It's mostly politics and it's not cheap to support. I personally dropped a ton of weight — got as lean as I've ever been and stayed pretty hangry the whole time. Doing one show is a nice bucket-list thing, but I wouldn't go through that hell again, honestly, especially peak week. A few things: you have to register (pay a membership) with an organization like NPC, pick a realistic timeline and the right show, then commit. I had someone guide me on macros and check my bodyfat regularly. Also, posing was harder for me than getting down to ~5% bodyfat. At my show one guy refused to tan and stuck out like a sore thumb — funny until he passed out on stage from being so dehydrated.
