how does water intake look before a contest?

[Scoular]

My friend who is a bodybuilder told me to take hardly any water now (less than a litre per day) and week before contest start drinking lots (8 litres about per day).

is this correct?

what should water intake be before a show in your opinion?

[TJ_Strong]

There is no "correct" way to do things in bodybuilding.

There are thousands of different possiblities to do in the final week.

You just have to find out what works for your body.

Johnny Jackson cuts his water down starting 3 weeks out to a 3rd a gallon a day, then he totally cuts his water off wen. before the show, between wen. and saturday the drinks a 20oz. coke. He says it has a diuretic effect.

Another pro bodybuilder eats french fries for a couple days before a show.

I know the french fries has nothing to do with bodybuilding but iam showing you all the different possibilities.

So that makes it no "correct" way to do bodybuilding water intake.

You just have to find out what works well for you and take it from there.

[Scoular]

understood thanks

Since it's my first time I don't want to mess up..what would the logical thing to do be?


This is the contest diet I am planning, please have a look for me:
http://www.cnpltd.com/modules/sections/index.php?op=viewarticle&artid=7

[TJ_Strong]

8-10 liters the day before the show?

That equals out to like what somewhere around 2 gallons?

I would for sure cut that in half the last day. So go with 2-4 liters the day before the show

Everything else looks ok.

[Scoular]

ok I am glad you think it's fine :)

i was also told to cut the bananas out and instead take potassium tabs (99mg) which i have so I dont overspill on carbs.
Was also told to drink the wine the night before so it hits my system in good time.

What's the deal with potassium anyway?


Thanks you deserve some rep by the way.

[TJ_Strong]

Yea i was going to suggest to take out the bananas as well and just stick with your regular carbing up foods.

Potassium helps you keep flushing water out of you body.

Sodium levels go down, potassium levels go up.

Yea the wine the night before is good, it works really well for some people. Not only it has slight diuretic effects it will make you vasuclar.

At the next show, starting about 1 hour before i go out on stage or so..ill eat a protein bar with jelly spread on it along with rice cakes. Rice cakes is high on the GI so it will spike your insulin somewhat and then the simple sugars from the jelly will make those veins pop out!

[kimsquit]

There are a lot of different approaches out there and I've tried a few of them: including dropping water, potassium loading, carbing up well in advance and not carbing up.

This time I followed Str8flexed's contest prep article (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne36.htm) exactly as he described it.

Here (http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=11231163&postcount=106) is how it worked out for me.


:)


~ Chris

[arnold23]

kimsquit put it best, layne has one of the best articles for peak weak, all these pro's in the magazines have to take extreme measures because anabolic steroids make you retain water more so than a natural bodybuilder. Find someone with a proven track record and do what suits you, if you use steroids, find someone whos helped steroid users peak, and if your natural find someone whos helped natural bodybuilders peak.

[TheIntense1]

I on a regular basis drink about 5 litres of water a day, my show was saturday, on thirsday i drank 4 litres, on friday i drank 2 litres, day of the show i just sipped lightly, so i'd keep pissing. it seemed to work for me anyway, i was dry.

[str8flexed]

8-10 liters the day before the show?

That equals out to like what somewhere around 2 gallons?

I would for sure cut that in half the last day. So go with 2-4 liters the day before the show

Everything else looks ok.
i wouldn't

[str8flexed]

ok I am glad you think it's fine :)

i was also told to cut the bananas out and instead take potassium tabs (99mg) which i have so I dont overspill on carbs.
Was also told to drink the wine the night before so it hits my system in good time.

What's the deal with potassium anyway?


Thanks you deserve some rep by the way.
some people think potassium flushes water out. It's fine to take a few tabs but don't overdo it... if you take too much potassium it can stop your heart

[TJ_Strong]

i wouldn't

Cut your water intake in half the day before the show is what I suggested.

Thats what it says to do in your guide.

2 gallons until friday then on friday, one gallon.

[str8flexed]

i've evolved my thinking on the matter a bit