Agent Orange

Today I want to talk a little bit about a very "messy" subject and by messy I mean messy in the most literal sense, spray tanning.

Just like hair removal, tanning, let alone spray tanning, is not a very "manly" topic like bench pressing, explosions, hot chicks or cars and usually does not cross someone's mind. However in the world of bodybuilding and physique, it is quite an important part of the final contest preparation. 

By darkening the color of your skin color, your overall physique will appear more defined, especially in the bright light of the stage. While a good base tan is recommended you need to be much darker and at least one or more coats of spray tan should be applied, regardless of the color of your skin. Even African-American athletes apply one or two coats to achieve the impression of higher muscular definition.

Different as Day and Night

A common "piece of advice" in bodybuilding is that when you finally feel dark enough, you should apply another coat of paint.
Being the fair-skinned Middle European that I am, I usually require three coats of spray tan to achieve the desired darkness.
Since I am personally not a big fan of orange bathrooms, I just take advantage of professional services and have them "paint" me (and have them clean up the mess afterward). Including dry time, this "paint job" takes on average between 60 and 75 minutes, depending on the level of humidity, outside temperature and other factors.
There are several different Self-Tanners & Bronzers on the market but here is a short oversight over the most popular ones.

Jan Tana Competition Tan

Jan Tana Competition Tan is my preferred self-tanning product because it is a quick and easy to apply. It is a lotion which is normally applied with bare hands or airbrush to achieve an even and dark color. As I mentioned before, usually two or three coats are sufficient to achieve the desired darkness. Jan Tana Competition Tan washes off fairly quickly and therefore has the tendency to start running when you sweat or in conjunction with competition oils. Even though a lot of paint will come off once you take a shower after the show, some of it will stay on and slowly wear/wash off giving you a "tan look" for a couple of days afterwards. 

Pro Tan Instant Competition Color

Performance Brands Pro Tan Instant Color is another product I personally use and one of the most popular tanning products in bodybuilding, physique and fitness circles. It is applied with a sponge and the color matches surprisingly well with the Jan Tana lotion. I therefore use it to "tan" my face, which is left alone during Friday's "paint job", and for touch ups.

Several coats of this liquid tanning agent are usually required to achieve maximum color saturation. Most users apply two coats the evening before the competition and another coat in the morning of the show. When done correctly, the color comes out very dark, even and does not smear easily while sweating or when covered in oil. On the downside, this characteristic causes  Pro Tan to not wash off easily and also to wear off unevenly. As with other self-tanners, the application process is pretty messy and the scent is not necessarily the most pleasant. However since you will be judged on your looks and not your smells on stage, you might as well just suck it up. 

Dream Tan

Dream Tan  is a product that I have not used myself before but seen its application numerous times backstage. This lotion is typically applied in the morning or backstage before pre-judging or backstage, since it is applied quickly and evenly. From what I have seen, many competitors only apply one coat, however two coats will deliver maximum darkness. Since Dream Tan already contains oil, additional posing oil is not really necessary and the tan washes off completely and easily. However since it comes off the skin fairly easy, but is difficult to clean up, some promoters and venues have started to ban the use of the lotion, so check with the organizer/promoter in advance if you are planning on using it.

For best results, the spray tan should be applied the day before the competition or if offered at the venue, on the morning of the show. Once the paint is on, you cannot take a shower anymore and should avoid excessive sweating and rain, so plan accordingly. 

Another piece of advice if you have never "worked" with spray tan before. Make sure you wear old clothes and sleep in old sheets or cheap bedding. 

No matter how much the paint has dried on your skin, by sweating at night, your bed will look like the scene of a crime or straight out of the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street the next morning.

Before

The After looks like Freddy Krueger visited during the night

I just finished the final preparation week for my second competition and as I mentioned previously I tried a slightly different approach this peak week. I started with the carb depletion Thursday a week ago and began carb loading on Tuesday. It was interesting to see what effect five long days without carbohydrates had on my energy level and mood. I felt sluggish, cranky and from time to time even drowsy, but the ketogenic diet along with HIIT cardio and exhausting workouts worked as planned. Not only were my muscles craving for carbohydrates and filled up well once I put them back in my diet, but I looked leaner and harder than ever before. When I took pictures Wednesday morning I appeared lean and my muscles full, hard and defined. 

Friday afternoon I got my three coats of Jan Tana Competition Tan on and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

If I was able to hold my form until the competition and how I did in the 2012 NPC Delaware State and Open Championships will be the answered in next week's post.

"The Winning Color"(Jan Tana Advertising Slogan) ?!? We shall see August 11th.