Red Flags During Bikini Prep (When to Adjust Instead of Push)

by darinstarr | Apr 9, 2026 | Beginning Bodybuilding, Bodybuilding

Red Flags During Bikini Prep (When to Adjust Instead of Push) This post is part of The Ultimate Bikini Prep Guide – check out the full guide for more! We all know contest prep is supposed to suck.  Right? Right? Well, often yes.  But just because it sucks doesn’t mean...

Sleep and Stress During Bikini Prep

by darinstarr | Apr 8, 2026 | Beginning Bodybuilding, Bodybuilding

Sleep and Stress During Bikini Prep This post is part of The Ultimate Bikini Prep Guide – check out the full guide for more! And now we arrive at the silent killers of an otherwise glorious prepared – unresolved stress leading to sleep dysfunction which can then also...

What Metabolic Adaptation Actually Is

by darinstarr | Apr 2, 2026 | Beginning Bodybuilding, Bodybuilding, Contest Prep

What Metabolic Adaptation Actually Is This post is part of The Ultimate Bikini Prep Guide – check out the full guide for more! Previously I’ve written about hormonal changes and fluctuations during prep, and as we broaden the discussion here to talk about the wider...

Hormonal Changes During Bikini Prep

by darinstarr | Mar 31, 2026 | Beginning Bodybuilding, Bodybuilding, Contest Prep

Hormonal Changes During Bikini Prep (What’s Normal — and What Isn’t) This post is part of The Ultimate Bikini Prep Guide – check out the full guide for more! One good trend I see in bodybuilding is the number of people I see who come to me looking for a coach, but...

How Long Your Prep Should Really Be

by darinstarr | Mar 26, 2026 | Beginning Bodybuilding, Bodybuilding, Contest Prep

How Long Your Prep Should Really Be This post is part of The Ultimate Bikini Prep Guide – check out the full guide for more! I won’t lie, I love numbers too.  How long is prep?  What will my stage weight be?  How many calories will I be eating? The true answer sounds...

Multi-Show vs Single-Show Strategy

by darinstarr | Mar 24, 2026 | Beginning Bodybuilding, Bodybuilding, Contest Prep

Multi-Show vs Single-Show Strategy This post is part of The Ultimate Bikini Prep Guide – check out the full guide for more! Once you’ve settled on a show – or at least a general range of dates where you want that show to be – it’s only natural to think: “Hey…since I’m...