# How much does it cost to be prepped for a show?



## Guest (Oct 15, 2008)

So on average what kind of money would I be looking at for advice right from the start of a diet to a show (say 12 weeks worth)... its something i would be looking at doing when i compete next year.... by advice i mean...

diet

training/cardio

alterations to the above as progress is made/isnt made!

cycle advice

i really havent got a clue how much this would cost and i dont want to contact individuals just yet incase i never end up doing it, dont want to waste anyones time.

cheers


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## Alex Redford (Sep 9, 2008)

good thread buddy will be interesting to see the replys.


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## DB (Oct 31, 2003)

Depends who is doing the prep.. I'm helping Jamie out and he is getting an invoice in Krispy kreams and KFC's.. but then he's a mate so its all good!

some charge around the £500 mark I think!


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## Magic Torch (May 30, 2005)

PMSL there is a krispy kreams a few miles from the Hercules show! Quality! I hope i'm on stage early then we can eat all day!


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## hilly (Jan 19, 2008)

I am also interested in this as i would like to be preped by some1 next year if i had the cash.

Maybe there should be a forum section were people advertise there services. Im pretty sure some boards have this.


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## N*E*R*D (Oct 13, 2008)

hilly2008 said:


> I am also interested in this as i would like to be preped by some1 next year if i had the cash.
> 
> Maybe there should be a forum section were people advertise there services. Im pretty sure some boards have this.


Go see phil hernon ive heard he offers great prices if you cant find someone here.


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## weeman (Sep 6, 2007)

i've helped advise two people from start to finish so far (and they both won just about everything they entered  ) and i did it for free,i wouldnt feel i could charge someone for it unless i was qualified in some way.


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## hilly (Jan 19, 2008)

Isnt phil hernon based in the usa tho?


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## MissBC (Apr 29, 2008)

Magic Torch said:


> PMSL there is a krispy kreams a few miles from the Hercules show! Quality! I hope i'm on stage early then we can eat all day!


god you two will eat them outa business................ Maybe someone should ring them and warn them of a mass group of HUNGRY bodybuilders that will be eating everything in sight post comp!! :tongue:


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## Nine Pack (Oct 30, 2006)

To have the valuable insight & years of experience on hand of a seasoned athlete during your prep is something difficult to put a figure on. You need to consider the persons credentials from several angles, here's just a few off the top of my head;

What have they achieved themselves in the sport?

Who have they helped in the past?

What results did they manage to get with those people?

Now consider that after finding this person who's input you think is worth seeking out, what would you consider a fair price for this valuable knowledge that could potentially save you literally years of trial & error? This person has in effect, become a professional consultant to you and in my opinion should be paid accordingly. For example even if you pay £750.00 or £1000.00, weigh that figure against how much time they would save you in the long run due to the benefit of their experience & you are ahead of the game all the way. If I had someone to help me like this at the beginning, I could have reached a much higher level in a much shorter space of time & who knows where I'd be now? I spent the first 10 years experimenting, studying & getting qualified so I am not ashamed of putting a value on my services. Some feel awkward about asking for money and to them I would offer this advice (for free):

if you don't value your own time & experience, neither will anyone else. Don't get me wrong here, I am not suggesting that you should rip people off either, just a fair exchange of quality advice for a fair price.


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## chem1436114520 (Oct 10, 2006)

well said paul c u on sun bro hope every thing is going well


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## Tinytom (Sep 16, 2005)

Well John Clarke has taken out a new mortgage to pay for the M3 I charged him 

12 weeks lets say 2-3 hours a week for prep time, diet writing etc

average hourly rate for PT £35

£70 x 12 = £840

as Paul Booth has said you're paying for someones time and knowledge and also their eye in terms of assessing how you need to progress. You cant really put a figure on it exactly but if you're talking to someone with a proven track record like Harold Marillier, Paul Scarborough, Neil Hill, Paul Booth, Ian Chambers etc then you have to expect to pay something close to the above.

