3 weeks out, having tuff times, any advice?

Ephram · 08-17-2005, 09:08 AM

Fistly, hello from north of Europe, I am new to this board.

At the moment I am getting ready for my first bodybuilding competition. I've been on diet for 14 weeks now and I have 3 weeks to go. I runned onto some problems last weekend. The initial idea was to try how my body responds to the "pre contest week program" that I got from a local more experienced bodybuilder. Here is how I did it:

Monday: carbs down to 80, lots of sodium, lots of water
Tuesday: carbs down to 60, lots of sodiu, lots of water
Wednesday: carbs 60, lots of sodium, lots lots lots of water
Thursday: carbs up to 800, no sodium, little water
Friday: carbs 500, no water after 1 pm, no sodium at all
Saturady: stage condition at 1 pm. In the morning moderate carbs, a couple of pieces of chocolate, some chips for sodium.

Potassium and magnesium on Tru, fri and sat. No diuretics.

The program did not quite work out for me. My muscles got round and full but I got a lot of water under the skin. I was quite happy with the size and vascularity, but I was holding way too much water. Well, the experiment was a good thing to do, now I know that I should do the carbing up not before friday since my muscles fill up so quickly. I also know that high amount of sodium on mon, tue and wed is propably not a good idea. During the week of experiment the sodium held water in my body (I think it was the sodium). When cutting down the water intake the water stopped coming out as well.

Do you think my analysis is correct? Any suggestions?

And then the sad news and the problem that I have now:

After carbing up three days I somehow lost it. Even though I wasnt hungry at all on saturday, I just kept on eating. The same thing went on during sunday and monday. I just couldnt control myself. That is five days of eating in a row. This morning when stepping on the scale I was shocked. During a couple of days I had put on almost eight kilograms of weight! A week ago I was fairly close to the weight limit of my weight class. Now I am worried that will I fit in my class at all! This means that I will have to loose nine kilograms (about 20 pounds) in three weeks. Will I be able to get in shape?!

What should I do? I am angry and disappointed at myself for not being able to control my eating. Should I cut down the carbs and eat only protein for some time? Should I start drinking huge amounts of water? Or should I take some diuretics to get rid of the excessive water my body is holding?

Please help!

pico · 08-17-2005, 12:16 PM

the water and sodium load looked ok but then did you wait till you were dry before you started carbing up? you may have had too much water while you were carbing up also. as for your weight increse if it is water then it would be stupid to use a diuretic too loose the weight just keep on doing what you were doing maybe have a few more low carb days i dont really know what your diet plan is so cant comment much here

pico · 08-17-2005, 12:18 PM

also i wouldnt carb load without sodium

**Ken "Skip" Hill** · 08-17-2005, 08:24 PM

I will come back to this tonight and hit you up with a few pointers. If I forget, remind me. I am a busy sum bitch.

Skip

CindyLauper · 08-18-2005, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip

I will come back to this tonight and hit you up with a few pointers. If I forget, remind me. I am a busy sum bitch.

Skip

I'm reminding you Mr. Skipper.

wakejump4me · 08-18-2005, 09:11 PM

well if i can add some of my little cents in here......
mon - wednesday does not look bad (for your type of final week-method)
but i'd suggest not to go to no sodium .......just go back to normal intake so that you're not cutting it to drastic and it also helps you with your carbing up
and if you're asking me why you've had water under your skin.......because you were to dehydrated and to much supplementing around with potassium . excessice pottasium (or sodium) causes an electrolyte-imbalance and your body will adjust it back to normal levels and if you don't know how your body is reacting to such actions , then you won't be able to time it all right .
anyways , excessive potassium which holds on to h2o intracellular will also move to the extracellular area (between muscle and skin) and will correct the imbalance .there you have your water . many will have the same problem and they think it's due to to much sodium or the feel like that the did not stop drinking early enough........
if i just look at your stopping to drink after 1 pm ...it may would have been ok but with a TOTALLY DIFFERENT final week-method .
please don't take me wrong because this is just my opinion . take a look at the "questions for the roundtable experts" -area . if you just study that section you'll get all your answers and those guys definately know what the are talking about....
good luck , keep going........it's all trial and error and i think you've made an good experience

Sparky · 08-18-2005, 09:24 PM

Are you sure that it's subcutaneous water and not fat? Here's how to answer that one? Do you see striations in your shoulders when you pose? Do you have a full six pack? Do you see and striations in your chest when doing a side chest? How many millimiters of fat do you get when you measure with a caliper?

