Bodybuilding Contest Preparation for the Natural Competitor!

The Competition Diet

A workout may last an hour or two but dieting is 24 hours a day. You must have willpower if you intend to be successful at this. It is also expensive. Quality food, protein powders, MRP's (meal replacements) and supplements add up quickly so be prepared. The ultimate goal of the Competition Diet is to loose the maximum amount of bodyfat while maintaining the maximum amount of lean muscle mass. Be prepared however to loose some muscle during this process. The ratio is typically 1 pound of muscle to every 3 pounds of bodyfat.

It is always a good idea to have your bodyfat checked by an experienced practitioner. The most accurate results are obtained from water-immersion however fat-calipers are accurate when done properly. Most bodybuilders will begin dieting 8 to 12 weeks out from the competition date. Others will find 4 to 6 weeks to be sufficient. It is important to monitor your progress daily, especially in the final weeks. If you are not losing fat at an acceptable pace then increase your cardio. If possible, do your cardio in the morning on an empty stomach, as this will force your body to burn stored calories. This practice alone can yield dramatic results. As a rule however, try to let the diet do the cutting and do not rely too much on cardio. The last week of the diet is a crapshoot and many competitors experiment at this stage. Fat loading, carb loading, sodium loading and depletion are all tricks of the trade. Each of these is intended to increase muscle density and fullness while offering maximum vascularity. This is known as "Peaking". Peak condition can only be maintained for a very short period of time, therefore it is critical that peak condition be reached during the competition (ideally the morning show which is also known as Pre-Judging). Any miscalculations and you may peak the day before or after the show. It is a tragic to see a bodybuilder who has trained and dieted consistently in a ripped and vascular condition on Friday only to have the same competitor come in flat and smooth on Saturday. You will need to experiment with what works for you. Try this for the last week of dieting:

Monday :
Food: A minimum of 6 small meals. All meals will contain protein from a variety of sources. Complex, high fiber carbs until 2:00 in the afternoon, protein only from 2:00 on. Try to eat every 2 hours.
Water: 1 to 2 gallons of sodium free water.
Supplement : 5 grams of L-Glutamine 4 times daily.

Tuesday : Same as above.

Wednesday
Food: Same as Monday however carbs should be reduced slightly. Absolutely no refined flour, rice, sugar, etc. Good sources of carbs are yams (no butter), celery, carrots, leafy green lettuce and similar vegetables.
Water: Take in up to 3 gallons of water.
Supplement: Potassium tablet 4 times daily. 5 grams of L-Glutamine 4 times daily.

Thursday
Food: Same as Wednesday however sodium should be cut dramatically. Read labels, nearly everything contains sodium. Do your shopping in advance to be ready for this time. To be sure of low sodium I will boil chicken breast in distilled water at this time and use no condiments containing salt.
Water: Try to take in 2 gallons.
Supplement: Potassium tablet 4 times daily. 5 grams of L-Glutamine 4 times daily.

Friday
Food: Same as Thursday with extra careful attention to sodium. Keep this as low as possible.
Water: Reduce water to ½ gallon taken between morning and 6:00 PM. Sip sparingly and only as needed from 6:00 PM on.
Supplement: Potassium tablet 4 times daily. 5 grams of L-Glutamine 4 times daily.

Saturday
Food: Very small meals only. No sodium. Many competitors will take raw honey and natural peanut butter back stage with them for quick energy and muscle fullness.
Water Sip only as needed, not too much and never gulp. By now you should be dropping water like crazy. Your abs should be very defined, muscular definition and vascularity should be very high. This is a very delicate balance. Do not try anything new at this point to alter this condition.

SUPPLEMENTS:

If you are at competition level than you have been at this game long enough to know the truth about bodybuilding supplements. Most supplements are 90% hype and only 10% results. When you see an advertisement with a freakishly huge bodybuilder claiming that the supplement that he is holding in the ad packed 10 lbs of lean muscle on him in a short time the truth is that he has probably never even tried that supplement. The guy is on steroids plain and simple and he is being paid to lie. Therefore, never accept advertisements or supplement claims at face value. There are however, a few supplements that are worth considering while in contest preparation.

PROTEIN POWDER: . The protein requirements of a bodybuilder vastly exceed those of the sedentary public. You are constantly taxing your muscles by diet and training and must insure that the proper nutrient balance is available for recovery and growth. Protein Powder is just that. Protein. No fillers, no carbs, no sugar, no bullshit. As a competitive bodybuilder I aim for 1 ½ to 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Others will contend that it is per pound of "lean body weight" per day. I tend to stay fairly lean even during the bulking phase. It is not wise to get more than 15 lbs over what you expect to be your competition weight. Nevertheless, Protein Powder is a  must for any bodybuilder, especially while in competition mode.

