Worst contest prep advice?

[JohnJewett]

I thought this would be entertaining lol. Lets here what the worst advice you have been giving during contest prep. Maybe this is something you even implemented and disaster stuck. I think peak weak is where we will hear the craziest protocols.

I've been lucky to have good guidance and even things I tried were from reputable sources. However, I had my run in with some crazy advice prepping for my second show. I ran into a guy at the gym and he claimed he was a "natural" pro and had his masters in nutrition....hmm maybe he understands the body. Let me tell you you can have education and had competed and looked good but it doesn't mean you are doing it optimally. This guy told me for a Saturday show increase water to 3 gallons Monday, 2 gallons Tuesday, 1 Gallon Wednesday, then Thursday and Friday drink ZERO water. I had to clarify and he repeated absolutely zero water. He told me how dry he got and that he lost 20lbs. This was the most ignorant thing I ever heard. I've you are stage ready lean for most of my clients and myself I never cut water. Dehydrating yourself for 2 days is dangerous, but it would leave you looking extremely flat. Glad I can think for myself cause man that would have sucked lol.

[IronPreacher]

I thought this would be entertaining lol. Lets here what the worst advice you have been giving during contest prep. Maybe this is something you even implemented and disaster stuck. I think peak weak is where we will hear the craziest protocols.

I've been lucky to have good guidance and even things I tried were from reputable sources. However, I had my run in with some crazy advice prepping for my second show. I ran into a guy at the gym and he claimed he was a "natural" pro and had his masters in nutrition....hmm maybe he understands the body. Let me tell you you can have education and had competed and looked good but it doesn't mean you are doing it optimally. This guy told me for a Saturday show increase water to 3 gallons Monday, 2 gallons Tuesday, 1 Gallon Wednesday, then Thursday and Friday drink ZERO water. I had to clarify and he repeated absolutely zero water. He told me how dry he got and that he lost 20lbs. This was the most ignorant thing I ever heard. I've you are stage ready lean for most of my clients and myself I never cut water. Dehydrating yourself for 2 days is dangerous, but it would leave you looking extremely flat. Glad I can think for myself cause man that would have sucked lol.

luckily i didn't get any crazy advices during my dieting phases but some top pro (young guy) got advice from that he should drink distilled water and he acutally considered doing that. He would F*** up last days of his prep ..fortunate enough he checked that advice

[LayzieBone085]

Worst advice I could reel off a ton

- Don't start posing until you start contest prep (you should be posing year round)

- Make the diet shorter so its less harmful on your metabolism (while true to an extent) most people can't get in stage condition or shape in 12-16 weeks. They need much longer time because they do not realize how out of shape they are

- Cut water and sodium (Water and sodium help drive nutrients into your muscles and keep your body full... If you cut both you see a lot of people look flat and can not get a pump.. water sodium and carbs help drive the body to help give you a vascular look and pump)

- Don't try chasing a number on the scale, chase your BEST LOOK.

*** I see so many competitors who try to suck down to a weightclass when in reality they are fighting their own body, losing muscle, and losing fullness. Bodybuilding is about looking your best. All divisions are about looking your best. When you sacrifice muscle and try to limit your body to next to nothing at the end of a prep it may backfire and make you look flat. Sometimes looking your best and coming in lighter to a weightclass will give you a BETTER package on stage.

I could keep going.

[Rex]

-You HAVE to cut sodium Wednesday before a Saturday show. Period.

-Take 1-2 of these Friday morning, night and maybe Saturday morning (Lasix 40mg per tab.)

I´m sure I can think of a couple more later...

[JohnJewett]

Worst advice I could reel off a ton

- Don't start posing until you start contest prep (you should be posing year round)

- Make the diet shorter so its less harmful on your metabolism (while true to an extent) most people can't get in stage condition or shape in 12-16 weeks. They need much longer time because they do not realize how out of shape they are

- Cut water and sodium (Water and sodium help drive nutrients into your muscles and keep your body full... If you cut both you see a lot of people look flat and can not get a pump.. water sodium and carbs help drive the body to help give you a vascular look and pump)

- Don't try chasing a number on the scale, chase your BEST LOOK.

*** I see so many competitors who try to suck down to a weightclass when in reality they are fighting their own body, losing muscle, and losing fullness. Bodybuilding is about looking your best. All divisions are about looking your best. When you sacrifice muscle and try to limit your body to next to nothing at the end of a prep it may backfire and make you look flat. Sometimes looking your best and coming in lighter to a weightclass will give you a BETTER package on stage.

I could keep going.

I think you are right about sucking down to make weight. You might not be the biggest in the class above, but being the biggest does make you a winner

[JohnJewett]

-You HAVE to cut sodium Wednesday before a Saturday show. Period.

