When you set a goal, the best way to accomplish it is to remove the barriers to success that you can control. In the case of a bodybuilding competition, that means getting as organized as possible so that you have no excuse not to follow your plan!
Here are some ways that I like to stay organized and therefore stay sane during competition prep season!
Prep and organize your meals
There’s no way around it – unless you’re going to be ordering your food from a meal prep service, you’re going to have to prep your meals. The easiest thing to do is to take one day per week to do as much as you can. If you search the hashtag #mealprepsunday, you’ll see tons of posts from people who like to do it on Sunday to get ready for the work week.
My friend Tess wrote a great in-depth post about meal prepping, so check that out for the basics, but here are some of my contest prep-specific tips.
Get enough containers for your needs. Do you have an office job? You’re going to need to bring your meals for the day with you. Don’t make it so that you have to wash containers at night and fill them up with new meals for the next day. Just suck it up, buy a ton of containers, and fill them with your prepped meals on Sunday.
If you work from home like me, you can put all of your prepped food in larger containers instead. All the chicken in one, all the rice in one, etc. When it’s time to eat, I just measure out my portions of each and pop it all on a plate to heat up.
Get a rice cooker. I would argue that having a rice cooker for prepping meals is a non-negotiable must-have. It will change your life. I have also used mine to cook not-rice (like lentils and quinoa), and with the steaming tray I’ve made fish as well as steamed veggies.
Steaming kale in my rice cooker
Keep your fridge organized. If possible, clear out your fridge and freezer before your first meal prep day. If you live with other people and don’t have complete control over the fridge, ask if one shelf can be designated just for you.
It makes a world of difference knowing that everything you need is in one spot. Trust me, all these little improvements can add up to a lot of stress relief!
Organize your supplements
Your body takes a beating during contest prep, so you’ll probably be taking at least a few different vitamins and supplements. You can read about the ones I take here!
I got this grandma-style pill chest (lots of options here)Â and used the separators to divide it into six sections since I take supplements at six different times during the day. I taped a little notecard to the lid to help me remember what goes where when I’m refilling it.
It might seem embarrassing to have a gigantic pill chest, but trust me, opening each separate pill bottle every time you need to take something gets old quickly. Not to mention that it’s unwieldy to carry all those space-wasting bad boys around.
When I worked in an office, there were times that I had to pull this guy out and take vitamins in the middle of meetings. I have to say, people are surprisingly non-judgmental – often they’re just curious!
Plan and track your workouts
Use a spreadsheet at the gym. When I first started lifting weights, I made spreadsheets to keep track of my sets and reps and brought a binder full of them with me to the gym. I’d diligently write down everything I did!
It worked great for me for about a year (until I got tired of carrying the damn thing around), but I still highly recommend this method to keep yourself focused.
Ye olde workout binder
Track your daily progress in a visual way. I do still like to keep track of my workouts on my whiteboard. I use post-it notes to list the days of the week, and next to each one I either write down what I did do, or what I plan to do. For example, if you know you for sure aren’t going to get to the gym one day, you can cross that day out and plan around it.
Consider having a set workout time each weekday. For example, if you work 9-5, you could go after work on weekdays and then maybe be more relaxed about it on weekends. The more routine you keep things, the less stress you will have.
I prefer not to prescribe which workouts I do on each day, because well, shit happens. You might have social plans come up suddenly that you need to use a rest day for. You might be really sore one day and can’t swing leg day but arm day seems doable. Don’t make unnecessary rules! Unnecessary rules = unnecessary stress.
FC = fasted cardio
So, do you feel more prepared yet? Do you have any other bodybuilding competition prep tips? Please share in the comments if you do!
And of course, here’s this week’s progress! I’m not noticing much of a change here. I reeeeally need to work on taking these pictures from the same angle every week. My bad.
Next week I’m talking about how much I struggled with the first week of this prep, and sharing a recipe that makes ground turkey 100x less disgusting!
Read the rest of the posts in my figure competition prep series here, and follow along with my pro figure competition journey with Instagram hashtag: #proprepdiaries!
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Cheryl says
Great article — so true that without a plan you are planning to fail. I think the first thing I will do after reading this is get a pill case — you are right, such a pain to open all those bottles each meal. We do them nightly for my elderly mother so why not our supplements? Thanks.
Melissa R says
I’d love to have a rice cooker. I use a crock pot to save time and keep myself on schedule…sometimes!
Lee MacArthur says
I keep two weeks supply in a two week pill tray so every day I just pop it open and there are my nutrients. I have just gotten organized enough to start keeping a journal so I can keep track of my exercises, my blogging and everything else. I do agree with you on rice cookers as I use mine so much for everything. The other thing I have is a slow cooker so I can make stews, soups, etc and have it cooking while I workout or putter around the house.
Christie says
You are super dedicated, wow what a crazy schedule! I can’t believe your pill chest, insane!
