Muscle Requirements for Bikini (And Why Dieting Won’t Fix What Isn’t There)
This post is part of The Ultimate Bikini Prep Guide – check out the full guide for more!
Bikini (and now Fit Model as well) have a largely undeserved reputation as being ‘easy’ because they require less muscle than other categories. This sidesteps the very real difference that they are still challenging because A) building an appropriate level of muscle is still VERY hard for a lot of people, and B) there are other components of your stage presence and success that are much more ambiguous and harder to hit than in other categories.
Let’s talk about the muscle situation first.
Bikini and Fit Model, Natty vs. Enhanced
It’s been a long running “joke” (albeit not a very funny one) that, even when allowed, no one should need anabolic assistance to compete in bikini. This misses the absolutely massive difference in genetic potential for building muscle that exists along the spectrum. Many women can train their asses off for years and not build enough muscle for bikini, while some women who barely train at all are already too big for it.
People are different.
Fit Model was created because it was perceived that the ‘floor’ for bikini was getting too hard to reach for the bulk of natural competitors. We’ll save the arguments of “well maybe that’s not a bad thing” for another day.
Fit Model still needs some muscle as well. Ultimately your work ethic isn’t likely the determining factor here as far as ‘which category’ is concerned, it’s your genetics.
Bikini Is Not a Dieting Division
Said differently, “less muscle” doesn’t mean a low muscle requirement or that it’s going to be easy.
Look at top level bikini competitors off stage and they commonly look like ultra-jacked bad asses, especially when lean. A lot of my clients say they like bikini because they don’t want to build too much muscle, to which I said “too bad” because most people will underestimate how much muscle it takes to really have the shape you want once you’re stage lean.
“I have big legs” said by someone who is 25% body fat doesn’t mean a thing. Get lean and see how “big” your legs are then. Probably “not big enough”, realistically.
Regardless of where you are now, you likely need more muscle on your frame to be competitive – whether at this early stage in your career, or later.
What Judges Actually Mean by “More Size”
Judges will often tell competitors after the show to “put on size”. In fact, here’s a script that I think most judges have in their copy and paste bin that they just auto send to every female asking for feedback after a show, regardless of category:
“Your presentation was great! Continue working on your posing and really tighten up your transitions. Focus on building more muscle, especially in the quads and glutes. You also want to improve your conditioning and focusing on bringing your glute/ham tie-in much sharper”
Let’s ignore the fact that you can’t “focus on your glute/ham tie-in” specifically (by definition it’s the absence of something, so what they’re really saying is “get leaner” but in a specific area, which you can’t), despite literally every judge saying that – but recognize that these points are said so often because they are in fact almost universally applicable to newer competitors.
And again, if I’m a judge offering feedback to someone after their first show, or to a pro after her 3rd show of her fifth season as a pro, the level of detail in that feedback is going to differ because the level of refinement needed is also quite different.
Earlier in your career, just “more size”, almost regardless of how it’s built, is a fair answer. Later on you may realize you need more glute medius but NOT necessarily more glute maximus, so that needs to inform your training decisions and program.
Shape, Not Bulk
Once there’s enough of a base of overall mass to work with, this is where the refinement and shaping of the physique becomes the right move. I would NOT over-fixate on this if you still have 10lbs of mass you could add – it’s like digging out a foundation for a house. Get out the big excavator to clear out tons of dirt, then bring in the smaller tools to get your surfaces flat, level and ready to pour concrete over.
Big steps before little.
Again, depending on genetics you might find yourself ready for this phase earlier or later than your friend or neighbor. That’s fine – follow the plan that YOU need to, not what they’re doing.
The main area of focus here will be legs, and frankly especially for a natural athlete, it’s HARD to be “too big for bikini”.
Glutes, quads and delts should likely make up a significant chunk of your overall training volume. Being intelligent about how that volume is used (exercise selection) and how effectively it’s used (quality of execution) are the twin pillars of success in bodybuilding.
Proportion Is the Real Standard
Refer to the write-up I posted on judging standards to make sure you have an idea of what you’re chasing:
Things to keep in mind:
- Overall mass
- Lower body vs. upper body dominance
- Shoulder to waist ratio
- Glute fullness from the side and also the back
- Quad sweet from all angles
Why Rushing Into Prep Leads to “Size” Feedback
Rushing into prep early pretty much guarantees that “more size” will be the first thing the judges tell you. This is simply because when you rush into prep, it’s the growth phase that gets short-changed.
This becomes a recurring theme for a large percentage of amateur competitors – they prep for a show, have a bad rebound post-show due to lack of discipline and reverse dieting, gain a bunch of weight and almost immediately go into damage control mode where they’re trying to peel that weight off, and then “I’ll just do another show” leads to the exact same feedback.
This is where discipline, experience, and taking your time really pays off. Learn about all aspects of bodybuilding and what it takes to be successful in all phases, and you’ll rebound more gently and set yourself up for a productive growth season.
Don’t rush it.
Muscle Is Built in the Off-Season, Not During Prep
I know we’ve heard this before but it bears repeating…
Prep Preserves — It Rarely Builds
There are uncommon situations that allow you to build muscle (slowly) in a deficit. Assume that will NOT be you.
You’re going into prep with X pounds of muscle on your frame, your ultimate goal is to finish it with the same X pounds. It’s very likely you will lose SOME, the goal is to lose as little as possible.
A Year of Targeted Growth Beats a Rushed Prep
Bodybuilding is all about delayed gratification. We make good decisions today for the results we want tomorrow.
When it comes to a competitive career, zoom out more.
We make good strategic decisions this year for a better stage outcome next year. If you don’t take this approach, others do and they will outperform you.
Give yourself a leg up in the shows to come and make sure you’re meeting the standards for the amount of muscle judges expect to see.
The Strategic Takeaway
Women who win in bikini aren’t just lean, they’re developed, well-proportioned and properly shaped.
Prep is all about revealing that shape, but the prerequisite is that you first BUILD the shape you hope to reveal – and that takes time and dedicated, concentrated effort in a growth phase.
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