how much time should I give myself to prepare for first contest?

[chaoticorder21]

I just wanted to know how much time i should give myself to prepare for my first contest? I've been training pretty hard for about 2 months and i have had great results bit I'm not were i want to be yet. I like to set my goals based in time and i have decided that over the summer i want to cut body fat and in the winter i want to gain weight. I was thinking that about a year of training and proper diet would be enough time what do you guys think?

right now I'm
5'6.5" at 177 lbs - 181 lbs
at around 18 - 20% bodyfat (according to one of the scales you can buy thats measures body fat. not real sure how accurate those are)

 

[BiggerStronger]

At least 12-16 weeks to cut that much bodyfat bro.

 

[MMX2]

So-- let me get this correct---
You just started working out two months ago and you want to enter a show?
No offense, but you need time to build muscle maturity. It takes about 12-16 weeks to lose BF and sculpt the body like you need. I would really consider chalking up at least a few years of training , building muscle density ,etc. before jumping into preparing for a show.
My two cents.

 

[chaoticorder21]

MMX2 thank you for your honesty, I will take your advise and put the show idea on the back burner for a bit.
but i think that i was some what unclear on where my start is from. I've been working out for about 4 years now but all my other programs were designed to help enhance my martial arts carreer and being a big guy is't the best bet in those tournaments. so I'm shifting my focus from speed endurence and power while trying to maintain a light weight to gaining weight and bulking up. the reason i say t i have been at this for 2 months is i was in a motorcycle accident about 15 months ago 7 broken bones and one wrist surgery later I have finally been cleared to lift however i choose. I dont know if that changes your view or not but I just wanted to show you that Im not going into this completly blind just legally blind;p

 

[saudades]

right now I'm
5'6.5" at 177 lbs - 181 lbs
at around 18 - 20% bodyfat (according to one of the scales you can buy thats measures body fat. not real sure how accurate those are)

Those scales can be really off if you bought a small one at a local store. Only the larger commercial type of that kind used in hospitals come nearer accurate measurements. You'd be better off using a caliper averaging method.

To give you an example, a while back I was measured as 18% by one of those scales when in reality I was about 11-12% at the time. That's how far off they can be.