1. health and fitness
2. weight loss

The journey to a natural bodybuilding stage requires countless hours of dedication, consistency and a strong ongoing commitment to self-improvement.
We consistently see competitors who follow sub optimal protocols, cookie
cutter diets, and excessive cardio programs, take an all or nothing approach
to their diet in an effort to get them in shape for their competition. There is no
question that achieving a stage ready physique goes far beyond the average
threshold that most people are willing to endure to look “good” and dropping
body fat to unusually low levels while trying to maintain as much muscle mass
as possible is not easy. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions in the
industry about what is required to achieve this result. Is an extreme plan required to achieve a stage conditioned physique? Isn’t “comp prep” is hard
enough without all the confusion?
Is there a better way to do things?
By understanding the science behind building the best body possible through
research studies, we have identified key areas that are proven to produce
desired results. We will assist in debunking misconceptions and myths that a
large amount of physique athletes make when trying to get in shape for their
competition.
We’ve created this document to point you in the right direction and so you
know how to set yourself up for success when planning to achieve your ideal
physique.
This guideline consists of the 7 biggest mistakes competitors make when trying to get stage ready and achieve a peaked physique on show day.
This guideline consists of the 7 biggest mistakes women make when trying to
lose stubborn fat, be healthy, and have an amazing athletic body.
So what are the biggest mistakes?
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1.
Imperfect
Peaking
A peak week is the last week or so before
a competition in which some changes can
be made with the goal of the competitor
looking their best possible on stage. In
reality at this stage 95% of the work should
already be done and as such some minor
adjustments can be implemented to perfect
that last 5 %. A good peak week can make
a great physique slightly better but a bad
one can ruin all your hard work.
There are numerous mistakes competitors
make in peak week. These mistakes
are usually: huge shifts in fluid and/or
sodium intake, a massive carb load in the
days leading up to or on the day before
competition, cutting out supplements,
training too hard or too little and competing
too frequently.
The goal behind changing sodium or fluid intake up and down is generally
to try to draw fluid into the cells and away from the subcutaneous layer
(between the skin and muscle). Unfortunately your body is smarter than you,
it has homeostatic mechanisms that tightly control fluid balance so by doing
things like water depleting before a show you do draw fluid away from the
subcutaneous layer but you also draw it away from the cells. The result is you
look flat and stringy on stage. Keep sodium and fluid intake relatively constant
to this problem completely.
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In terms of carbing up as the competition draws near (back loading carbs) it
isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It will help you restore muscle glycogen and fill
out (a good thing). The problem here is that it is risky and you will either hit or
miss. If you over consume carbohydrates and spill over into a softer look then
you have very little time remaining to correct this. Load carbs at the start of the
week (front loading carbs) and taper them down over the course of the week
so you have time to adjust if you look off.
Removing supplements from your regime usually isn’t necessary and in some
cases can be detrimental to your final package. One great example is creatine
which actually helps fill your muscle cells up. Removing it can cause you to
flatten out a little. To avoid these kinds of problems keep taking the same
supplements in the same amounts right up to the day of competition.
Training very hard in the lead up to a show isn’t a bad thing when it comes
to maintaining muscle mass and fullness but it can leave you very sore and
affect your ability to present yourself well on stage when you pose. On the flip
side training with a complete lack of intensity or not training at all will slow
the partitioning of nutrients towards the muscle cells. The result can be a lack
of fullness. A good middle ground is to train normally at the beginning of the
week and taper this down to easier training towards the end of the week so
that you’re not sore on stage.
Lastly competing multiple times in one weekend or competing numerous weeks
in a row isn’t impossible. The difficulty that it does present is the ability to peak
successfully multiple times in succession. Without the ability to recover after
a show, not spilling over, maintaining condition and keeping a hard, full look
going into the next show can be hard to achieve. Plan your shows carefully
and ideally allow enough recovery time between them to peak well for the next
one (two weeks is usually a good amount of time).
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2.