If you are close to contest ready, you should look pretty awesome without doing your precontest stuff. Your precontest plan should just take you to another level.

If you can say you are looking pretty ripped before you did that precontest prep week routine, then certainly the problem is your prep. If your not ripped, none of this means much.

Ephram · 08-24-2005, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky

Are you sure that it's subcutaneous water and not fat? Here's how to answer that one? Do you see striations in your shoulders when you pose? Do you have a full six pack? Do you see and striations in your chest when doing a side chest? How many millimiters of fat do you get when you measure with a caliper?

If you are close to contest ready, you should look pretty awesome without doing your precontest stuff. Your precontest plan should just take you to another level.

If you can say you are looking pretty ripped before you did that precontest prep week routine, then certainly the problem is your prep. If your not ripped, none of this means much.

Pics here. The bald guy.

http://www.bk-sportsmag.fi/uutiset.j...93&f=0&flang=0

MilliVanilli · 11-21-2005, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IslandGirl

I'm reminding you Mr. Skipper.

Skip,
did you get back with him?

MilliVanilli · 11-21-2005, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ephram

Pics here. The bald guy.

http://www.bk-sportsmag.fi/uutiset.j...93&f=0&flang=0

if that's you,
the BIG bald guy,
you could bring the legs up a bit, but
you got awesome shape and potential!!

you do need to come in dry and tight,
and your physique will be tough to beat

Cam

Ephram · 11-22-2005, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParadiseCup

if that's you,
the BIG bald guy,
you could bring the legs up a bit, but
you got awesome shape and potential!!

you do need to come in dry and tight,
and your physique will be tough to beat

Cam

Here are some contest pics. I am the bald guy. Placed the second in the novice class under 87,5 kg:s. I think that converts somewhere a bit under 200 pounds.

Ephram · 11-22-2005, 03:11 AM

The guy on my left on the back lat spread picture won the contest. I think I would have beaten him if I were a bit tighter.

MauiBuilt · 11-22-2005, 04:24 AM

Good job bro, you looked great...

CindyLauper · 11-22-2005, 11:36 AM

Congrats!

MilliVanilli · 11-30-2005, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ephram

The guy on my left on the back lat spread picture won the contest. I think I would have beaten him if I were a bit tighter.

Ephram, I agree with that also

you could have been tighter and that would have actually made you look bigger, due to the deeper separations and cuts.

Congrats, you looked good and have lots of potential.

Please keep us updated on your progress and send in offseason pix also.

When is your next show ?

08-17-2005, 09:08 AM	#1
Ephram New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4	3 weeks out, having tuff times, any advice? Fistly, hello from north of Europe, I am new to this board. At the moment I am getting ready for my first bodybuilding competition. I've been on diet for 14 weeks now and I have 3 weeks to go. I runned onto some problems last weekend. The initial idea was to try how my body responds to the "pre contest week program" that I got from a local more experienced bodybuilder. Here is how I did it: Monday: carbs down to 80, lots of sodium, lots of water Tuesday: carbs down to 60, lots of sodiu, lots of water Wednesday: carbs 60, lots of sodium, lots lots lots of water Thursday: carbs up to 800, no sodium, little water Friday: carbs 500, no water after 1 pm, no sodium at all Saturady: stage condition at 1 pm. In the morning moderate carbs, a couple of pieces of chocolate, some chips for sodium. Potassium and magnesium on Tru, fri and sat. No diuretics. The program did not quite work out for me. My muscles got round and full but I got a lot of water under the skin. I was quite happy with the size and vascularity, but I was holding way too much water. Well, the experiment was a good thing to do, now I know that I should do the carbing up not before friday since my muscles fill up so quickly. I also know that high amount of sodium on mon, tue and wed is propably not a good idea. During the week of experiment the sodium held water in my body (I think it was the sodium). When cutting down the water intake the water stopped coming out as well. Do you think my analysis is correct? Any suggestions? And then the sad news and the problem that I have now: After carbing up three days I somehow lost it. Even though I wasnt hungry at all on saturday, I just kept on eating. The same thing went on during sunday and monday. I just couldnt control myself. That is five days of eating in a row. This morning when stepping on the scale I was shocked. During a couple of days I had put on almost eight kilograms of weight! A week ago I was fairly close to the weight limit of my weight class. Now I am worried that will I fit in my class at all! This means that I will have to loose nine kilograms (about 20 pounds) in three weeks. Will I be able to get in shape?! What should I do? I am angry and disappointed at myself for not being able to control my eating. Should I cut down the carbs and eat only protein for some time? Should I start drinking huge amounts of water? Or should I take some diuretics to get rid of the excessive water my body is holding? Please help!