Personally I like to work with people who are comitted and focussed. Zak Roby and John Clarke are the most recent guys I've helped and the reason I enjoy working with them is that they do EXACTLY as I said and turned out in wicked shape.

Im also going to be getting another guy ready for the portsmouth next year who has so much potential and is completely driven.

Nothing worse than working with someone and they cheat all the time and lie about what they have done.

Yes people cheat from time to time but if I am told then we edit the plan to work around it.


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## Incredible Bulk (Sep 19, 2007)

good thread... how much do you value winning?

if you add up all the hours put in the gym, hours spent in the kitchen cooking your meals and all the sacrifices/choices you've made along the way

do you really want to short change your prep?


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2008)

thanks for the replies, that is roughly the figures i expected to be banded about! and yes i completely agree with the value of such prep...


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## Nine Pack (Oct 30, 2006)

Tinytom said:


> Well John Clarke has taken out a new mortgage to pay for the M3 I charged him
> 
> 12 weeks lets say 2-3 hours a week for prep time, diet writing etc
> 
> ...


I am the same. If someone is driven & will do what you ask of them, I have all the time in the world. However my reputation means a lot too so when someone comes to me week after week & I see little change while all the time they swear blind that they are doing it all to the letter, I will leave them to it (after examining all the angles about why it isn't working). I can usually weed out at the start the people who like the 'idea' of being in shape, but are not really prepared to put in the effort. The conversations with these people are usually littered with hurdles that they throw up to you as to why they can't eat this, or do cardio then, or can't prepare meals in advance etc. When I hear the word *can't* from someone, I am really hearing the word *won't*.

me & John are currently a few running transformations on select people for testrimonials and will be offering this as a service from the gym. We will be charging a fair price but not cheap.

Chem,

Prep is going well & I will be the sharpest I have ever been so looking forward to Sunday. I am now a sh1tload tighter than I was at Leeds. It's been a tough 2 weeks slog since then but worth it. Hopefully see you there buddy.


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

Great post Paul and Tom....

until recently i did not charge for any advice i gave i wanted to but did not feel comfortable doing so.....

Now that i have prepped and coached a few guys/girls i can see the difference when i charge as the athlete seems more focused funny that 

I have 2 rules when i prep someone

1 - only listen to me no one else....no prep can be successful if you don't follow this rule

2 - Winning is not guaranteed

no prep guy is going to openly quote what he charges so the best thing to do is to decide on a show then contact the person and ask him to give you a price....


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## willsey4 (Apr 21, 2008)

Very good thread with some great posts. I've bookmarked for future reference.

It might be a good idea to have a page/thread with services like this on. I would guess there is a lot more people on this forum then i thought there was which can offer pre contest prep services.

Either way when i finally compete I will be sure to speak to people on here to get someone to help me


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## Incredible Bulk (Sep 19, 2007)

this UK site does seem to be the best in terms of show prep and experiance by far


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2008)

^^^^^^^^^^^^

i dont think its just the best uk site for those reasons, it is just the best (yes im sucking up lol)


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## LeanShredded (Feb 9, 2007)

Sorry for the late post on this I've only just picked this up.

I was one of the guys that Tom prep'd for this years South Coast show (Zak Roby), his advice was invaluable, accurate, informed and more importantly, and this really is a point that I must stress, his advise was continually adapted and changed throughout the 12 weeks to suit me and my body.

He continually evaluated and assessed me each week, made necessary changes, altered macros where needed, changed training cycles as the diet went on (I still hate Giant sets Tom), advised on my stack, and made it relevant to me.

There is a lot of advise of how to diet on the web, NONE of it will be exactly tailored to YOUR exact needs and body, you may think this won't make a difference, but it could be the difference between top 3 and no placing, after all if you are gonna do it, do it to win it and to be the best you can be.

