How to lean out in that crucial last week til show?

[Ivan25]

I feel really good about my off-season training and nutrition intake... However, my biggest problem is that week before show... How do I lean out and become as ripped and vascular as possible?

I heard to low-carb 3 days out, then load day before and on day of show... What is the best 1 week out nutritional plan to get cut up and bring out the hamstrings, abs and glutes? Right now, I am probably around 6-7% body fat.... I plan to compete 3 months from now... Also to sip a little red wine backstage before coming out... I also heard any sweet sugar like honey or syrup... But which is better at getting one mor vascular?

Ivan

[yeah buddy]

if your're at 6-7% now and you contest is 3 months away, you shouldn't have any problem. Check out layne's article: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne36.htm
awsome stuff and worked awsome for me. Just read it and maybe do a dry run 6 weeks out just to see how your body responds. To get more vascular almost everyone backstage at my comp used honey and chocolates. I used both and i also sipped on some red wine that i added a little sugar to. Try this out also, because i tried it a few weeks before and i got buzzed so i knew on comp day not to use so much. All u need to know is in layne's article. Pose, pose, pose. Practice everyday, almost to the point of cramping. good luck with the rest of your prep.

[Hulk7280]

I feel really good about my off-season training and nutrition intake... However, my biggest problem is that week before show... How do I lean out and become as ripped and vascular as possible?

I heard to low-carb 3 days out, then load day before and on day of show... What is the best 1 week out nutritional plan to get cut up and bring out the hamstrings, abs and glutes? Right now, I am probably around 6-7% body fat.... I plan to compete 3 months from now... Also to sip a little red wine backstage before coming out... I also heard any sweet sugar like honey or syrup... But which is better at getting one mor vascular?

Ivan

there is no magic trick.. its called bein in conest shape.. at 4% bodyfat.. things like ur glutes and abs are just cut up cause your so lean.. i doubt ur 6 or 7% bodyfat.. u barely looked that low in ur show pics.. vascularity is realy a genetic thing.. look at jay cutler and ronnie coleman.. big ron is way more vascular then jay... thats just genetics imo

[Ivan25]

What did my % body fat look like in my contest pics? And what potential do you see in me? I did a bad job at posing too... I didn't stay hard on stage...

Ivan

[Hulk7280]

What did my % body fat look like in my contest pics? And what potential do you see in me? I did a bad job at posing too... I didn't stay hard on stage...

Ivan

i dunno 6.. maybe, dont always go by what calipers say.. there are so many variables that can make it your bodyfat lower then it is.. and the lower ur bodyfat is.. the more off the calipers are.. go by the mirror, to me u looked lean.. but you didnt look contest lean.. u didnt have striations or lines everywhere.. u just had the major muscle group seperation, but u couldnt see all the teeny tiny muscles.. i dunno just my opinion.. like i said.. no magic trick ivan.. everybody always thinks it is osme kinda trick that makes u look super ripped, but its not, its just plain hard work and dieting that simple.. its dieting down propery, cardio and weight training.. tom platz, a lot of bb wont even carb deplete and load, if they look great about two weeks out.. they just keep doing what there doing..

[str8flexed]

you should be ready to go one week out. If you are worried about losing bodyfat in the last week you won't be able to deplete/replete properly

[Ivan25]

Thanks for the replies guys... I got some good new threads im gonna post in a few min here... I will definitely work on leaning out better for my next show... For now, it's back to the mass building phase...

Ivan

[patfactorx]

Eat Celery and Splenda. Makes a great snack, easy way to lose weight =op

[Baileyblue52]

Great response! (This is my first comment ever on bodyspace..... didn't realize you can really connect with people on here like ********. I'm going to need to do this more often!) I'm going to check out that article you posted while trying new things. Red wine always scare me because of the dehydration. I've trained all last year with John Meadows of mountaindogdiet and impressive he has all his athletes go without diuretics and wine. I thought it was hilarious that months before my show, I gobbled down a bag of chocolates. two days later I looked like a freak with my vascularity. I never ate chocolates backstage.... but after having my little chow town... I'm bringing the Reese Cups!

[pharmakeith86]

I feel really good about my off-season training and nutrition intake... However, my biggest problem is that week before show... How do I lean out and become as ripped and vascular as possible?

I heard to low-carb 3 days out, then load day before and on day of show... What is the best 1 week out nutritional plan to get cut up and bring out the hamstrings, abs and glutes? Right now, I am probably around 6-7% body fat.... I plan to compete 3 months from now... Also to sip a little red wine backstage before coming out... I also heard any sweet sugar like honey or syrup... But which is better at getting one mor vascular?

Ivan

First and foremost EVERYONE is different. One thing may work for you and not for someone else. I would say since you are so low in body fat to experiment before training. If you take in a bunch of sugar before you train then run through some exercises..take a look at your physique and how it responded to that type of food. If you are pumped and vascular then you have found your weapon. However, some people can eat a bag of potato chips and achieve a ridiculous look. You have to experiment with the foods before that crucial last week so you have a game plan.

As far as the low carb days leading up to the show. In my opinion your body is at its most sensitive state so I would never cut my carbs down super low due to the fact you can flatten out rather quickly. If that happens it will take longer than you expect to fill back up. I would say since you are at 6 to 7 percent body fat whatever you are doing is working so maintain that till show day. If anything just increase your work load in the cardio department to get that extra detail. If you are looking for more detail in glutes and hamstrings you should be killing the step mill and also incorporating glute kick backs regularly. Use it as a warm up!

I wouldn't recommend going nuts with carbs the day of the show to run the risk of serious bloating in the stomach. We all know one of the biggest things frowned upon is distention so make sure you easy your carbs back into your system. Possibly 3 days out maybe even 4 depending on how sensitive your stomach is.

As far as the syrup and red wine and all of that you have to keep in mind the type of food that is. SUGAR. That will be in and out of your system faster than you think. One of my biggest pet peeves about shows is you never know when you are going to be out on stage so timing your pump up and food is probably the trickiest part on show day. The judges ALWAYS screw up the show in one way or another when it comes to delays. The last show I did I actually ate a bacon cheeseburger with fries the night before and as soon as I touch a weight i had veins everywhere. Beef digests slowly and sodium is essential in muscle contraction. Combining the two gave me a winning combo for my body. Just dont guzzle tons of water after that burger so you do not retain any water the day before. If you dont drink water the sodium has nothing to absorb so you should not bloat up.

Remember as I said before this is something that has worked for me and some of my contest prep clients. Give some salty foods and sweet foods a try before training to see what makes you pop! Keep me updated!