Harlynn says
An exercise and nutrition journal is much needed for myself! Since I love my choice of exercise its not hard to pass up. However as you said, some days shit happens taking out that workout time. I’m working on contortion, so every morning I do a stretch routine. I feel so much better during the day from doing so.
– Harlynn
Janell @ Saving You Dinero says
I had never thought about having a rice cooker. I didn’t realise you could use it for so many things!
Kiwi says
Your body is amazing!!! #BodyGoals lol but I am loving steaming your kale in a rice cooker!
Jeanine says
I eat rice usually most dinners. I don’t eat potatoes, so that is my choice. I need to get my hands on a rice cooker. I love meal prep, It relaxes me in the mid-morning as I do it usually before morning sickness hits for the day and I really enjoy it. I also recently just got a pill chest for my vitamins and medications, so helpful!
Yolanda @ Seeing It Their Way says
I have started a workout regimen and have everything planned out to the T. I love that my YMCA weight equipment keeps up with reps and sets for me.
Debra says
We don’t have a rice cooker, but I have a slow cooker that during the winter months I cook in all the time. It takes some planning and prep to have it all set to go in the morning. But the benefit is when I get home I have a delicious meal waiting for me!
Annemarie LeBlanc says
I have a rice cooker which I primarily use to cook rice. Sometimes I use the steamer to cook dumplings or steam broccoli. I do meal planning, but I need to be more consistent in doing so.
Miles L. says
Being organized is among the best ways for me to stay sane. This is a great post.
Chasing Joy says
I think your muscles look a little bigger this week. Thanks for the tips. I like what you say about more rules = more stress. Keep the updates coming.
Ann Bacciaglia says
I need to start meal planning. I always end up getting take out on the days i do not plan on what i am making. These are great tips.
OurFamilyWorld says
I don’t know of anyone who’s into body building, but these are great tips. I have a rice cooker and I use it all the time.
Toni | BoulderLocavore says
I have a rice cooker that I use all the time. It never crossed my mind to make other grains OR steam vegetables!!!! Brilliant! Will need to figure out the settings to do that. Thank you!!
Jennifer Williams says
I am like you and work from home so I do not actually meal prep. I make sure I have what I need to last from Sunday to Wednesday and then Wednesday to Sunday. Other than that I track meals via a check sheet. My workout calendar keeps changing as I am throwing in new routines to keep things interesting. My biggest issues is supplements, if I do not take them at night they make me nauseous – I usually forget to take them before bed though.
Diana Elizabeth says
Dang girl, whatever you are doing, keep doing it! I saw a prep meal MEME and it had a pizza box with slices put into ziploc bags and said, “I can’t wait to meal prep” LOL. I need to write down my pills, I throw a bunch in and look at it and realize that I forgot what pill is what.
Chanelle says
Lol I’ve seen that one too! The pill thing makes my life so much easier. I don’t want to think about it, just want to toss them back, ya know?
Kelly Hutchinson says
I can totally see a difference and you look fantastic. I have just begun working out (14 days so far) and carry a single sheet to keep up with my stuff. I would love to see a printable from you on what you used!! (hint hint) I too have a big pill container, but it keeps me on track. And, I have the same rice steamer and I love it! Thank you for sharing your progress!
Chanelle says
Great idea about the printable. I’ll put that on my to do list for an upcoming post!
Life as a Convert says
I see some change in the abdomen. You are an inspiration for chubs like me 🙂
Amanda || Growing Up Madison says
I have been trying meal planning and I’ve noticed that it’s so much easier when I know exactly what I’m doing that day instead of running around trying to figure out what to eat.
mary says
One of my goals this year is to be more organized..another is to meal plan. I’ve done great with the meal planning. I LOVE how you ORGANIZE your meal planning. AWESOME. Im going to try!
Chrystal | Nevermore Lane says
These are awesome tips on staying organized. I need a pill case like that. I for one hate to to open my bill bottles every week to fill in my weekly pill carrier.
Paula Schuck says
I am by no means a figure competitor, but these are great tips, nonetheless. You’re looking great, by the way! Good luck!
Pam says
I am not either, but these are still great tips. I can use all the healthy living tips I can get.
Pam says
We have a rice cooker and I love it. You can use it for so many things.
MJ. L says
These are great tips on how to stay organized. I just started a fitness routine so I will be using these tips to help myself.
Catherine S says
This is a great post. I am not that organized of a person and I think meal planning would help me stay on track. If I plan my meals and cook ahead of time i might actually stick to my diet.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
I don’t plan meals only because I would never know what I am going to be in the mood for in advance 🙂
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
I am a very organized person by nature and I get anxiety when I am around people who don’t organize their lives. It makes everything flow better when you have a routine in place and a place for everything.
Chanelle says
I’m the exact same way! Hate clutter (both physical and mental)!