Dave's pre contest diet

[Hammerfit]

Just curious if you have used the keto diet for pre contest, when and how many cheat meals did you use? Just started client on today who has 14 weeks until show. He has already been carb cycling for 12 weeks and lost 45lbs. He's got about 20 to go I'd say to get really lean. My plan is to run him on Dave's 250lb man version with no cheats for 2 weeks and re-eval then.

[joedemarco]

Just curious if you have used the keto diet for pre contest, when and how many cheat meals did you use? Just started client on today who has 14 weeks until show. He has already been carb cycling for 12 weeks and lost 45lbs. He's got about 20 to go I'd say to get really lean. My plan is to run him on Dave's 250lb man version with no cheats for 2 weeks and re-eval then.

I've used keto for contest prep. I would do a cheat meal as my last meal on a Saturday.

I believe, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, that Dave recommends not to have a cheat meal until you have 2-3 weeks of keto dieting under your belt.

[AVBG]

Correct Joe.. Usually a 14 day induction

[MrAust92]

I use it or rather a slight variation of it, and find it effective, (carbs and I dont have the greatest relationship).

I didnt wait 2 weeks for the first cheat meal though, I had a huge cheat every Sunday night spread over a 2-3 hour period and used this all the way up to 1 week out.

I have never had too much trouble getting lean though, someone whose body tends to be stubborn to lose fat would need to make their own fine-tuning adjustments. For those who need it this is where the coach comes in.

:)

[Rick Prince]

... Dave recommends not to have a cheat meal until you have 2-3 weeks of keto dieting under your belt.

You are absolutely correct.

Good plan, HammerFit.

I used Dave's pre-contest diet for my last six shows. In 2009, I would gain 6 lbs from a cheat meal (pizza, chinese, or mexican). It scared me a bit and I only took advantage of a few cheat meals.

After being on the keto 2 weeks in 2010 I had a cheat meal every Saturday night until two weeks out from my first show. However, I stayed away from high sodium items that caused the 6lb weight gains before.

I followed Dave's off-season diet last year and I am doing so again this off-season. However, I am very carb sensitive and reduced the amount of carbs.

[s2h]

question for anyone??..i cut on a strict keto diet in 06-07...that w/ a slow am cardio worked wonders for me...prob...no matter what i did in the last 2 weeks i never could fill backout...now i use keto til 2 weeks out then ease back into the carbs...anybody alse have this prob???

[Baldiewonkanobi]

I will start my Keto about April 23rd and koinkidinky do my cheat meal
Saturday night. I want to introduce carbs about 10 days out with a caviot. I am doing the Mr. Muscle Beach on July 4th as a warm up and for family/friends here in the West. I will do the Open. Show is now showing
some quality. Goal top 3 against these 20-30 year olds. So my Keto will be interupted. I need to paper this out come to think about it. The 19 days after the MB to the Nationals will come fast.


Baldie

[Rick Prince]

question for anyone??..i cut on a strict keto diet in 06-07...that w/ a slow am cardio worked wonders for me...prob...no matter what i did in the last 2 weeks i never could fill backout...now i use keto til 2 weeks out then ease back into the carbs...anybody alse have this prob???

One show I dropped water too soon and pulled water from the muscle. As a result, I was flat and stringy and could not eat enough carbs to fill back up.

When you carb up, do you also include fats?

[Rick Prince]

I will start my Keto about April 23rd and koinkidinky do my cheat meal Saturday night. I want to introduce carbs about 10 days out with a caviot. I am doing the Mr. Muscle Beach on July 4th as a warm up and for family/friends here in the West. I will do the Open. Show is now showing some quality. Goal top 3 against these 20-30 year olds. So my Keto will be interupted. I need to paper this out come to think about it. The 19 days after the MB to the Nationals will come fast.

Baldie

I am anxious to see what you bring to the stage.
The two shows I did this year were 3 weeks apart (Aug 7 & 28). I started the keto 16 weeks out from the first show. I was fuller the first show but leaner for the second one.

[Mac]

question for anyone??..i cut on a strict keto diet in 06-07...that w/ a slow am cardio worked wonders for me...prob...no matter what i did in the last 2 weeks i never could fill backout...now i use keto til 2 weeks out then ease back into the carbs...anybody alse have this prob???

I never went into keto but when I reached minimal body fat, it took forever to put the weight back on. Even with heavy complex carb intake, it had minimal effect. My plan is to get to my lightest weight 2-3 weeks before the show and then fill up with good clean food, assuming I hit my goal of getting shredded.

[Hammerfit]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I am going to see how he does to determine when and if he gets cheat meals. He's a big guy and has a long way to go. I have found by my mistakes also that pulling water and sodium too early will make you flat. I'll post a pic up later of him so we can follow along on his prep.

[HeavyDutyGuy]

I used it to the letter in 2009. Worked tyo get me intop my best consdition up to that time. Used some of the ideas this past year, got into even better shape. You constantly learn and adjust.

[mrky03]

I've used a carb cycling approach for years with good results. 3 days low carbs carb load on the 4'th. This past year I modified that approach, timed carbs pre and post workout window with good results.

[axioma]

One show I dropped water too soon and pulled water from the muscle. As a result, I was flat and stringy and could not eat enough carbs to fill back up.

When you carb up, do you also include fats?

used keto twice, once as a client of dave's. i got in great condition, however the carb up was too little too late. instead of getting that great load rebound, i just got gas and bloated. i will use keto starting 6 weeks out and introduce carbs gradually over two week period before show IF i am in the right condition! You all know that means being in perfect shape, minus the fill, two weeks before show! That is going to be tough...