The Final Week Before Your Contests ( For beginners )

Dan

The Final Week

I have heard it a hundred times. ?I looked great the week before the show, but I looked ?(flat, bloated, etc) or ?I was holding too much water.? People often believe they can trick their body by using extreme techniques the last week before the show that will make them look super shredded. The truth is, if one has dieted properly, what they do in the last week will not make or break their show. Few people win a show by tricks they use in the last week of pre contest prep. However, many people lose a show by using these extreme techniques. These techniques I speak of stem from myths that have been perpetuated by bodybuilders who use large amounts of anabolic steroids. These methods include but are not limited to?

Drastic carb depletion followed by drastic carb loading
Days of water depletion
Massive potassium loading
Laxatives
Diuretics
For bodybuilders who use large amounts of anabolic steroids, these methods are needed to shed water, as anabolic steroids will cause one to retain large amounts of water extracellularly (outside the cell or subcutaneously). For a bodybuilder who doesn?t use androgens, this type of preparation is a bit too extreme. You can think of the body as a pendulum. It will stay in equilibrium unless pushed. You can push your body in one direction and you will experience a certain effect for a while, but eventually the pendulum will swing back in the opposite direction and you will experience the opposite effect. For example, if one were to cut water intake drastically they would at first experience a great deal of water loss, but as the body senses water levels dropping, it will release anti-diuretic hormones which will cause the body to retain more water. On the other hand, in some cases we can use the body?s reactions to our advantage.


Carbohydrates

You should begin the week by raising your carb intake slightly higher than normal. This will increase your glycogen levels a bit and prime you for the depletion to come. As the week progresses you will gradually lower your carbohydrates each day until Thursday when you reach your peak for carb depletion. The degree of depletion required will vary from person to person. A person with a fast metabolism should NOT deplete their carbs too low or they will flatten out too much and as a result look flat onstage. Alternatively, a person with a very slow metabolism may have to cut carbs very low in order to effectively deplete. It is not too difficult to figure out the amount of carbs one should consume on each day. The values I suggest are as follows:


Carbohydrate intake:


Sunday
Endomorphs: 0.75-1.00g/lb bodyweight
Mesomrophs: 1.00-1.25g/lb bodyweight
Ectomorphs: 1.25-1.5g/lb bodyweight

Monday
Endomorphs: 0.62-0.87g/lb bodyweight
Mesomorphs: 0.87-1.12g/lb bodyweight
Ectomorphs: 1.12-1.37g/lb bodyweight

Tuesday
Endomorphs: 0.49-0.74g/lb bodyweight
Mesomorphs: 0.74-0.99g/lb bodyweight
Ectomorphs: 0.99-1.24g/lb bodyweight

Wednesday
Endomorphs: 0.36-0.61g/lb bodyweight
Mesomorphs: 0.61-0.86g/lb bodyweight
Ectomorphs: 0.86-1.11g/lb bodyweight

Thursday
Endomorphs: 0.23-0.48g/lb bodyweight
Mesomorphs: 0.48-0.73g/lb bodyweight
Ectomorphs: 0.73g/lb- 0.98g/lb bodyweight*

Friday***
Endomophs: repeat Thursday
Mesomorphs: 30g carbs at breakfast, then 0g carbohydrates until 8 p.m. After 8 p.m., ingest 30g of carbohydrates every 2 hours until bed.
Ectomorphs: 30g carbs at breakfast, then 0g carbohydrates until 4 p.m. After 4 p.m., ingest 40g of carbohydrates every 2 hours until bed.**

Saturday
---Will be covered at the end of this section---

*If one has an extremely fast metabolism (i.e. does not get above 6% body fat even in the off-season) do not drop carbs below 1.1g/lb bodyweight.
**Those with extremely fast metabolisms should begin carbohydrate loading upon arising Friday morning.
*** All carbohydrates on Friday should be limited to low sodium sources such as sweet potatoes, raisons, dextrose, rice, rice cakes, bananas, etc.

