Contest Prep Questions asked and Answered: Narkissos
I'm starting this thread in response to PMs i get on various sites regarding contest prep.
The questions used here are being used with the permission of those that PMed me.
All responses are written by me
You may append your own questions and experiences
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The last week
by Narkissos
I'll try to go tru your questions one by one.
Being a noob is no prob bro...one's body changes from year to year so techincally everyone's a noob lol.
Firstly...don't obsess with bodyweight. Because you come in at the high end of the scale does NOT mean that you'll look bigger/better than if you were 5 pounds lighter. Weight is just another number. So go ahead and drop your protein intake to 200 ASAP!
Is the show drugs tested? I anticipate that it isn't since you're asking about diuretics. Get back to me in regards to the type show it is ASAP. Diuretics...i've only used the herbal kind(s) because 1. the pharmaceutical kinds can be dangerous/overkill 2. i've found them unnecessary. One week before the show i start to incorporate herbal diuretic teas into my water intake. One week before the i also bump (double) my water intake to facilitate 'flushing'. I may up my sodium at this point also.
If the show is Saturday...my last training day is wednesday. If my last training day is wednesday, i cut my sodium from wednesday evening prior to the training session. This is due to that being the last time my muscles'd need sodium (long story..dealing with recovery). I start to cut my water intake from Thursday morning. Thursday, if usually i'd been drinking 2 litres, i'd drop it to 1.5 litres. Friday i'll ingest 1 litre. And Saturday, the day of the show, .5 litres is supposed to last tru-out the day.Usually tho, on the day of the show i don't ingest ANY water. Maybe a sip with my meals to aide digestion and swallow a couple b-complex pills...but otherwise...my water on the day comes from foods ingested...namely english potatoes.
WOW you're carbs are low. I myself don't do low-carb...i lose too much muscle. Don't change if it's working for you tho. Where's your fat intake at?
On the carbing up issue..that depends on the day the weigh-in falls. It's usually the thursday b4 the show here. On the day of the weigh-in i really don't eat persay. I go to the health shop... purchase some 'kamut' (that's sodium free puffed rice) or i get sodium free rice cakes and i eat them and a handful of aminos tru-out the day when i get hungry. This way i easily make the weight i need at the weigh-in in the evening. I start to carb up (and put back in some protein that i couldn't earlier due to trying to make the weight) after the weigh-in.
The carb-up starts post-weigh-in as i said before and the main carb source is english potatoes. I'll get in 2 or 3 (protein/carb) meals after the weigh in...The carb-up continues on friday... The difference being that the emphasis is on carb consumption as opposed to protein comsumption. Too much protein on those last days will cause you to hold water. Each meal on friday should be 2-3 english potatoes and 15 gram of protein (from a freshwater fish source..as these are low-sodium)....This'll continue till you fall asleep. With each meal take a sip of water and ingest a b-complex capsule. With the 1st, 3rd and 6th meal, ingest a chromium capsule. These two substances will inable you to utilise your carbs better. Your water intake shoudl be tapered. English potatoes are prefered over rice at this point because overall they're lower in calories, AND, more importantly, high in potassium and water.
How you eat on saturday is determined by how you look when you get up in the morning.
Sidenote: On saturday your activity level should be at it's lowest...as you're trying not to further dehydrate yourself.
On saturday...if you get up and are at your desired level of fullness, don't eat much else...have a small pro/carb meal and go back to sleep.
If you get thirsty...have a mouthful of water...better yet...i usually suck on a block of ice.
If you get up again look at yourself again...if you're still full have another small meal(1 potato...&15 grams of protein) ...if you've started to flatten out...have a larger pro/carb meal (15 grams of protein... 2-3 potatoes..chromium and b-complex...potassium) and go back to sleep.
Cut water intake completely 6 hours before the show.
Continue to eat according to appearance...
You last meal being at least 2 hours before the show so your lower abdomen isn't distended
After the prejudging... ingest a 1/4 litre of water and a pro/carb meal...and go home and sleep.
Repeat saturday's eating plan for sunday's nite show...the only difference being when you cut your water intake(around 12 p.m).... dont' ingest ANY water with your next meal. 1 hour before you step on stage...ingest 1/2 a bottle of honey. If you get thirsty...drink honey. lol...you'll be dry enough that you won't spill over or bloat.
When you're pumping up...drink honey...you be more vascular. The sugar will pull water from under the skin...as there's very little water anywhere else...
Holla back...this is all i got off the top of my head.
~Corey
Contest Prep Questions asked and Answered: Narkissos
Um...going tru them one by one.
If the weigh-in is friday as opposed to thursday...you still cut your sodium on the day of your last training session.
Cut training Wednesday... if your muscles are tired on saturday, flattening out is a definate possibility...and you want to avoid that at ALL costs.
Train legs first in the week. They'll require more rest.
**Sidenote** Train legs last in the week only if they're your weakest bodypart. If you train them last, they won't be as separated...and they'll have a film of water over them, but they'll look fuller. That'll make them look almost on par with the rest of your bodyparts.
You need to find out if the show is drug-tested early bro. It's not something you can fix at the last minute.
Jeez, the shows are both on saturday, that's gonna change the carb-up quite a bit. I'm tempted to tell you to start carbing up from friday still but...that'd only work if you're well under the cut-off weight on friday.
Hmm.
Run the week like i said eatingwise... cept, on thursday, repeat wednesday's eating regime...and on friday, have a small meal in the a.m. Then at regular intervals tru-out the day (namely when you get hungry) ingest the amino acid tabs and snack on a rice cake till the weigh-in. Prior to the weigh-in, arrange a bowel movement. You should be set.
Right after you step of the scale, start your carb up..don't go over board. Try to eat when hungry. Try to eat at regular intervals (i.e. 7pm, 9pm, 11pm).
English potatoes are the regular 'white' potatoes. I'm from the caribbean...and having so much variety everything is explicit.
So your carb-up'll be 2-4 english potatoes and 15-20 grams of protein per meal.
Don't worry about protein ingestion over these last few days. The important factor is trying to get 'full'. The lowered protein intake will not result in a loss of muscle...so don't worry about it. Worrying is couterproductive anyway, as it causes one to hold water.
On the protein issue.
Your carbs ARE low... I do however think it's essential to have your macronutrients exact if you plan to meet weight-classes.
However, if you're currently near where you want to be with your current protein intake....don't change it unless you reach a sticking point.
On sodium loading, i don't actively record how much my increase is. A friend of mine uses an extended load of about 3 grams...but i personally think that's dangerous. A pro advised he do this...but i'm yet to try it personally, so i don't advise it. Personally i just double what i currently ingest...adding table salt to each meal etc.
My protein intake over the last couple days is from, as i stated before, fresh water fish... it doesn't matter what kind per say...just make sure it is low/non-fat freshwater fish. Avoid saltwater fish and egg-whites as they are high in sodium. If freshwater fish isn't available..stick to chicken breasts...Can't go wrong with chicken.
Holla back if you've anymore questions
~Corey