So in short, what is this advise worth? I cannot give an exact figure, needless to say that Tom is my best mate, and it cost him a lot more than it cost me, however what would I have paid? Every penny he would have asked for, as I know that any good proffessional worth his salt will only charge you what is needed, so if you need to be seen twice a week it will be a hell of a lot more than if you need to be seen twice a month!

Do as your told, follow one person only, stick to it, be honest if you cheat, and stop whining about it, yes it hurts, yes its hard, yes you're hungry, yes you're tired, buck up, no-one wants to hear it, especially the guy thats spent hours devising your diet and training!


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## supercell (Aug 23, 2005)

I now charge £600 for 14 weeks prep. Includes everything except wiping ones ****. I know some top flight pros will charge between $3000-5000 for a 12-14 week prep!!!

Its hard to put a price on it but when I charge £40 per hour, just attending the show would be at least 10 hours of my time so £600 for the lot is a small price to pay.

Agree with Paul B, Paul S and Tom, good points guys. Your athlete represents YOU up there and we all have our reputations to think of as well as the reputation of the guy/girl we are prepping.

J


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## supercell (Aug 23, 2005)

Pscarb said:


> Great post Paul and Tom....
> 
> until recently i did not charge for any advice i gave i wanted to but did not feel comfortable doing so.....
> 
> ...


Except me

J


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## Bulldozer (Nov 24, 2006)

£600 seems a pinch to me !


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## borostu82 (Aug 8, 2011)

supercell said:


> I now charge £600 for 14 weeks prep. Includes everything except wiping ones ****. I know some top flight pros will charge between $3000-5000 for a 12-14 week prep!!!
> 
> Its hard to put a price on it but when I charge £40 per hour, just attending the show would be at least 10 hours of my time so £600 for the lot is a small price to pay.
> 
> ...


If i lived closer to you i would pay that. I'm looking to compete in 2010 but will be living in the North East so will be looking for someone around this area.


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## Robbyg (Feb 25, 2008)

Seems a bargin to me to have so much advice for the guys who have been there done that and got the bloody tee-shirt i will be asking on here when i ready


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## supercell (Aug 23, 2005)

borostu82 said:


> If i lived closer to you i would pay that. I'm looking to compete in 2010 but will be living in the North East so will be looking for someone around this area.


Prepping at a distance is tough but can be done to good effect. Neil prepped me from 300 miles away in West Wales. I just went down to see him on average every 3 weeks.

Remember most guys will only see their clients once a week or once a fortnight. Sometimes seeing them too frequently takes something away from the client; everytime I saw Neil I WANTED to present something noticeably leaner and tighter.

There are however some very good knowledgeable guys in the NE, I know IFBB pro Ian Morgan preps a lot from up your way.

J


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## carly (Mar 8, 2008)

:ban:check rules:ban:


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## carly (Mar 8, 2008)

supercell said:


> I now charge £600 for 14 weeks prep. Includes everything except wiping ones ****. I know some top flight pros will charge between $3000-5000 for a 12-14 week prep!!!
> 
> Its hard to put a price on it but when I charge £40 per hour, just attending the show would be at least 10 hours of my time so £600 for the lot is a small price to pay.
> 
> ...


thats fantastic J :thumb: :thumb :


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## Magic Torch (May 30, 2005)

Yeah that is a tempting price James, almost makes me want to dump my fat coach on his krispy kream ass!

love ya baz x


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## supercell (Aug 23, 2005)

Magic Torch said:


> Yeah that is a tempting price James, almost makes me want to dump my fat coach on his krispy kream ass!
> 
> love ya baz x


RLMFAO. :lol:

You did a cracking job mate for the Hercules but then again Baz stole all my trade secrets and used them with you. :cursing: :thumb:

J


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## Magic Torch (May 30, 2005)

supercell said:


> RLMFAO. :lol:
> 
> You did a cracking job mate for the Hercules but then again Baz stole all my trade secrets and used them with you. :cursing: :thumb:
> 
> J


LMAO I'm going to disagree with your there James, with the up most respect....all Baz did from my woeful memory of those dark dieting days was say, No, Nope or Fcuk off....

