Energy Level during contest prep.

[Blahzay128]

Whats up everyone, I was wondering if you all experienced a significant loss in your energy level during your contest prep. I am 4 1/2 weeks out and on most days (besides my refeed day) I feel pretty beat.....my legs feel weak, and my whole body just feels kinda empty....I just wanted to know all your experiences because I didnt know if it was something i was doing wrong or if it is something that you pretty much should expect before a contest.....My workouts are still pretty good, and theres not much of a loss of strength as far as weights go, its just I have to push myself a little harder....Let me know what you all think, and your feeling (physically) when you have all prepped...

If possible, let me know how u felt even closer to show time

Thanks!!!

[jay1514929]

Just wait until you get closer/leaner and start cutting more.

The gas, the diurea, constant headaches, blurred vision, Foggy brain, I am 12 days out and the only way I am sitting here at work is thanks to 3 cups of coffee and my personal E/C/A combo.

Keep working, it's ALL WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fitforlife]

I never have competed, but I did get down to about 5% bodyfat one time and it was all I could do just to stand up. That is the worst I have ever felt in my life, but the most ripped I have ever been. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. What kept me going is thinking about that celebration meal after I got to were I wanted. Recently, I was watching a special on the Navy Seals and what they went through during training. I mean, it was INSANE! After watching that, I know that I could be in a worse situation pain and starving wise and that somehow keeps me going. I will never forget what one of the Navy Seal candidates said,"Yea, it is brutal. But, ha, it is only a few weeks out of your life." He was one of the 20% that made it. Good luck!

[gymstud2002]

My experience hasn't been that bad. Yeah, I have real low energy days, but my diet has twice weekly carb-up meals (Mon and Thurs nights) up to the very end and that seems to help. Only time that I was really wiped out was a week between shows when I stayed low carb, low fat all week and skipped the carb up meals. Just did two shows a week apart and was feeling pretty good. You might try some late night carbs Mon and Thurs -- you might feel better and they'll spike your metabolism, assuming you're doing the low carb thing.

[str8flexed]

It is normal unfortunately. Are you timing your carbs how I suggested?
Peace

[latinmuscle]

I don't even drive the last week before a show. I tend to feel very distracted, and I notice my reflexes are slower.

one time, when I was training for Mr. Philadelphia. I was a trafic light, it changed to green but I guess my brain didn't register it and I stayed there until a car got behind me and beeped the horn.
It was scary.

[Blahzay128]

Str8....Everything seems to be going well....I am now a little less than 4 weeks out....so it is coming to the homestretch.....My energy has definitely decreased but Im doing everything as you have said (cant wait for my refeed on Sat.) My bodyfat has decreased, and the veins are coming out nicely.....I began tanning last week to get a nice base for the contest.....I still have to get rid of some bodyfat, but im hoping with the remaining time and diet, it should take care of itself......I do have a question for you, In your contest experience (or anyone else who wants to post to this) when did you really have that contest ready look....Ive heard 2 days out, 1 week out, etc. etc.

Right now im 4 weeks, and although not looking bad, im wouldnt dare step on a stage...let me know what you think? and also any other advice for the remaining cutting period

Thanks

[str8flexed]

I never looked contest ready til midway through the last week when i carb and sodium deplete. I hold quite a bit of water so this makes a big difference on me.
Peace

[gymstud2002]

As long as you're making steady progress, don't sweat it and don't make any dramatic changes to what you're doing. Everybody's different. And for a lot of us, the last week is when things really change. You probably won't notice as much as others who don't see you every day. And if you do more than one comp, the improvements between shows can be real dramatic. Good luck!

[jay1514929]

OK, I NEED HELP. THIS IS JUST MY LUCK!

I am 8 days out and I just contracted a Sinus infection. I am taking amoxacillian but I am really worried. Yesterday I had a 102 fever. WHAT CAN I DO TO GET RID OF THIS??? I need to train tonight (no matter how I feel). Please make suggestions, I currently upped my BCAA / VIT "C" intake to about 5000 milligrams and 6000 milligrams respectively. ANYTHING ELSE I CAN DO?