By depleting carbohydrates you are ?pushing? your body?s pendulum in the initial direction. Your body will compensate by trying to swing back the other way. Since you will be significantly depleting, glycogen levels will act to try and spare glycogen by super compensating. To reiterate, the body will store more glycogen than normal since it has been in a depleted state for a given period of time. On a cellular level, this is called receptor up regulation. Glucose receptors become more sensitive and efficient at glucose transport into the cell. For that reason, when we add carbohydrates back in on Friday and Saturday (for mesomorphs and ectomorphs) the body will increase its glycogen stores. This increased glycogen storage will make the muscle appear more full and dense
Water

Many competitors practice the technique of water depletion. Water depletion consists of reducing one?s liquid intake to practically nothing as they approach the contest. Not only is this practice very dangerous, it is also ineffective. Muscle tissue consists of 70% water. If one restricts water intake drastically, they will lose muscle fullness and appear flat onstage. In addition, reducing water will increase the likelihood of muscle cramps while onstage (this happens quite frequently and is very embarrassing). Some competitors believe water is what causes them to appear smooth. This is not the case. Water retention intracellularly (inside the cell) will cause one appear hard and full. Subcutaneous (under the skin) water retention however, causes one look smooth. When the body senses a drastic restriction in water intake it will release anti-diuretic hormones that cause subcutaneous water retention. This makes physiological sense: the body senses it is not getting enough water and releases hormones that cause water retention to prevent dehydration. The result is muscles that appear look flat; from lack of water intracellularly, and soft; from retaining water subcutaneously. The competitor?s goal is to maximize intracellular and minimize subcutaneous water retention. Part of this can be accomplished via proper carbohydrate depletion and repletion as discussed earlier. However, to maximize the impact on the body?s water distribution will require manipulation of sodium intake. Most techniques are merely theory-based as there is little scientific literature about how to properly sodium load and deplete to maximize intracellular and minimize subcutaneous water retention. Since there is little ?hard? data to rely on, I will resort to stating ?trust me? and list a sodium loading/depletion routine that I utilized with great success.

15 days out - begin sodium loading. Salt or season all meals and eat foods high in sodium.
10 days out - reduce sodium to 4000mg per day
5 days out ? reduce sodium to 2000mg per day
2 days out ? reduce sodium to 1500mg
1 day out- reduce sodium to 1000mg
Show day- covered later
By increasing sodium intake during the ?sodium loading? phase, your cells? sodium pumps will become up-regulated (working harder than normal) and pump Na+ ions out of the cell to maintain the equilibrium ion gradient. When you begin to drop sodium intake, your cells? pumps will still be up-regulated, but since sodium intake is low it will pump out more sodium than normal and with it, a lot of water will be excreted(water levels fluctuate in relation to ion concentrations). During this time (5 days out up until the day before the show) you will begin to flatten out and look smaller than normal due to less water being held. Don?t fret, as the final days of this program will fill you out nicely.


Show Day

Begin your carb repletion (or continue if you are a mesomorph or ectomorph) at least 6 hours before pre- judging. Ingest 30-60g of carbs (only choose those foods listed as acceptable to eat on Friday) every 2 hours. People with faster metabolisms should consume more carbohydrates during their load and people with slower metabolisms should consume fewer carbohydrates during their load. Only take bites of protein (i.e. bites of chicken breasts) every few hours. Drink enough water to quench your thirst, nothing more and nothing less. Two hours before pre-judging ingest a high carb/fat/sodium meal containing approximately 75-90g of carbs, 20-30g fat, and 1000-2000mg sodium. This meal will really help you to fill out. By sodium depleting for several days prior you will have increased your body?s ability to store more sodium. Since your cells have been deprived of sodium for several days they will be more likely to retain sodium (and the water that goes along with it) intracellularly and store less of it subcutaneously. Couple this with the increase glycogen retention inside the cell and you will fill out. There is some anecdotal evidence among competitive bodybuilders that a high fat meal may increase vascularity for a short time after the meal. I can say that I have personally experienced this effect myself, hence why I recommend some fat at this meal. About 30 minutes prior to stepping onstage you should begin sipping a small sugar drink such as Gatorade. This will continue to hydrate the body and also will ensure that you have plenty of energy for the intense posing you will soon perform. After pre-judging, continue eating 30-60g of carbs every 2 hours until the night show. After the night show have fun at the post contest pig-out!