MEAL REPLACEMENTS POWDERS (MRP): As the name implies, MRP's are taken instead of a meal, neither with or in between. A typical meal replacement drink is a balanced meal in itself. Met-Rx is one of the more popular replacements on the market but there are many others. MRP's typically come in pre-measured packets that you mix in a blender with water or milk. They are nutritionally balanced to meet the nutrient requirements of an entire meal with heavy emphasis on protein. My day always begins at the blender. One MRP, 2 bananas, a heaping tablespoon of natural peanut butter, 4 to 5 scoops of Whey Protein and enough water and ice to make a half gallon drink. This yields nearly 150 grams of protein in a delicious drink that will last until just after noon. An MRP is also a great thing to have immediately after working out. Many people (my wife included) complain about the cost of MRP's, which are typically bought in a box of 20 packets and will set you back $30.00 to $40.00. When you consider however that each packet replaces an entire meal for only $1.50 to $2.00 you see that they are actually cost effective. Price varies considerably so shop a little and do your homework. While dieting for competition, never leave home without a MRP near by. They offer a convenient, high protein/low fat alternative to fast food. The only exception to this is the last week of the competition diet, which is dealt with elsewhere on this page.

FAT BURNERS: Fat Burners are compounds, often plant derived, which effect metabolism by increasing thermogenesis (the production of body heat). Most fat burners on the market are ephedrine based however there are a few that take a different approach.  Ephedrine by itself is an effective thermogenic aid however when combined with caffeine there is a synergistic increase in the effects of both. In other words, the combined effect is greater than the sum of the separate compounds. The most popular thermogenics stack on the market is known as the ECA stack :

E-Ephedrine
C-Caffeine
A-Aspirin

Taken together, these ingredients work synergistically to increase metabolism and accelerate fat loss at a substantially higher rate then when taken separately. Many supplement manufactures market products under a wide variety of names but in the fine print you will usually find the ECA stack. Ripped Fuel, Hydroxycut and Xenadrine are good examples and work well when taken as directed. AdipoKenetix by SynTrax is a newer thermogenic and is based on Norephedrine. This product is also effective and may be more easily tolerated by some individuals than the ephedrine-based supplements. Regardless of the type of thermogenic used however, always get the advise of your physician. Also, never use these supplements in the evening, as they will probably keep you awake well into the night.

Contest preparation is difficult enough and the diet is brutal. An effective fat burner is a highly recommended ally in your quest for muscular definition.

L-Glutamine: L-Glutamine is an essential amino acid which is very important to bodybuilders because it has a muscle sparing effect after intense physical stress. Roughly 60% of free-form amino acids floating in skeletal muscles is L-glutamine. After an intense workout, glutamine levels in the body are reduced by as much as 50%. Supplementing with L-Glutamine may help body builders reduce the amount of muscle deterioration that occurs because other tissues that need glutamine will not rob the glutamine stored in the muscle cells. While preparing for a competition, L-Glutamine may tip the balance of the fat/muscle loss ratio in your favor.

POSING

A good poser will sometimes walk away with the trophy that would have normally been given to a superior physique. When the judges evaluate you on stage, they are looking for

• Muscular size . Any person who diets properly can come in ripped however that does not make them a bodybuilder. By definition a bodybuilder should possess a greater degree of muscularity then the average person.
• Muscular definition. An obese person may have a 22-inch bicep however it will obviously lack definition. A properly prepared bodybuilder will hard and tight and exhibits clear distinctions between adjoining muscle groups.
• Symmetry .  A large and muscular chest will look out of proportion if the legs are not adequately developed as well. Similarly, large, well-defined triceps should be balanced by equally developed biceps. It is difficult to conceal a neglected body part when you are wearing nothing but posing trunks so give equal time to your weak areas.
• Your ability to present it . This is where posing is critical. You may have the best physique on stage but if your posing lacks confidence and correctness you will be marked down.

Mandatory and optional poses vary somewhat with the sanctioning organization so do your homework in advance to know what will be required of you. It can be extremely embarrassing to have a judge call for a pose that you are not familiar with. Most competitions will use posing requirements as outlined by the NPC.

LAST MINUTE REMINDERS:

The last thing that you want after literally months of preparation is to arrive at the show location on competition day unprepared. Below is a checklist of things that you will need to do in advance.

1. Be sure that you have submitted your application by the due date.
2. If you do not already have a membership card for the organization that you competing under than be sure to have the money to purchase one the morning of the show.
3. Bring additional money for any unexpected expenses that my occur.
4. Have a backup copy of the music for your individual posing.
5. Bring 2 pair of posing trunks.
6. Bring extra potassium as insurance against cramps while posing.
7. Bring extra competition tan lotion for last minuet application and touchup.
8. Posing Oil. Often other competitors will allow you to use some of theirs but be safe and bring your own.
9. Sodium free water to sip as needed.
10. Snacks. Raw honey, natural peanut butter and rice cakes are common snacks that you will see back stage.
11. Towel. After applying tan and oil you will want something to wipe your hands off on.
12. Bring a map. You do not want to get lost on your way to the competition and miss the check in deadline.