[str8flexed]

do not train! u must get better if you are sick you will hold more water. to glycogen deplete, drop your carbs even lower, but do not train, it will only worsen the situation.
peace

[jay1514929]

Well, I already took yesterday off. Can I do cardio? I may work bi's since they have been my weak spot. I finished up legs, chest, tri's, back, and shoulders already.

[jay1514929]

You know the worst thing about being home sick? I am that much more hungry... Try carb depleting and cutting calories (currently at around 1200 to 1400) when you feel sick... lol

Go ahead and just tell me I am being a big Pvssy!

[tweeter37]

I'm 26 days out from my first show and I'm barely holding on! It's hard enough to find the energy to get my ass out of bed, let alone lift 6 days a week and do cardio 7 days a week, but it's worth it!!! Honestly, the only thing getting me out of bed in the morning is knowing I get to eat my oatmeal! I NEED CARBS!!!

[AsianOak]

Damn low carb days. Talk about weak. I work fed-ex preload and have almost passed out twice. I am 15 days out from contest and I just dont know how else to do it. Training is still good but work is hell.

[Azmodeus]

I'm three weeks out tomorrow and I know exactly how you feel. I get up in the morning and do my cardio, then I feel ok for about three or four hours, after that I feel as if I'm just dragging myself through the day waiting to go back to bed. During the last couple of hours of the day I feel pretty messed up. I don't like leaving the house at that time because I feel kind of like I'm drunk. Disoriented and very slow thinking and slow reacting.

[ManofSteel]

Originally posted by Azmodeus
I'm three weeks out tomorrow and I know exactly how you feel. I get up in the morning and do my cardio, then I feel ok for about three or four hours, after that I feel as if I'm just dragging myself through the day waiting to go back to bed. During the last couple of hours of the day I feel pretty messed up. I don't like leaving the house at that time because I feel kind of like I'm drunk. Disoriented and very slow thinking and slow reacting.
What contest are you doing?

[Azmodeus]

NPC Gopher State April 5th in Minnesota

[nat_l athlete!]

My advice - warn everyone you're close with. Likely you'll be spewing nasty comments at them all!

[ashley97]

Someone hear mentioned getting constant headaches when it came close to show time. I'm one week out and I just started getting really bad headaches....esp today and I was wondering what was causing it, it seems they come and go constantly. Does anybody have an idea what this could be from? I also just started taking the new Hydroxycut, maybe thats whats causing it?

[str8flexed]

possibly from hypoglycemia...low blood sugar. Are you in depletion mode?

[AsianOak]

Amen ashley, I am exactly 5 days out from a Mr. Natural Arizona and just about completed my second carb depletion day. Headaches in the morning during my workouts eh pretty much all day. No hydroxycut though. I have been taking some supplement called migraplex(basically 300mg magnesium ,250mg taurine). It was 99 cents on sale at GNC, so I decided to try it out. It helps during the day but I still get the headaches in the morning.

[nat_l athlete!]

AsianOak & Ashley97:

Good luck with your upcoming contests!

[AsianOak]

Thanks Nat'l Athlete. I will post pics as soon as it is all over. Then its Pizza Hut, Hooters and Dairy Queen. EVERYONE'S INVITED!

[nat_l athlete!]

Ya, I know the feeling. Only for me it will be chocolate bars, chocolate cake, and chocolate cheesecake. & NO protein!!!

Are you also planning on doing the Musclemania Canada? or FAME? Those are the 2 events I am gearing towards. They should be great. Last year there was 103 athletes! I plan on taking the title and all the prizes!

Check out the sites: www.wnso.com /// www.fitnessandmodelexpo.com

Actually more contests is probably the farthest thing from your mind right now!

[jay1514929]

My first show was in October and I never knew how badly the cravings get for food. I went out with some friends / competitors and basically I gained 24 pounds within the first 3 days. lmao

[ashley97]

Thanks for the good luck!!! I will also post pics when I am done with the show!! I am so excited about the food afterward!!