Training

Training during the final week should be focused on properly depleting glycogen stores so the carb load works properly. During the week before contest DO NOT TRAIN TO OR NEAR FAILURE! You do not want to be sore onstage. Train in the 15-25 rep range and take no more than 1 minute of rest in between sets. Use a weight that is light and be sure to end every set at least 4 reps away from failure. This will be quite effective at depleting your glycogen stores. The last weight-training day should be 3 days before the show. Continue performing your cardiovascular work until 2 days before the show but rest for the last day before the show, you will need it.


Tanning

I do not even bother trying to tan naturally. It is almost impossible to achieve a natural tan that is dark enough to step onstage. Everyone should use a bronzing agent at the very least, before they go onstage. Even competitors with black colored skin may improve their onstage appearance by applying a bronzer. My tanning arsenal consists of two things; a stain and a bronzer. I use Pro Tan skin stain to achieve a base tan. Pro Tan can be sprayed or brushed onto the skin (I prefer brush). It will darken after application and the excess should be showered off about 5 hours after application. It will not permanently stain clothing and when the excess is washed off it reveals a very natural looking tan. I recommend applying a stain such as Pro Tan at least once every day starting at 7 days out (one or two 8.5 oz bottles will be plenty). Pro Tan may provide one with a good base tan but I have yet to see a competitor who looked great onstage from Pro Tan alone.

I also suggest that one apply a bronzing agent about an hour before stepping onstage. A great bronzer is Dream Tan. I prefer Dream tan #2 as opposed to #1. Dream Tan will not only make you appear much darker, but it will also give you a better shine onstage as it contains posing oil already mixed into it. It also has gold flecks mixed into the oil that make you look great onstage. You will probably need someone to help you apply it backstage, so bring a friend who owes you a favor. The best way to apply this bronzer is to first rub it in, and then pat it down on the skin. Patting the skin will smooth the blotches. Apply only a small amount on the face, feet, and hands. One bottle is plenty for one competition. Using a bronzer with oil in it such as Dream Tan should abolish the need for any kind of oil. However, if one desires a bit more sheen, they may use a cooking spray such as PAM to achieve this. Have someone LIGHTLY spray you down, holding it about 2 feet away from you. DO NOT RUB IT IN, THIS WILL MAKE THE BRONZER STREAK! Let it sit on the skin and soak in. There is also an agent called Hot Stuff made by Pro Tan which will increase vascularity to a certain area when sprayed on the skin. It works well, but you should test it in advance on all body parts as some parts of the skin may have adverse reactions to it. For example, Hot Stuff made my arms and legs more vascular, but made my abs retain water, so try it out first to be sure. Make sure to apply a light coat of it, as it will cause you to become very hot if you apply too much.


Misc. Tips

Do not consume refined wheat products after Wednesday as some have minor allergies to wheat, which can cause water retention.
Cease all lactose intake after Wednesday as lactose can cause subcutaneous water retention.
Do not drink carbonated beverages after Wednesday as they can also cause you to retain water subcutaneously.
Be reasonable with your carb load. If you have a slow metabolism, stay at the lower end of the recommended intake.
Take a non-drowsy anti-histamine the morning of your show. You are more prone to allergies and sickness in your final week as depletion will reduce the effectiveness of the immune system. Allergies and illness can cause the body to increase levels of histamine, a compound that can trigger water retention in addition to many other cold symptoms (i.e stuffy head, stuffy nose, etc). Taking an anti-histamine can help prevent this action should illness or allergy occur.
Apply your bronzer and whatever else (oil, hot stuff, etc) outside in the sun if possible. Being in the sun and the heat will increase your vascularity.
Take a towel with you to the show, you will need it.
Don?t wear light colored posing trunks. If bronzer gets on them then they will look silly.
Wear a dark colored baggy sweater and sweat pants to the competitors meeting that morning. This will keep your warm (the buildings that you will compete in will likely be very cool) and increase your vascularity. The dark color of the clothing will also prevent it from looking silly if any dream tan should happen to rub off on it.
When pumping up you should perform exercises in a circuit fashion starting with delts, then chest, then back, then biceps and repeat. Use higher repetitions (10-15) with lighter weights and go at a moderate pace. Do not pump the legs, triceps or abs as pumping these body parts may make them difficult to flex.
Do not over pump a body part. If you over pump a body part, it may cause that body part to look less defined and it may become difficult to flex.
Pump up outside if possible