Setting yourself up for
failure by starting your
comp prep diet from a
low caloric intake
Most aspiring athletes look at a competition date with little regard for their
current caloric intake. If you are on a low set point, ie. 1200 calories per day,
you cannot keep turning to calorie deficits to diet down because there won’t
be much to diet down from.
Most people can lose weight on a caloric deficit. Simply put - that means that
if you expend more calories than you consume you WILL lose weight. The
problem with this is if you have bounced around from one low calorie diet to
another, your body will adapt and you will create a new set point which means
your body will become more efficient at functioning on a low caloric intake,
making you inefficient at metabolising calories. Meaning when you eat normally, as opposed to a starvation diet, you WILL put on body fat. It also means
that if you stay on a low caloric intake you will plateau and it will be harder for
you to maintain the same weight over time.
The bodybuilding industry has a tendency to glorify a hardcore extreme approach to dieting, often suggesting that the more extreme you get the better
the assumed result. Overly aggressive dieting often leads to muscle wastage
and post comp rebound. Don’t be too aggressive when you start. Look to lose
a maximum of 1% of your body weight a week when you begin.
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3.
Doing too much
LISS Cardio.
(Low intensity steady state)
LISS is an acronym for Low
Intensity Steady State cardio,
which consists of low intensity
training. An example of this
would be jumping on a cross
trainer or riding a recumbent
bike and being able to easily
participate in a conversation
(we tend to see a lot of this at
gyms). Research shows that
LISS results in an initial bump
in weight loss and then not
much afterwards. The body
resets and accommodates for
the new cardio, then you need
more of it to maintain. In other
words, walking for hours is not
necessarily the best way to
burn fat.
Whilst you may get an initial
weight loss from doing hours of
cardio, you won’t keep losing
weight. Worse still if you stop
doing it, you will gain back that
little you lost at the outset.
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LISS cardio can be a part of an effective weight loss program, but should
not be the sole basis for such a program. HIIT is an acronym for High
Intensity Interval Training, which consists of short high intensity intervals
coupled with low to moderate intensity work. An example of this would
be a 30 second MAXIMUM intensity sprint followed by a 3 minute steady
pace walk to cool down and bring your heart rate back to normal and
then repeating it.
When doing HIIT you increase the improvement in your metabolism which
leads to better fat loss results over time. If you want to change your
metabolism, you have to increase your muscle mass and increase your
muscles’ oxidative capacity. Your muscles have these energy producing
units called ‘mitochondria’ and this is where energy is converted to forms
that are usable by the cell. The more mitochondria you have and the more
active they are the greater oxidative capacity you will have for fat loss.
HIIT actually increases mitochondrial capacity and by doing HIIT, you will
also increase the amount of mitochondria you produce. Studies show that
you get greater fat loss through HIIT because of the increase in oxidative
capacity. Whereas with LISS you’re only burning calories at that precise
moment, there’s no 24 hour energy expenditure (boost in metabolism)
and it hurts you down the line because your body adjusts to it and you
end up needing more to lose minimal amounts of fat.
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4.
Not allocating
enough time to prep
With the excitement of getting up
on stage either for your first time or
after some time off, it’s quite easy to
overlook the obvious. You want to
look and feel as lean and muscular
as possible. Give yourself enough
time to get to your ideal physique,
and be sensible about it. Hint: Aiming
to drop 24kg in 12 weeks is not sensible. Whilst it is possible to achieve
this in the short term, the reality is that by going to extremes, you are putting
your metabolism under unnecessary stress which potentially results in unnecessary muscle loss and post comp rebound.
Aggressive dieting often leads to eating disorders and it has been heavily
documented that extremely low caloric intake is associated with depression,
self-esteem, mood swings and negative body image. Fat loss can occur with
a moderate caloric deficit over a longer time period, and generally speaking,
people should diet on as many calories as possible and as little cardio as possible. You want to position yourself to be in a decent caloric range post comp,
so when you finish competing, you can transition into a decent off season
without blowing out.
