Tanning

Tanning - Let the dark side prevail!

Tanning is another of those pre-contest variables that many bodybuilders make a mess of on contest day. Most are either too dark, too light, have blotchy skin, or look like they are suffering some sort of liver disease! Although they may have the superior physique, they often fail to win because they've neglected their darkening strategy.

The purpose of darkening the skin is really quite simple; all things being equal, a darker-toned competitor will look bigger, harder, and healthier, than a lighter-toned competitor. While the bright stage lights may give the audience and judges a better view, they also have a tendency to "wash out" or make physiques look smoother than they really are. Back in the Golden Years of bodybuilding (the 1940's and 1950's) the bodybuilders from Southern California discovered that their darker skin gave them an advantage over their lighter-skinned opponents on contest day.

There are generally two approaches to darkening the skin: tanning using light - either natural or artificial; and "painting" or dyeing using artificial tanning lotions. You should start your skin darkening at least five to six weeks before from the contest. This will give you adequate time to slowly develop a base tan without risking sunburn. One of the unknown benefits of darkening the skin with light is that it "dries" out the skin making it "hug" the muscles, giving you're a tighter, harder appearance. It is for this reason that African American bodybuilders should also include some sort of light treatment in their bodybuilding contest preparations.

If you're lucky enough to have access to year-round sunlight, great, as it's free and plentiful. Just don't forget that long-term exposure to sunlight has been linked to skin cancer. Try to limit your exposure to direct sunlight to 30 minutes or less each day. A good sunblock is also a must. You'll still tan, but the chemicals in the sunblock will help protect you from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation.

If geography or weather denies you access to sunlight, the next best thing is to go to a solarium. Contrary to popular belief, solariums do not have all the harmful segments of the electromagnetic spectrum filtered out. In fact, because of their intensity, solariums can actually burn you faster than natural sunlight! Yes you can get skin cancer from an artificial light source. For those with very light or sensitive skin, we recommend spending no more than 10 to 12 minutes per session in a tanning bed. Those with naturally dark skin can increase the duration to 15 to 20 minutes. We strongly advise against spending more than 20-25 minutes in a sunbed. No bodybuilding trophy is worth skin cancer in five or ten years.

Once you have developed a good natural base color, the next step is to totally darken the skin by using an artificial tanning dye. These lotions work in two ways. Some contain ingredients that react with the air and darken after a couple of hours. Simply put it on before bed and when you wake up in the morning, say hello to your new tan. Other are like paint and will darken you instantaneously. We should add that many of the former turn more yellow than brown, so we recommend testing it out a few months before contest day. Instant darkening dyes will give you a darker color but again test the product out on a small patch of skin well before the contest. It makes far more sense to discover you are allergic to the product in this manner rather than on contest day! It's also probably a good idea to dig out or buy some cheap clothes to wear during contest week. Tanning dyes are often difficult to completely wash out of clothes.

Finally bring some instant tan with you to the bodybuilding contest. No matter how dark you think you've made your skin on contest day, any flaws and light spots will show up under the lights. Have a trusted source point out where you need to darken your skin. You may have time between Rounds, but at the very least you can look better for the evening show.

Bob Howard expert on bodybuilding and steroids. Are you looking for more of his tanning articles? http://www.bodybuilding.md Article © Bob Howard 5/5/2006