Bodybuilding Peaking Strategy

[prcg345]

I am just under 6 weeks out from my first bodybuilding show and have been investigating peaking strategies. I'm self coached so wanted to make sure that I am not doing anything stupid in terms of my peaking. I am going to do a practice peak at 4 weeks out to see how my body responds. I have done extensive research on the topic and formulated a plan and wanted to get some feedback and hear your experience with employing some of these strategies. Or if you have had success with anything that I haven't mentioned here.

My current weight is 92kg at an estimated 7-8% BF. Eating around 3100 kcal/day - 230p/350c/86f. Getting ~14000 steps/day and no dedicated cardio. This has resulted in a consistant 0.84kg/wk weight loss over the last 7 weeks.

Below I outline the strategies that I plan on using during my peak week:

Carb depletion and loading​

6 days out from the show drastically reduce carb intake. Only sources of carbs from veggies and maybe some smll amount of fruit. Trying to keep the fiber in the normal range during the depletion. Do the low-carb diet for 3 days. This is followed by 2 high carb days to replenish the glycogen stores. Then 1 day of baseline dietary intake to reduce any potential bloating from the carb-up days while maintaining the high glycogen levels. Keep moderate dietary intake on show day - consuming only easy digesting foods. Also reduce fiber intake 3-4 days out from the show to reduce gut content.

Water manipulations​

During depletion phase moderately increase water consumption. Keep water intake relatively high for the carb up phase to help with glycogen storage, but slightly lower than during the depletion phase. 1 day out from the show minimize water consumption to promote a decrease in extracellurar water. On show day keep fluids to a minimum.

Sodium and electrolyte manipulation​

Slightly increase sodium intake during the depletion phase. Keep sodium intake high for the carb-up. Restrict sodium 1 day out from the show in conjunction with reduced water intake. On show day keep sodium low to normal. Consume electrolyte drinks if I start cramping up. 2-3 days out start supplementing with potassium to promote intracellular water retention.

Training and activity​

During the depletion phase keep steps high and do 1 lower body and 2 upper body workouts at 2-3 RIR, moderate volume, high rep range to promote glycogen depletion and minimize muscle damage. During the carb up phase reduce step count (short walk after meals to help with digestion). 1 day out keep activity low and only light posing practice.

The plan:​

Day Carbs Protein Fat Calories Steps Training Water Sodium
Mon
75
280
150
2800
17k
lower@3RIR
10L
15g

Tue
75
280
150
2800
16k
upper@3RIR
10L
15g

Wed
75
280
150
2800
15k
upper@3RIR
10L
15g

Thu
800
180
50
4400
8k
rest
8L
12g

Fri
1000
150
50
5000
7k
rest
8L
12g + K

Sat
350
200
80
2900
6k
rest
3-4L
4g + K

Show*
350
200
80
2900
6k
n/a
3-4L
4g + K

*My show is early in the day. I'll be stepping on stage around noon. And the plan is to stay low fat/low protein and consume mostly easy digesting carbs. Also take L-citrulline about 40 min before stepping on stage.

Some closing thoughts/questions​

I have a deload week at maintainance coming up, the practice peak also averages out close to maintainance as well as the peak week itself. So this leaves me with 3 weeks of being in a weight loss phase - if I maintain the same rate of loss I will be going into peak week at 89.5kg and estimated 5-6% BF (assuming I manage to retain all of my muscle, which is probably wishful thinking). So seems like I am in a good spot. But I am wondering if it might be advantageous to try and get to my target bodyfat 2 weeks out and do 1 week of maintainance before starting peak week? Just to let my body recover and muscles fill out before the final peak week push

I've heard that it might be advantageous to do a very light "pump workout" during the carb-up phase to promote nutrient delivery to the muscles. Is this broscience? Or is there something to this idea?

I've seen a lot of these strategies employed by enchanced athletes. Based on my research the underlying mechanisms seem to make sense for naturals as well, but maybe there is something I am not taking into consideration and should avoid some of these as a natural competitor?

Sorry for the long post. Any feedback on my peak week plan would be greatly appreciated!

Most of the plan is based on this article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34120635/

Other sources include various podcasts, articles, and youtube videos.

 

[livingme7]

@prcg345 Be ready 3 weeks out. Try your carb loading strategy to know which day you look best (NOTE: you can look great for several days, it's better to aim the show towards the middle than at the very start, so instead of the first good day take the 2nd or 3rd). The 3 maintenance weeks dissipate diet fatigue/stress and you lose some more interstitial water and probably fill up some muscles.

Get a fake tan, some nice bronzener 3 times in the last 5 days so your face doesn't stand out that much from your body. Don't book a spray tan, get a paint roller, something to stand in and do it backstage with dream tan (bring 2 cans of "formula #2 red bronze" and a seat that only ruins your color at the butt). Seriously the difference between dream tan and spray can be 5 placings. You need someone else to apply it, someone with a critical look and good eye.