Me: Baz can I swap the turkey for a steak tonight...

Baz: No

Me: can I have a little half banana after my hours cardio...

Baz: Nope

And the day before the show when he was carbing on doughnuts and me sweet potato and rice, in the krispy kream shop buying them for show day, the lady comes round with pieces to try on a plate....

Me: Baz can I have one little crumb of that free doughnut on the plate?

Baz: Fcuk off!!!

LMAO

Defo gonna see you for some posing etc in the new year James


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## supercell (Aug 23, 2005)

That is fcuking hilarious mate.

Fcuk the BBing mate....Stand up without a doubt.

Or stand up in spangly pants..now there's a thought. Who needs music to do their 'routine'. 1 minute of various one liners should win it at the Uk champs next year.

J


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## Magic Torch (May 30, 2005)

Actually now you mention it, back stage at the hercules I was well nervous and when I am I use comedy...I wont name any names but next time I see you I'll tell you about it! It was all too 'serious' back stage for me!

Also I told the guy that ushers you on if he had a mop and bucket handy....when he asked why I said nothing then let out a massive fart and nervous laughed at him.....lol his face! I'm sure he thought I was actually gonna poo my pants!


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## walks (Apr 13, 2007)

I know for a fact that Milos Sarcev charges $500 for a 1 hour consultation

Charles glass on the other hand will do the lot inculding teaching a new routien for $1600 for a 12 week prep


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## Zara-Leoni (Mar 12, 2007)

Magic Torch said:


> LMAO I'm going to disagree with your there James, with the up most respect....all Baz did from my woeful memory of those dark dieting days was say, No, Nope or Fcuk off....
> 
> Me: Baz can I swap the turkey for a steak tonight...
> 
> ...





Magic Torch said:


> Actually now you mention it, back stage at the hercules I was well nervous and when I am I use comedy...I wont name any names but next time I see you I'll tell you about it! It was all too 'serious' back stage for me!
> 
> Also I told the guy that ushers you on if he had a mop and bucket handy....when he asked why I said nothing then let out a massive fart and nervous laughed at him.....lol his face! I'm sure he thought I was actually gonna poo my pants!


hahaha :laugh:

the "nope, fck off" routine sounds all to familiar too mate :lol:

ppl sitting eating baked potatoes with tuna and cheese and me peering into a little plastic tub of boiled turkey.... looking beseechingly at them with the big puppy dog eyes and getting told "fck off, forget it Fordy" lol


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## martzee (Sep 11, 2007)

i have preped a few guys and my wife in my time and will only take on the truly dedicated like tom says.I think that the cost of prepping someone as mentioned by Paul sorts out the wanna be competitors and the truly hungry guys and girls. I would always give a consultation and training session free first to get to know the client and for him or her to get to know you first,as was mentioned before the client is putting there complete faith in your noliage and methods so both the trainer and the client need to know that they will be singing from the same song sheet so to put.Also remember when looking for the best person to contest prep you,dont instantly go looking for the ronnie colemans,dorian yates of this game thinking they will turn you into a carbon copy of themselves lol(no amount of money will do this!) go for someone who has a track record of producing very good results with there clients achieving the best that can be achieved genetically from any given athlete,a good trainer will always have a good word of mouth rep and following solidly foundated with yrs of experience and noliage.

From experience i have preped many gus throughout my 20rs training and my wife and pride my work on producing the best in any given person,this r i prepped darren wilkinson for the midlands and he listened to every given word for 13 weeks! but be prepared to be called upon 24hrs a day its part and part of the package!!!( he won his under 80kg incidently.)

