Steps To Building A Physique For The NPC

Building A Physique For The NPC

THE NPC and Your Physique

There are various organizations when it comes to competing in bodybuilding. There’s the International Drug-Free Athletics (IDFA), World Fitness Federation (WFF), the National Physique Committee (NPC), and more. The NPC is the biggest amateur bodybuilding organization in the United States and it is the only amateur organization recognized by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB).

The IFBB is the organization in which Pro bodybuilders compete. To become a Pro you must achieve a Pro Card at Nationals. Nationals are contests held at the national level for those who placed the top three — usually — in their Regional class shows. Before you worry about reaching Nationals and going Pro you first need to build a physique for the NPC.

NPC and Physique Body Building
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The first step in building a winning physique for the NPC is to do your research.

To begin, go on the NPC official website, view the rules for each division, and decide what you are interested in. But remember, though you may be interested in a division that doesn’t mean you should choose it. Part of doing your research is getting a second opinion on what you can realistically achieve.

Though there are written guidelines and some graphics showing what the judges are looking for, take the research to another level by going through past contest placings and view the Class winners. Bodybuilding is subjective per judging panel though there are written rules: it’s about who shows up on stage that day.

So to make sure you show up as what the judges are looking for you need to work on what they are looking for. Men and women’s physiques will be drastically different but the training for it will not be. Every competitor who competes in the NPC trains hard as the organization does not require drug testing, so natural athletes and those using steroids or other supplements can compete against each other.

You don’t need to use any type of drugs to win in the NPC as long as you know how to build a physique.

Looking at the divisions it’s no surprise that the men’s divisions are focused on muscularity (size) and condition. As for females, the focus is more so on the proportion (symmetry) and presentation.

The Basics To Achieving Muscularity and Condition for Men

Though a goal of being on stage is to be conditioned, it’s also to have size, especially in the men’s division. It’s no secret that men build muscle faster than women, but to speed the process up, focus on stimulating hypertrophy by mixing up your rep ranges.

While mixing up reps opt for different compound and isolated movements in each workout. For example, for the lower body — squats — try using rep ranges of 8-12 and for the upper body — rows — try ranges of 5-10. Keep in mind you should be doing heavyweight.

Cheat Sheet Body Building
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The intake of food should also be as aggressive as training and focused majorly on protein and carbs for maximum muscle gains. When it comes to conditioning, try staying away from the treadmill and focus more on working it into your training, HIIT, or warming up before your workout is a good place to start.

The Basics To Achieving Proportion and Presentation for Females

Hormones play a key factor in regards to females losing weight. This is why it is important to have a coach well versed in prepping people for competition. Females tend to store more fat in their thighs and waist, females also have a harder time building an upper body: though some of this may be dependent on genetics.

To achieve proportion, follow a training split that ensures all muscles and parts of the body are equally targeted. Allowing each muscle a break gives it time to repair while you work others. Isolated and compound movements can also fill in gaps when working to balance the physique.

As for presentation, learn to pose, have proper posture, smile, and most importantly; practice. Practicing your individual routine that you do when you step on stage will ensure you bring the best presentation and presence in front of the judges. It’s recommended to practice in between gym sets so you can become comfortable in front of crowds.

There is a lot that goes into building a physique for the NPC, but these are the main points to hit to ensure you even stand a chance when you set foot on stage.

Another great article that will get you ready, How To Prepare Going From Average To Athlete

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