If you're interested in getting involved in a female fitness competition, there are a few things you should know. There are three types of female muscle and fitness competitions: bodybuilding, fitness and figure. There are different requirements for each type. To get involved in female fitness competition, here are the important points to know.

Criteria for female fitness competitions change constantly. Always research what is expected, even if you've been doing contests for a while. The standards have been moving in the direction of muscular and lean women, although lower than the standards expected for bodybuilding competitions. The important areas to focus on are legs, shoulders, lats and glutes. Don't ignore other areas, because it's important to be balanced.

• Use compound exercises with the focus on building and maintaining muscles.
• Focus on strength training.
• Use cardio sparingly, and only to supplement nutrition.
• When using cardio, stick to interval training. Going from high intensity to low intensity and back again can help you burn fat faster than with a steady cardio workout.

• Monitoring calories is the most important aspect of weight loss. You need to burn more calories than you eat. This can be accomplished by lowering your calorie intake or by increasing your workouts.
• Make sure your protein intake is around 1 to 1½ grams per pound of body weight. On weight lifting days, eat more carbs than on the days when you do just cardio.
• Eat carbs only at key times, such as in the morning and before and after your exercises. All other times focus on protein and fats.