Most athletes who compete have a trainer i know james,and Tom did this yr along with myself, i went with seasoned pro Harold m(big h) and put my faith him him and we produced my best overall package to date,this involved me travelling some 3hrs to Crawley Forest Gym several times a month for 13 weeks to keep my prep and to do some training with Harold,not only did i learn alot (as we never stop learning no matter how long we have trained) but really enjoyed the training and prepping this time as it was completely taken out of my hands and i just followed,i know speaking to james l he felt the same having Neil guide him it really took the tension if thats the correct word out of prepping ones self.I will be using Harold again this yr as i really rate his noliage and have made some great gains.I may not be mr olympia but i will be the best i can be and this to me is priceless!!


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## martzee (Sep 11, 2007)

did this one for free thought!!!before and after with 8 weeks prep,i say free but it was in exchange for cooking cleaning and ironing and the usual marrital benefits of course!!! my wife here dieted for her first figure show,god she is going to kill me lol:whistling:


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## Rebus (May 22, 2006)

N*E*R*D said:


> Go see phil hernon ive heard he offers great prices if you cant find someone here.


Good recommendation:thumbup1:


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## Rebus (May 22, 2006)

walks said:


> I know for a fact that Milos Sarcev charges $500 for a 1 hour consultation
> 
> Charles glass on the other hand will do the lot inculding teaching a new routien for $1600 for a 12 week prep


Phil Hernons way cheaper and its for a year


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## Rebus (May 22, 2006)

Also IFBB Pro Ian Morgan has prepped a few guys ( myself included ) and ladies actually and is getting a bit of a rep for getting people in condition.. Infact he's won the best gym award for 3years running i believe for the placings each competitor got at the NABBA North Britain and in 2006 all 6 competitors made it to the finals of the ukbff and 2008, all 3 who entered qualifiers made it to the finals too and got a 4th place, 5th place and a 1st place in their class on the night...


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## SOUTHMAN (Sep 14, 2008)

contest preperation at lee powells gym is £350 but to be hounest i have no idea what this includes or if the prep is done by lee himself


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## martzee (Sep 11, 2007)

hamster what class are you looking to do figure?


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

you need a different approach when prepping women plus the supplements both under and over the counter are more delicate....

Prepping is not easy and you need to able to commit the time, distance is not an issue i live in Plymouth but prep guys/girls all around the country i am fortunate that i also work most weeks in London...

the cost is irrelevant to be honest don't think that paying more is getting you better prep but then paying less does not mean the prep is sub standard....you must go with who you feel will give you dedication and time so you can be the best you can be on the day.....


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

so UKBFF then Hamster?

what weight class over or under 55kg?


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## martzee (Sep 11, 2007)

hamster sorry my mistake paul is right you have to prep women in a different approach both diet and supplement wise,my wife does physique over 55kg she came runner up this yr at british(xyleese burford) did very well,what show are you doing ukbff or nabba


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

agreed Vince i learnt a hell of a lot from the first time i prepped Venetia (2006) this year it was much less problamatic for me as i was confident what i was doing whould cause no issues.....

i am prepping a o55kg girl next year that should do some real damage


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## Incredible Bulk (Sep 19, 2007)

Hamster said:


> Cough Cough....i dont do figure im Physique.


always confused on the differences


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

she will most probably do the Birmingham UKBFF qualifier then the Finals....

Hamster i know of at least 2 girls in the U55kg class that are natural....steroids don't make you ripped diet and cardio does....fact....


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## Littleluke (Nov 21, 2005)

Pscarb said:


> she will most probably do the Birmingham UKBFF qualifier then the Finals....
> 
> Hamster i know of at least 2 girls in the U55kg class that are natural....steroids don't make you ripped diet and cardio does....fact....


Exactly! I've seen loads of people on stage far from ripped and running steroids.


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## supercell (Aug 23, 2005)

In fact natural athletes may find it easier to get conditioned as there aren't as many variables to worry about. Nothing beats hard work whether natural or assisted tho.

J


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