Hello, I’m a 5 foot 5, 208lbs 28year old dude looking to compete in my first bodybuilding show. I have 10 years lifting experience but have never done a bodybuilding competition. Next year 2024 I plan on stepping on stage for the first time.
My question is I have 2 coaches in mind. The first one is a natural coach with no open bodybuilding clients just natural athletes.
The second coach has many open bodybuilding athletes including himself.
Would I be better off getting a coach that is use to open bodybuilding vs the natural coach
Seems simple to me. If you’re natural then you go with the natural coach for now. Although, I find that hard to believe if you’re a lean 208 at 5’5”. Obviously if you’ve ever used PEDs than go with the other guy. Natural is not a legitimate option for you anymore.
Assuming you are natty, might as well try that first and with the guy who knows that stage. No need to use drugs for something you’ve never tried.
@blshaw and @RT_Nomad are spot on.
If you are natural and your perspective natural coach has a good resume then go with him. If your on gear and the open coach has a good resume then…
Essentially you have 4 components to competition prep
1-training
2-diet
3-posing
4-AAS
Your coach needs to encompass all that apply to you.
@Hearcules when you make a decision on your coach there are some nuances that need to be considered besides the four listed by s.gentz.
I will give you some questions to ask your coaches opinion on the fine points of preparation for the stage. The little things that can make a big difference. But you need your coach to be competent with the four components s.gentz mentioned.
As a natural coach who’s had unnatural clients, I’d say go with the enhanced coach if you’re on gear. I’ve had a client ask me questions before pertaining to their cycle, side effect management and obviously, I feel way out of my element there, so I’ve had to be up front about the fact that I am basically useless to them on that front.
A Natural coach could still be a wizard with diet and training, as the stuff that works for naturals will work just as well and better for those that are enhanced. However, without the PED experience, he will be useless to you in regards to how to manipulate your dosages during prep. So I’m just going to again parrot some of the previous posts and say if you’re natty, hire the natty coach, if not, hire the enhanced one.
*A caveat might be if you’re just using a constant dosage/trt dosage regulated by your doctor and you plan to keep it that way throughout prep; in which case the natty coach would definitely be very viable in that scenario as he won’t have to handle your PED protocol.