're not good at hip hinging in the bedroom

 

[firehotta]

@joy314 Oh I have a dumpy already cos I’m short AF and have a 30 inch vert hahaha no fr I will do legs as soon as this mini cut is over and I am in my first bulk I hear you

 

[laurie2777]

@src Good news is newbie gains are still achievable there lol.

 

[%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE]

@src No, I wasn’t enjoying.
The only workout my legs have done is running, I am participating twice a year at Semimarathons(21km), so I am running quite a lot.

 

[jolual789]

@%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE As a runner who also avoided lower body for a long time... at a certain point you just gotta do it. Like, I get that running the day after a leg workout makes your runs suck, but it gets a lot easier once your body adapts to it, honest. Maybe for the first 2-3 weeks, it's awful, but then your runs get better and actually get easier. Hills go from something to avoid to no big deal

 

[%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE]

@jolual789 Thank you!

 

[joy314]

@%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE That's impressive on its own right.

 

[sparkielee]

@%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE Upper body looking good, but bro you gotta stop skipping leg day. You are really unbalanced and not ready to compete in your current condition.

Up it to three times per week and add in a leg day. I usually do 3 sets of tibialis raises, barbell calf raises, heavy squats or leg press, RDLs, and split squats

 

[%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE]

@sparkielee Thanks, I will start hit them