Besides normal preworkout (l-citrulline (maybe also arginin/beta-alanin)) you want glycerol powder 2g about 40 min before show and then 5 min before 80% schnaps about 2-4cl depening on body weight.

I've heard that it might be advantageous to do a very light "pump workout" during the carb-up phase to promote nutrient delivery to the muscles. Is this broscience? Or is there something to this idea?

Get a band, a really light one, do fast reps, don't touch your color. Most people don't pump quads, some don't pump delts others dont pump chest. So yeah which striations do you want and which muscles need size to flow into your physique.

What you also need to do is to book a posing coach. @Hersovyacis (on youtube) is really good and way too cheap for his service.

You also want a mat and a blanket + earplugs/sleep mask, backstage can take really long and it's usually cold, you don't need stress there, relax, sleep before it's your turn. The first time, most people got the jitters, shaking a lot as if they flex too hard in the first 2 minutes on stage, that's normal and also disappears after some time.

Your post doesn't mention creatine: Your muscles should be saturated but your blood should be free, you don't want it pulling water somewhere else, don't go 10+ g for a week.

 

[prcg345]

@livingme7 Thanks for the tips! I'm gonna aim to be ready as far out from the show as I can manage and then maintain from there.

I already have a tan booked with the tanner that the event organizers provide. So gonna stick with that for my first time stepping on stage as I feel like I'd just make things worse by taking matters into my own hands. But I'll keep it in mind for the future

Already have a posing coach And I was gonna keep taking creatine at my normal 7.5g/day. From what I can gather creatine has not been shown to increase extracellular water retention so gonna keep it consistant for this trial run, but something I might look into further down the line.

Get a band, a really light one, do fast reps, don't touch your color.

I meant doing a light pump workout during the carb load to promote glycogen storage in muscles. Do you think there is something to it? Or should it just be full on rest during the carb load?

 

[livingme7]

@prcg345 The workout should increase muscle insulin sensitivity and the pumping should promote bloodflow to the muscles. There is something to it but it's probably miniscule since your muscles are already longing for carbs and posing should have the same benefits.

Get a covid mask for the spray tan or you will sneeze out color for days. And don't throw away their thong til your last touch up.

With a spray tan a good layer of bronzener fake tan is even more important, not just for the face but everywhere, there is one brand with white coconut cream that one is probably the least toxic and foam is easier to apply than liquids or drops.

If you got curly body hair an electrical Philips one blade is your best bet to not have ingrown hair pimples.

 

[amysz1217]

@prcg345 For the love of god, please do not manipulate sodium and water intake

 

[prcg345]

@amysz1217 All the points in the article are valid. But to me seems like they come into play only if you employ the wrong strategy (i.e. restricting sodium too early on or restricting water during carb loading). From the research article I linked to in my post:

"Since muscle glycogen creates an osmotic effect, pulling water into the cell as glycogen is stored [26], CHO loading should be carried out in conjunction with water intake [199] so that muscle ICW can be maximized while CHO intake is high."

"Once CHO intake has decreased after glycogen loading, sodium intake may be temporarily reduced since research indicates that the RAAS activation is evident within 24 h and it takes ~ 48 h to observe a sharp increase in plasma aldosterone levels [53]."

"...the participants in the Reale et al. study successfully lost TBW by drinking a large quantity of water (100 ml/kg) for three days followed by significantly cutting water to 15 ml/kg on the fourth day [55] with no deleterious effects."

Though the article does go on to say that you may want to keep sodium and water constant since its easy to fuck it up. Plan is to take a moderate approach of drinking 3-4L (~1 gallon) per day during the low water days and 4g sodium on low sodium days (which is still well within 'normal' ranges). And see how I get on with that protocol. Though that's gonna be the first thing I change if I encounter any struggles with feeling thirsty or cramping during my practice peak.

 

[livingme7]

@amysz1217 He is very conservative with his intake, 5g sodium, 3-4l water that's probably more than most people do regularly.

 

[nicolek]

@prcg345 Seems to risky to me… do a front load or load into the show. That way you can correct, think risk to reward here

 

[prcg345]

@nicolek In what way does my plan seem risky?

 

[nikkideamus]

@prcg345 Do not play with the sodium in the final weeks. This is your first show, there is usually very little meat on that bone even for very experienced competitors, so I personally would not be adding the risk and stress of fucking around with it. I'd add that its also not recommended by the very text you wanted to use as the basis for your peak. play with it post-show while you're still peeled if you want the experiment.

 

[kagenonikki]

@prcg345 Nope nope nope. No need to deplete and load and manipulate water/sodium.

Progressive linear carb load. Take pics everyday, AM and PM. If you start to spill over, keep carbs constant the next day. If you still look flat, increase carbs. Keep water and sodium approximately the same, DO NOT RESTRICT!

 

[prcg345]

@kagenonikki Why not? Surely I would want to take advantage of the supercompensation effect of glycogen stores?

 

[kagenonikki]

@prcg345 You’re already depleted from dieting. No need to deplete even more.