[laulau418]

I am 7 weeks out from my first contest and the last few weeks I have been saying to everyone - I don't know why everyone complains that this is so hard - it isn't really that bad -
well, the last 4 or 5 days have been a wake up call for me -
I can barely drag my ass out of bed in the morning to go to work on time, let alone go do cardio!
LMAO!
And I am seriously starting to feel like I am turning into a tunafish!

I know it will all be worth it in the end - Lots of luck to all of you!
your dedication and determination is inspiring!

:)

[jay1514929]

:)

It's all very true. Good job and keep it up.

I just started the CKD diet today and I am already missing carbs, not really but cottage cheese really sucks. I just ate a blend of chopped beef, tuna, 3 slices of cheese, and ranch dressing. YUM!

I am going to go a little batty with this diet.

[Azmodeus]

11 days to go. This week my workouts have really begun to suffer. My strength has declined, my motivation to lift is just not there and my energy level is so low.

[AsianOak]

I start to carb load tommorow. I am counting down the hours. Hopefully my energy will be back up. Even more exciting is that Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan are supposedly guest posing at my competition this weekend. I MIGHT GET TO MEET A PRO!

[laulau418]

You know what's funny ? -
Monday night was a carb-load night for me and I was counting down the hours until I could eat -
I thought I would have so much energy and I would pop right out of bed the next morning -
NOPE! I felt like an overstuffed whale - LOL
I was so full - and I slept late the next morning -
who knows, maybe it was just a coincidence....

[str8flexed]

damn carb loading this far out? Are you an ectomorph?

[laulau418]

I got my diet from Beverly International and on Mondays and Thursdays, for my last meal, I load....

It seems to be working so far and I have heard really great things about Bev Int....

[jay1514929]

Str8, looks like they have her on a modified Opus diet...

[laulau418]

What is Opus?

[jay1514929]

Opus or "Body Opus" is a diet created by the late bodybuilding Guru Dan Duchaine. It is acclaimed to be 'the' bodybuilding diet and the most effective fat burning / muscle sparing diet around.

You can do a search on amazon or whatever the book is like ten bucks.

[str8flexed]

i dunno, I'm not a big fan of long carb loads... you can trick your body water wise for a while and tip the scales in favor of intracellular water retention with little extra cellular water... but only for a short while... not a few days.
Peace

[laulau418]

Who said anything about a few days?
I only do it twice a week as my final meal before bed -

Other than, my only carbs come from veggies...

[str8flexed]

Originally posted by laulau418
Who said anything about a few days?
I only do it twice a week as my final meal before bed -

Other than, my only carbs come from veggies...

never mind, I thought you were in your final week of contest prep and that you were starting your carb load for a saturday contest... forgive me for my mistake.
Peace

[AsianOak]

Oh, if you were talking about me str8. I tend to get pretty small looking after a couple days of carb depletion. I still remain really cut but just really really flat. It usually takes me a couple days to regain my size. I tried a few different ways from around five weeks out and so on. Haha I had a total cheat day once with pancakes and burritos and got really pumped up in the gym the next day but it left me bloated in the midsection, so a couple days of carb loading makes me look a little better. It is my first comp though so I still have a lot to learn about my body. Any suggestions would help though. I do believe I am an ecto.

[musmar]

bump

[toolegit2quit]

I'm less than 4 weeks out and my energy levels are feeling better than last year. I guess the more experience you have the better you feel. Last year the only thing that helped me fight off cravings was a pack of sugarless gum almost every day. This year I am making ice cube trays filled with crystal light to fight off the cravings and I love it! A quart of crystal light only has 5 calories so i'll continue with this up until about 2 weeks out.

Also, if you're using beverly international (like i do), follow their diet and advice to the letter, they won't let you down!

[laulau418]

I am at 4 1/2 weeks out right now and I cannot even tell you how many packs of gum I go through in a week! :)
My energy levels have been better these last 2 weeks - except for Mondays!

Which flavor crystal light tastes the best?
That sounds pretty good!

So far - the diet Beverly gave me is really working great -
everyday I am little leaner -

Have you used them before?

[bigswole30]

It's nice to se other people using beverly. Are you two using just their diets or are you using their supplements as well?

