What area are you in? There are Novice competitions in all the regions,,in most of the federations IFBB,, WPF,, NABBA
And you can enter at any weight,, there are many weight categories,, so you will be competing against guys the same weight as you.
Everybody is different,, it all depends on how confident you are in your physique.. Some guys compete in there first year of training,, some guys train for 10yrs and then compete. Most of the competitive bodybuilders I have met are very willing to share their knowledge so if you know any,, have a chat to them..
Buy some DVD's of BB Competitions eg Mr Olymipia ,, or even all the local IFBB comps are available for purchase from IFBB.. Got to as many shows as you can,, you will pick up tips on posing, and get to know the competitors.
Take photos of yourself and crit them,,, every couple of weeks,, and compare youself to the guys in the magazines you will see where your strong points and weak points are..
Mark Stent has a nice book called "in The Trenches" which is about precontest preparation,, he mentions my real name in the book for helping him,
If it's not working,,, take double,,,