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5.
Not allocating enough
time “off season”
between comps
Competitors can occasionally be too eager to get back on stage. It’s not
uncommon to see athletes participate in back to back seasons in the same
year. Those new to the sport may get away with this practice initially, however,
over time this will affect them in more ways than one. Firstly, there is credible
research to show that there is a considerable amount of metabolic adaptation
that occurs with repetitive energy restriction. Simply put, that means that your
metabolism suffers a little more every time you diet and your maintenance
calories get lower with constant dieting. Secondly, by not leaving enough time
between shows you also don’t allow yourself enough time to improve your
conditioning. This means that you will look the same if not worse the next time
you get back up on stage. Muscle hypertrophy takes time and consistency.
Take some time off and be more focused on growth and development in the
off season to ensure that you make an impact on your next show.
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6.
Restrictive
Four Ingredient
Meal Plan Diets
The idea of “hardcore dieting” has been around for a while in the bodybuilding
scene. Chicken, broccoli, fish, and asparagus have been a staple in meal plans
for the longest time. While there are valid reasons for eating “plain” (namely
because it’s easier to track macronutrients and calories), it’s important to know
that these foods don’t have any magical properties and that you’re not limited
to eating only these particular foods.
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All foods convert into macronutrients. That is protein/fat/carbohydrates (and
fibre). There are no magical foods, your body does not recognise an organic
chicken breast and broccoli as “clean food” and fried chicken thigh and chips
as “dirty food”. The body does not have a pathway that leads to a clean food
compartment, nor does it have a pathway that leads to a dirty food compartment.
The difference in foods is in the macronutrients and micronutrients. Some
foods are more dense in calories than others.
Clean Eating is a concept based on the premise of eating food in its most
“natural” state, avoiding anything processed including sugar, white bread and
also anything with too many ingredients. The idea of eating healthy foods
is wise, as there are certainly benefits to eating foods that are nutrient rich.
However, while it is safe to say that some foods are better for you than others,
we must define specifically what helps to define this logic. Unfortunately, the
“clean eating” concept alone does not do that.
With a basic understanding that all foods convert to macro and micronutrients,
and a basic understanding that not all foods are equal, we also need to
understand that fibre is an integral part of the carbohydrate equation. Fibre (both
soluble and insoluble) has many important qualities that are play an important
role in a weight loss based nutrition program. Some of those qualities are:
• Blunts the Glycaemic Index
• Slows down digestion
• Produces Short Chain Fatty Acids
• Has a thermal effect.
The answer is to have an optimal ratio of macronutrients that is conducive to
weight loss and changing body composition and to meet those macronutrients
on a daily basis. Allowing some flexibility in your diet will help you stay consistent
during prep and will contribute to a lesser likelihood of post comp binging, and
remember… There is no trophy given out to the person who followed the most
restrictive diet.
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7.
Not enough Focus on Stage
Presentation: posing, costume,
hair, make up and tanning
Bodybuilding is a
sport which is based
on presenting the best
possible physique on
stage. It is judged
on criteria such as
muscularity
and
symmetry. It’s about
pushing your body to
its limits during prep
and on show day.
Stage Presentation is
a crucial part of the
sport. Too many competitors focus so much on the exercise and diet component
of the sport, as they are very keen to see their body in “stage condition”, but they
forget the importance of posing practice and selecting the right outfit, accessories
or finding the right tan, hair & make up artist. The sooner this component can be
organised, the better. There is nothing worse than seeing a competitor throw away
all their hard work because they overlooked these factors.
When you look for a coach, it’s equally important to look at their network. Try to
sign a professional team if you can so you have support on show day as well as
throughout your prep. Check with your coach early to see if they have reliable and
professional people in their network that can assist with these things. If you’re lucky
enough, you will find coach might be organised enough to sort this entire ordeal
out well before your calories start to decrease, so you can focus more on the finer
details of your prep. It also ensures that you will have fun during your prep instead
of stressing out over trivial details.
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