5 days out from first competition... TROUBLESHOOTING

I am competing in bikini division on Saturday. So here's the problem... I'm super lean on top, to the point of looking too dry. But I am still holding a lot of water in my ass/ backs of my legs.

Originally I was going to stick to my original diet through the entire week (not drop any carbs) and start cutting my water on Thursday and load up with more dry carbs on Friday. Now that this problem has become more apparent and I've been freaking out to my trainer about it, we are dropping my carbs in half until Friday, and then I will carb load according to plan. We're not adding in any extra fats so I'm actually going to be in more of a deficit this week. We're also bumping up my cardio this week.

I'm freaking out now that I am going to either be too loose on the bottom or too tight on the top. I know for bikini you will not place well if your abs are too defined and mine are already showing a TON. BUT the little jiggle below my butt is even worse.

Is this a good approach?

Is it too much water or too much fat? Do you hold more fat in your bum? That is how I am and it is always the last to go. Freaky ripped and vascular up top with about 6 more ponds to lose from hips and thighs.

Hopefully your diet will help. At this point that's all you can do, not enough time to change anything else. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Pictures of your current condition would help. You might be freaking out about nothing.

My guess would be that you still have a bit of fat to lose. Probably not much, but it's concentrated on your lower half. In terms of what you can do, there isn't much left at 5 days out. You're not going to lose an appreciable amount of fat in that time. Just do what your coach tells you (that's why you paid them) and go have fun at your show!

Doing the Muscle Classic on Sat? If so see you there!
If you truly believe that this is due to you holding excess water, dropping more of it will make areas like your core even more defined/tight as well.. which isn't necessarily what you want in Bikini.
I agree with the poster above, there isn't much you can do with 5 days left. Best option, imo, is to continue with your diet and try to balance water/peak 100% as planned.

I do hold all my fat in my lower half; I always thought I just needed to lose more fat, but my coach swears it's just excess water. Anyway, we've agreed that the only way to truly fix the problem is to seriously build my hamstrings and glutes, which obviously isn't going to happen in 5 days.... So I guess there's nothing I can do.

Here are some pics from today but they're not the best. You can sorta see what I'm talking about in the butt but I think it's more apparent in other lighting.

[QUOTE=Shredthetics;1021176193]Doing the Muscle Classic on Sat? If so see you there!
If you truly believe that this is due to you holding excess water, dropping more of it will make areas like your core even more defined/tight as well.. which isn't necessarily what you want in Bikini.
I agree with the poster above, there isn't much you can do with 5 days left. Best option, imo, is to continue with your diet and try to balance water/peak 100% as planned.[/QUOTE]

Yup I'll be there! :)

[QUOTE=muffinmits;1021309133]I do hold all my fat in my lower half; I always thought I just needed to lose more fat, but my coach swears it's just excess water. Anyway, we've agreed that the only way to truly fix the problem is to seriously build my hamstrings and glutes, which obviously isn't going to happen in 5 days.... So I guess there's nothing I can do.

Here are some pics from today but they're not the best. You can sorta see what I'm talking about in the butt but I think it's more apparent in other lighting.[/QUOTE]

I think you might be freaking out about nothing...I see nothing "excessive" in either of those pictures. Your conditioning looks great, and I think your legs look amazing. Maybe its just jitters so close to contest?

[QUOTE=utgunslinger13;1021320503]I think you might be freaking out about nothing...I see nothing "excessive" in either of those pictures. Your conditioning looks great, and I think your legs look amazing. Maybe its just jitters so close to contest?[/QUOTE]

Well thank you :) Yeah, it's nothing really terrible; I just like to get things perfect. Also it definitely looks worse in other lighting! I suppose there's always room for improvement though. Thanks to everyone who responded.

the front is usually the easier side to bring in and thats on and ready to go and the back side is what separates the best of the best and yours looks great, and again like what other have said, you have nothing to worry about, best of luck and you should do great!

Nothing to freak out about. You look ready and you will look even better once you get tanned up and on stage! Best of luck!

You look good to go OP. don't worry about it, they aren't looking for striated glutes in bikini ;). You'll do well. Let us know how it goes.

You look very good for bikini, don't worry.

Damn you'r hot. :p


Good luck. :)

I think you look great! Good luck :)

[url]http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/the-stubborn-fat-solution[/url]

Check this out. dont agree with everything in it, but he spends quite a bit a time on what you are worried about.

That being said, you look a lot better than you describe.

you got this.

you look great! all you need is your spray tan! Good Luck!

Good luck today!!

Today was the big day for you. from what i see you will do great!

Ok girl! Put the brownies down!! Dying to know how you did.

BodySpace pics look good! Congrats on a solid showing!

Thank you all so much for your support! I haven't looked at this thread since the show, but I ended up placing third in my class! I'm going to work on building up the hammies and glutes and then doing another show in the summer :)

[QUOTE=muffinmits;1030381843]Thank you all so much for your support! I haven't looked at this thread since the show, but I ended up placing third in my class! I'm going to work on building up the hammies and glutes and then doing another show in the summer :)[/QUOTE]

Hey that's great! Did you talk to the judges, get feedback? That's the best way to get your name out there, work the political side of the sport....

[QUOTE=megdaig;1030395143]Hey that's great! Did you talk to the judges, get feedback? That's the best way to get your name out there, work the political side of the sport....[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately I did not talk to the judges afterwards. I kicked myself later, after realizing that I should have been trying to network that way, but my friends had all come to my show and I was hungry and thirsty and they whisked me away quickly by enticing me with donuts. ANYWAY, I did email the head judge so hopefully I will hear back from him soon. I know if I want to succeed I do need to get my name out there more and I definitely need to become more proactive at online networking and stuff like that, lol. I'm also trying to decide how I want to go about training for this next show; it seems that joining a team or hiring a well known trainer can be very beneficial. So currently I'm trying to sort out what the best option is, and also working on a setting a clean diet for myself (no more binging on loaves of bread!!!)

Congrats! Was this your first show?