-Take 1-2 of these Friday morning, night and maybe Saturday morning (Lasix 40mg per tab.)

I´m sure I can think of a couple more later...

Never tried Lasix, I know some very reputable people that have got it to work. But most of the time I hear nightmares from it.

[LayzieBone085]

I think you are right about sucking down to make weight. You might not be the biggest in the class above, but being the biggest does make you a winner

Weight is just a number. Its about how you look on stage.

[Jay Nera]

Weight is just a number. Its about how you look on stage.

Everyone will completely agree but sometimes people strive to get into certain weight classes as well because they know who they will look best next to as well.

[Rex]

Never tried Lasix, I know some very reputable people that have got it to work. But most of the time I hear nightmares from it.

Well... I have a friend (seriously), he also won the German Nationals overall, who knew exactly how to make it work for his own body. It´s probably one of the strongest diuretics and you have to be really dead on with timing and dosage.

[Rex]

Everyone will completely agree but sometimes people strive to get into certain weight classes as well because they know who they will look best next to as well.

Yes. Sometimes it´s all about strategy. In some cases, even if that means you´re going to look a little flat, being the biggest guy in the Heavies might be better than being the smallest in the Super Heavies, for example.

[LayzieBone085]

Everyone will completely agree but sometimes people strive to get into certain weight classes as well because they know who they will look best next to as well.

Some people who try to suck down into those classes sometimes lose their best look. That is the only downfall. Now if they can win by doing so, kudos to them, but sometimes it backfires.

[ChrisTuttle]

I thought this would be entertaining lol. Lets here what the worst advice you have been giving during contest prep. Maybe this is something you even implemented and disaster stuck. I think peak weak is where we will hear the craziest protocols.

I've been lucky to have good guidance and even things I tried were from reputable sources. However, I had my run in with some crazy advice prepping for my second show. I ran into a guy at the gym and he claimed he was a "natural" pro and had his masters in nutrition....hmm maybe he understands the body. Let me tell you you can have education and had competed and looked good but it doesn't mean you are doing it optimally. This guy told me for a Saturday show increase water to 3 gallons Monday, 2 gallons Tuesday, 1 Gallon Wednesday, then Thursday and Friday drink ZERO water. I had to clarify and he repeated absolutely zero water. He told me how dry he got and that he lost 20lbs. This was the most ignorant thing I ever heard. I've you are stage ready lean for most of my clients and myself I never cut water. Dehydrating yourself for 2 days is dangerous, but it would leave you looking extremely flat. Glad I can think for myself cause man that would have sucked lol.

This is going to be good but where do I begin. When I first started competing there really wasn't any coaches so it was just reading on the net and trial and error. However, you did end up getting guys giving other guys advice backstage. I heard seen: Carbing up on a loaf of bread and muscle milk, pumping up legs back stage doing body weight squats, cutting out water on wed before the show with sauna on Friday and no sodium, ect. I could go on about many other things as well. The best is when you hear coaches laying out a whole 12 week prep diet. HAHAH

[ChrisTuttle]

Yes. Sometimes it´s all about strategy. In some cases, even if that means you´re going to look a little flat, being the biggest guy in the Heavies might be better than being the smallest in the Super Heavies, for example.

Yup like me! At nationals I lost 16 lbs in 30 hours to make weight at 198. Then filled back up to 205 and won the light heavy.

[ChrisTuttle]

Weight is just a number. Its about how you look on stage.

100%!

[ChrisTuttle]

Never tried Lasix, I know some very reputable people that have got it to work. But most of the time I hear nightmares from it.

Yeah it is just not worth the risk of flattening out and or dying HAHAH

[npcdusty]

that was one of my favorite video stories!!! in case you guys have never seen or heard it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaMYbS7Hw-w

Yup like me! At nationals I lost 16 lbs in 30 hours to make weight at 198. Then filled back up to 205 and won the light heavy.

[Rex]

Yup like me! At nationals I lost 16 lbs in 30 hours to make weight at 198. Then filled back up to 205 and won the light heavy.

That was the sauna torture you went through. Right?

[Rex]

Yeah it is just not worth the risk of flattening out and or dying HAHAH

For some it´s just another way to die... who cares?

[ChrisTuttle]

that was one of my favorite video stories!!! in case you guys have never seen or heard it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaMYbS7Hw-w

I am going to do a video on that whole prep! Quite a good story! Much I did not tell.

[ChrisTuttle]

For some it´s just another way to die... who cares?

Sometimes I think these comps have no idea how powerful these drugs are. They think it is like just taking another few advil or something