Carb up methods!!

[pumpnirn Intense Muscle Competitor Find all posts View Profile Close pumpnirn]

Well i'm about 3 weeks out, and still steadily losing weight weekly to get in the best shape of my life. Last year when i competed at this show and i focused more on weight and not really paying attention to my true conditioning.( funny how some gym lights make you look leaner then you are). well last year i weighed in at 229 for my shown and at this point i'm 219 with 3 weeks to go, and alot leaner.

I can't seem to nail my peak week, and i've tried different methods. Depleting for 3 days and trying to carb up slowly. Carbing up the night before. Using fat to see how my body reacts. Just can't seem to nail it.

Wondering how some of the other competitors on here prep for peak week. I know eventually i'll need a prep guy and always consider it, but then realize that i may be out of my league at my height and weight for some shows, and when i add the needed size and feel really competitive, thats when i'll focus on that.

thanks

j

[Andre Gregoire Intense Muscle Competitor Find all posts View Profile Close Andre Gregoire]

I find the trick is to do test runs to figure your body out. I wouldn't do it after 3 weeks out though since you need to recover for the real peak on show day.

After you are done the show maybe stay on the diet and try peaking a few more times to test stuff out. I think it's important to keep a diary so that you know exactly how you felt, how you looked, when you flattened out, etc.. Then every year you can look back at it and make slight adjustments.

Have you seen Skip's DVD? If not, check it out on Youtube, I really like his approach.

I do something like that. I am usually on a very low carb diet at the end so no need to deplete really. I like to carbup really hard in a day usually the Thursday and then go back to a keto diet for Friday and Saturday.

I spill over a bit but 48hrs + the keto diet + natural diuretics and cutting water out 12hrs before pre-judging usually leaves me looking pretty good.

I don't taper water at all, i cut it out 12-16hrs before pre-judging and I think I will probably stop cutting it out and just switch to something like 4-6 oz with each meal.

Some guys might need to carb for 2 days to be really full, some might do better carbing on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Some might need to carb until mid day Friday.

Some might need to cut water out 16hrs before pre-judging but some can keep it in all the time.

It depends on the guy, you have to learn your body. That's why I like cyclical keto diets, you basically carb up once per week and you can start to get the timing right and practice it every week.

[lilarnold Intense Muscle Competitor Find all posts View Profile Close lilarnold]

I find the trick is to do test runs to figure your body out. I wouldn't do it after 3 weeks out though since you need to recover for the real peak on show day.

After you are done the show maybe stay on the diet and try peaking a few more times to test stuff out. I think it's important to keep a diary so that you know exactly how you felt, how you looked, when you flattened out, etc.. Then every year you can look back at it and make slight adjustments.

Have you seen Skip's DVD? If not, check it out on Youtube, I really like his approach.

I do something like that. I am usually on a very low carb diet at the end so no need to deplete really. I like to carbup really hard in a day usually the Thursday and then go back to a keto diet for Friday and Saturday.

I spill over a bit but 48hrs + the keto diet + natural diuretics and cutting water out 12hrs before pre-judging usually leaves me looking pretty good.

I don't taper water at all, i cut it out 12-16hrs before pre-judging and I think I will probably stop cutting it out and just switch to something like 4-6 oz with each meal.

Some guys might need to carb for 2 days to be really full, some might do better carbing on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Some might need to carb until mid day Friday.

Some might need to cut water out 16hrs before pre-judging but some can keep it in all the time.

It depends on the guy, you have to learn your body. That's why I like cyclical keto diets, you basically carb up once per week and you can start to get the timing right and practice it every week.

if i were to type an answer it would be this......nice job.

personally i load carbs on thurs only...all day....and then just like in this post im back on no carbs fri.... dropping carbs has a natural diuretic effects that works awesome...most people i know and clients ive worked with look theyre best 2 days after loading carbs.