NATURAL FEMALE COMPETITOR – HOLDING WATER
DUE TO EITHER STRESS OR MENSTRUAL CYCLE
• Keep water intake exactly the same right the way
through ‘peak week’ that you’ve been drinking
through prep. For most, we’d imagine this to be in
the 3.5-5 litre mark.
• Keep sodium consistent throughout the entire
prep. Approx. 1/8th tsp sea salt with each
meal plus condiments would be about right
for most.
• Train as normal – but move your last legs session to
maybe 2-3 days out from the show,
• Drop high intensity interval training (HIIT) at 7-10
days out (if applicable).
• Taper steady state cardio (SSCV) through the week
(if applicable).
• Drop any Yohimbine HCL products at 5 days out
(if applicable).
• Use a herbal diuretic such as H20 Remoove around
3-4 days out from competition (this is for the
females that we suspect are retaining water).
• 3 days out, depending on look, shoot for approx.
1.5-2x more carbohydrate than your ‘high’ day
through prep. E.g. 150g becomes 225-300g.
• 2 days out, either repeat or ramp the amount up/
down depending on the response.
• 1 day out, play carb intake amount by ear and
judging by look, consider reducing carbs a touch
and increasing fats if look is achieved.
• Show day, have a decent sized breakfast with a
good hit of carbs, fat and sodium (eggs on toast
with salt/ketchup, sushi, smoked salmon and cream
cheese bagel, McMuffin etc).
• Switch over to easily digested meals every
2-4 hours (chicken, white rice and almond butter)
throughout the day.
• ½ tsp sea salt with water + Reese’s PB cup either
2-3 classes before yours, or as you get called
backstage.
As you can see from the above, it’s really
nothing crazy. It’s keeping water and sodium
the same as you’ve done throughout prep.
It’s dropping anything that could potentially
make you retain water (certain alcohol sugars,
Yohimbine HCL etc).
From there, it’s a gentle carb up, just trying to give
you a fuller look to your muscles.
For those females that get particularly stressed,
or are around menstruation, including the herbal
diuretic can aid in excreting a little water safely as you
approach the show day.
The hit of sodium and peanut butter cup pre-stage
will aid in pumping up / adding fullness to certain areas
pre-stage. Remember, for classes like bikini the goal
isn’t to pump everything up and look huge and vascu-
lar. But, adding a little blood and fullness to the lateral
shoulders for example, may accentuate a smaller
waist etc.
NATURAL MALE PHYSIQUE COMPETITOR
• Keep water intake exactly the same right the way
through ‘peak week’ that you’ve been drinking
through prep. For most, we’d imagine this to be in
the 4.5-7 litre mark.
• Keep sodium consistent throughout the entire prep.
Approx. 1/8th tsp sea salt with each meal plus
condiments would be about right for most.
• Train with your normal exercises and rep ranges.
In the second half of the week, back off the loading
by 10-20% and reduce volume by 20-30% to allow
recovery.
• Schedule your last legs session to maybe 3-4 days
out from the show.
• Drop HIIT at 7-10 days out (if applicable).
• Taper SSCV through the week (if applicable).
• Drop Yohimbine HCL at 5 days out (if applicable).
• 4 days out, depending on look, shoot for approx.
3x more carbohydrate than your ‘high’ day through
prep. E.g. 200g becomes 600g.
• 3 days out, repeat the carbs from the previous day
if everything has gone as planned.
• 2 days out, lower carbs a touch and increase fats
to allow any ‘spill over’ to clear.
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FLEX | MARCH 2018
• 1 day out, use as a ‘refinement’ day. Adjust carbs/
fats according to the desired look.
• Show day, have a decent sized breakfast with
a good hit of carbs, fat and sodium (eggs on toast
with salt/ketchup, sushi, smoked salmon and cream
cheese bagel, McMuffin etc).
• Switch over to easily digested meals every
2-4 hours (chicken, white rice and almond butter)
throughout the day.
• ½ tsp sea salt with 25g HBCD (Highly Branched
Cyclic Dextrin) either 2-3 classes before yours,
or as you get called backstage.
Here you’ll note it’s not vastly different from the
female peak.
The main difference is that the water intake is likely
going to be higher due to more body mass in general.
The carb up is slightly longer, and a little heavier – but
still not overly aggressive.
There’s an inclusion of highly branched cyclic dextrin
alongside the sodium to help in the pump-up process.
For men’s physique, you really want to be focusing on
chest, side delts and upper back during your pump up.