My peak week program is designed to dispel the myths about contest prep and, in the process, place your physique on the fast track to success. I'm devoting an entire video series to contest preparation because no topic in all of bodybuilding is surrounded by as many myths and as much "Bro"-science as the seven days preceding a physique contest.
Almost all these "super-secret" and "specialized" peaking programs are some version of the following sequence:
- Sunday through Tuesday: Low or no carbs. Super high water consumption, high sodium intake, and high-rep "depletion" workouts.
- Wednesday and Thursday: Begin super-aggressive carb load. Beginning Thursday, reduce sodium and water. No more workouts or cardio beginning Wednesday.
- Friday: Continue carb load and water and sodium reduction. By this point, most of these plans will have you consuming less than half your normal water intake; some may draw you down to zero. Sodium is usually zero by this point, at which point potassium loading typically begins. Begin taking a diuretic.
- Saturday: Continue carb load. Consume almost no water and no sodium while continuing to load potassium and take a diuretic.
If you followed this protocol, you probably looked flat and soft onstage, which you left shaking your head in disgust. You probably shook you head even harder when you woke up the day after the show looking great!
What the heck just happened, you probably thought. Well, What happened is that you sabotaged yourself.
The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way. I'm here to explain what happened, and how you can avoid this fate in the future.
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