08-17-2005, 08:24 PM	#4
Ken "Skip" Hill Judge, Jury and Executioner Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 13,149	I will come back to this tonight and hit you up with a few pointers. If I forget, remind me. I am a busy sum bitch. Skip __________________ Leaner, harder, fuller, tighter, drier, more shredded, more ripped, more detail, more knowledge and more experience - Call it what you like but call on me: TEAMSKIP@IntenseMuscle.com TEAM SKIP clients get their protein from only one place: TRUEPROTEIN.com. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." - Luke 12:48

08-18-2005, 09:11 PM	#6
wakejump4me The Specialist Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4,433	well if i can add some of my little cents in here...... mon - wednesday does not look bad (for your type of final week-method) but i'd suggest not to go to no sodium .......just go back to normal intake so that you're not cutting it to drastic and it also helps you with your carbing up and if you're asking me why you've had water under your skin.......because you were to dehydrated and to much supplementing around with potassium . excessice pottasium (or sodium) causes an electrolyte-imbalance and your body will adjust it back to normal levels and if you don't know how your body is reacting to such actions , then you won't be able to time it all right . anyways , excessive potassium which holds on to h2o intracellular will also move to the extracellular area (between muscle and skin) and will correct the imbalance .there you have your water . many will have the same problem and they think it's due to to much sodium or the feel like that the did not stop drinking early enough........ if i just look at your stopping to drink after 1 pm ...it may would have been ok but with a TOTALLY DIFFERENT final week-method . please don't take me wrong because this is just my opinion . take a look at the "questions for the roundtable experts" -area . if you just study that section you'll get all your answers and those guys definately know what the are talking about.... good luck , keep going........it's all trial and error and i think you've made an good experience Last edited by wakejump4me : 08-18-2005 at 09:14 PM.

08-18-2005, 09:24 PM	#7
Sparky Heavyweight Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,730	Are you sure that it's subcutaneous water and not fat? Here's how to answer that one? Do you see striations in your shoulders when you pose? Do you have a full six pack? Do you see and striations in your chest when doing a side chest? How many millimiters of fat do you get when you measure with a caliper? If you are close to contest ready, you should look pretty awesome without doing your precontest stuff. Your precontest plan should just take you to another level. If you can say you are looking pretty ripped before you did that precontest prep week routine, then certainly the problem is your prep. If your not ripped, none of this means much. __________________ Romans 1:16-17 for 5% off products from trueprotein.com, use the discount code MWD888 100% doing it myself and 100% accountable for what I do. No excuses. -- Sparky Find a seasoned mentor and learn. My biggest improvements have come not from hours of tedious research, but by listening to those who have been in the trenches -- Sparky Judges expect muscle but respect conditioning -- Sparky

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08-17-2005, 12:16 PM	#2
pico New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 22	the water and sodium load looked ok but then did you wait till you were dry before you started carbing up? you may have had too much water while you were carbing up also. as for your weight increse if it is water then it would be stupid to use a diuretic too loose the weight just keep on doing what you were doing maybe have a few more low carb days i dont really know what your diet plan is so cant comment much here

08-17-2005, 12:18 PM	#3
pico New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 22	also i wouldnt carb load without sodium

11-22-2005, 03:11 AM	#12
Ephram New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4	The guy on my left on the back lat spread picture won the contest. I think I would have beaten him if I were a bit tighter.

11-22-2005, 04:24 AM	#13
MauiBuilt Bantamweight Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 152	Good job bro, you looked great...

11-22-2005, 11:36 AM	#14
CindyLauper Super-heavyweight Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 7,953	Congrats!

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