A safe approach the last week?

[Norah]

Hi guys

After reading what Dr. Joe writes and being around in a lot of precontest-threads in this forum I have started wondering if it is time to take another approach!

The thing is... I am ready for figure - my fat % is around 10-12% and I have started to get striation in my glutes!!?? This is the first time for me
I am primarily a figure-girl ... so I think it is starting to be TO MUCH but since I also is doing the new Ms Fit Body show under INBF ... maybe not!?

Regarding my training --> I do not want to cut back on training - I know from past experience that if I do so I stress my body and I will start holding water like crazy when I am near competition... so this is not a choice.

I recently started eating a lot more carbs/calories to slow my fatlose but this only made me loose more weight since my metabolisme skyrocketed... so the last couple of days I have cut back on my normal low-carb approach...

I have been on the low-carb approach almost my whole diet - I am under normal circumstances extremely carb-sensitive and holds water very easy ... spills over like a waterfall in only few hours! I have also been very "squeezy" this past week because of the carbs.. I do not look half as good as I do without the carbs... maybe I am a little more full but not as cut!


I noticed last year when I did my 3 days of carbdepletion with training and diet (mon-wen) also drinking 2-3 gallons of water that I looked my best ever!!
My vascularity was crazy, I was rock hard and did some very good workouts with HIGH ENERGY...
... I then did my usually --> startede carbloading thurs-fri (4-500 gr. carbs) with no-sodium foods, droping water to almost nothing friday and adding potassium... YES - I am a "lemming"

Noticed friday that I looked the same as thursday and the day of the competition I did not look as good as thursday... OK - I was a little more dry but not as full... I did well a the competition but hink I could have been better and my physique not was at it's best



Now my question...

What would you do?

? Would you continue normal training until few days before the show not manipulating anything else then starting to increase water (around now) keeping my normal diet? (70-100 gr carbs - 200 gr. protein and 30-40 gr. fats)
? Then only do day-to-day changes based on how I look the last couple of days primarely by modifying carb intake by 20-30 gr. at time... and first cut out water friday evening and change my food to some with less sodium during friday.

Do you think this will get me in good condition with minimal risk of overloading the carbs and ending up all soft?

Is there another approach you would find better?

For example loading a higher amount of carbs the weekend before the show and then mon-friday lowcarbing... taking down the total amount little day by day.

What do you think about drinking some kind of isotonic sport drink between pre-judging and finals to get the vascularity up?


/Norah

[rayteresa4]

If you have read about Dr. Joe K...then you have read his "Peak Week" suggestions. I work with a trainer who actually is franchising with Dr. Joe here in Washington State...I would suggest you contact her with these same questions...she could certainly walk you through "Peak Week". She is a WNBF Pro...denise@unitedfitness.org or go to www.unitedfitness.org . She is fantastic and knows her Dr. Joe Stuff, plus has a few tricks of her own to incorporate... Generally though during Peak Week according to Dr. Joe and Denise my trainer, you carb load starting Sunday before comp...continue to drink water until Friday afternoon, and have salt until friday afternoon...your muscles require water and carbs to be full - the carbs will follow the water into your muscles...contact Denise and she will help you a great deal. Best of luck to you - keep me posted.