[laulau418]

I am using their diet and supplements -
I have to say -
at first I wasn't using their protein because I had just bought a 5 lb container of designer whey -
but I decided to buy it and try it -
and I have seen incredible changes over the last 3 weeks -

Plus - it really does taste good! :)

Do you use them?

[toolegit2quit]

Beverly is definatley the way to go. I used them for my last competition and their nutritional and supplement approach was so precise it allowed me to do NO CARDIO at all. I use thier mass aminos, ultra 40s and Ultra Size protein at 4 weeks out. I was using Mass Maker post-workout until 6 week out.

Crystal light raspberry ice flavor tastes awesome!

I have been dieting now for 7 weeks and went from 200 at 9.9% bf (on a 9 pt skinfold) to 188 at 5.2%. My fat mass has gone from 20lbs to 9.77 lbs while lean body mass has gone from 180lbs to 178.2 lbs. I have lost 10.23lbs of fat while losing less than 2lbs of lean body mass, that aint bad! I plan on cutting my San v-12 creatine at the end of the week but I don't expect too much of a weight change as the v-12 has no calories. The biggest change this year is my training strength is actually much higher. I am gettin stronger every week on the deadlift! I have gone from 405x5 (w/straps) to 420x6 without straps or a belt. Today i'll be getting 440x5, i'm sure of it.

[laulau418]

This is my first experience with Beverly and I can say very honestly that I know I will continue to use them -
my bodyfat has gone from 22% to 15% while only losing 5 pounds - (all fat, no muscle)

My first show is on May 10 - and at first I was planning my meals and all of that by myself -
and I was just hoping that I was doing everything right -
now I know I am and that I will be ready !!
I am definitely going to try the crystal light thing -
every little trick helps right now -

When and where is your show?

And by the way - that is awesome that your strength has increased!
It is so exciting isn't it!!
:)

[toolegit2quit]

laulau, i preach beverly to the high heavens, str8flexed calls me the beverly poster boy because i was wearing a beverly t-shirt at the arnold haha. anyhow, yeah the crystal light thing is great...raspberry peach is great too however I am cutting out the crystal light ice cubes at 2 weeks out because of the 5 calories it provides (i know, it's 5 calories but still).

I did hit 440x5 on deads the other day by the way :)

also, usually beverly recommends their shakes twice per day but if you're a college student like me that can get costly. They will tell you what the whole food equivalent is. I usually use 1 whole food equivalent (cost is cheaper) and 1 shake per day. For instance, my new diet calls for 2 scoops muscle provider and 1 scoop 100% egg. Mark told me the food equivalent is a 6oz chicken breast, 6 egg whites, and 1/2 cup brocolli. That is what i'll be using for one of my "shake" meals, while the other will actually be the shake. Also,, beverly products can be found cheaper at :

www. v i t a g l o . com

[toolegit2quit]

btw my show is in Buffalo, NY at riviera theatre

it's the INBF Northern States Supernatural 7-years drug-tested

how about yours?

[laulau418]

Oh I know what you mean about the price of everything!
I have spent a fortune on all my supplements -

At first, to try and cut costs a little, I tried having one shake a day and one meal using the whole food option -
But my biggest problem is that I am never all that hungry -
so I was pratically force feeding myself that extra meal -

Unfortunately for my wallet, the shakes are easier for me to get down.

Great job on the dead lifts!!!

My show is the Mid-Atlantic Natural Classic in East Brunswick NJ
I am doing the figure competition -
my next show I am going to do a fitness comp, but for my first time around I just wanted to get myself on stage - (and not fall or anything else to make a fool of myself!) :)

Who was your contact at Bev?
I have been working with Rita...

[nat_l athlete!]

You guys should all try the Musclemania Canada Nationals or FAME: Fitness And Model Expo.

They are huge shows with great prizes. All natural.

That's where I'll be!

[BigWard]

Originally posted by str8flexed
I never looked contest ready til midway through the last week when i carb and sodium deplete. I hold quite a bit of water so this makes a big difference on me.
Peace

bump