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  1. #1
    BARBARIAN BROTHER joedemarco's Avatar
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    Default Q&A: Show Prep-The Final Weeks/Days

    I've seen similar threads around and thought it might be a good idea to have one in the masters section. Nothing worse then training hard/dieting for months and then blowing it the last couple of weeks with poor decisions in regards to tanning products, sodium, water, posing, etc....

    Over my 20 years of bodybuilding competitions, I've pretty much tried it all. To this day, I am still learning when it comes to "dialing" it in on contest day. However, I seem to have a pretty good system down for looking my best on contest day. I hope that I can also share some of my mistakes over the years.

    Let me start by saying that if you're not in shape 1-2 weeks out from your contest, there is no miracle tricks. However, if you ARE in shape, there is plenty you can do to really accentuate your physique. As many of you know, bodybuilding contests can be lost by the smallest of margins. Therefore, anything you can do to give yourself that final edge is critical.
    Last edited by joedemarco; 11-27-2009 at 01:26 PM.

  2. #2
    FREAK Baldiewonkanobi's Avatar
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    Joe this exactly why I am doing the Mr. Muscle Beach open division 2 weeks before the NPC Nationals. I MUST be in the best condition (far from my biggest for obvious reasons) of my life or get humiliated up there with the 20-30 year olds. I hold my own on the sand...then I will be on target for the stage lights against the geezers 2 weeks later.


    Read the following for fun only...DO NOT ATTEMPT.......
    There was one big 'however' in my past. The Over 40 Mr. Muscle Beach was done on a whim. I started my prep only 2 weeks out on a dare. I was huge from AAS and my WO partner said all I needed was to get the water out. I went on a 2 week fish/water diet and cardioed and steam roomed my butt off. When I arrived the July 4th beach was xtra packed because Sergio's WO partner flew out to compete in the Over 40s. My division. It was MY day. Avitar pic.



    I lost a Mr. A due to my refusal to use any tanning coloring. I had an amazing natural sun tan going. The stage lights had some yellows mixed in and I flattened out under the lights like a just ironed white bed sheet. 3rd place.

    I have waited too long and carried on jiggly water on the sides and back. Once I freaked and ate an entire German Choc cake on the morning of the show and took a 5th. 5am ripped abs turned into 11am "Food baby".

    If it has been done wrong I have done it all. This is the first time I have ever lean bulked...staying near 10-12% for over a year. No more 260 then diet down looking like a 195 pound Shar Pei puppy. I went DOWN to 194 in mid July and now SLOOWLY working back up until April 1st.

    Baldie

  3. #3
    BARBARIAN BROTHER joedemarco's Avatar
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    Default Posing

    I can't tell you how many times I've seen a first class physique at a show only to see the individual blow it because they didn't know how to pose.

    All of the weeks of dieting and training go right out the window if you don't take the time to practice posing. You can't lose sight on what you are training for.....a bodybuilding show! Therefore, you have to make the time to practice your posing.

    When I first started competing 20 years ago, I use to spend hours upon hours practicing my posing. I would go through stacks of bodybuilding magazines and find poses that I thought would accentuate my strong points. I would also get into great detail as to what I could do to help improve my poses. Maybe a little turn of the leg or twist of the hip would bring out an extra striation.

    Now as I prepare to compete, I have a little system that a follow. About 8 weeks out, I practice my quarter turns each day. Holding my "relaxed" poses (front, both sides, and back) for 30-60 seconds. Your relaxed poses are very important. You want to look good "standing relaxed" because often this is the way you are standing when the judges initially see you.

    Next, at about 6 weeks out, I add in my mandatories each day. Once again, these are so important to perform well and make sure you display your hard work to the best of your ability.

    At about 4 weeks out, I practice my posing routines. I run threw them everyday. If you are new to competing/posing, I would suggest beginning your routine practice more like 6-8 weeks out.

    The judges can have you out on stage for quite sometime if you're in a tough class. Nothing looks worse then if you start getting tired and beginning shaking or sweating out of control because you are so exhausted. Champions always look confident and make posing look easy. Judges can see that.

    I don't mean to sound like a broken record but we compete in bodybuilding so PRACTICE YOUR POSING! It's a huge key to your success!

  4. #4
    BARBARIAN BROTHER joedemarco's Avatar
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    Default Tanning

    Nothing kills your hard work more then a bad tan on competition day. For those who have never competed before, you should know that stage lights are really bright. Even if you think you look really tanned off stage, you will be surprised how light you look when you step on stage.

    If you're like me, as a master competitor, you don't won't anymore sun exposure. I've had waaaaaay more then my share of sun when I was young and stupid. Therefore, I don't tan AT ALL prior to a contest. However, I have a pretty good system that I use and my stage color usually looks great. In fact, it was funny that at this past Team Universe, Dave P. mentioned in his play by play that I had a "great tan"...lol. I added in a pic below to demonstrate my color from this past September. I got this color without one minute in the sun or in a tanning booth.

    About 3 days out, I begin applying Pro Tan. I apply about 3 coats a day. I will show and let the excess come off each night. The Pro Tan is like my "base". It takes the place of me actually tanning in the sun.

    The night before the contest, I apply a coat of Jan Tana competition tan. I won't shower this off. The day of the show (usually prejudging for national level shows is Friday evening) I apply additional coats of Jan Tana competition tan every 3 hours or so. Usually by the time of prejudging, I have about 4 coats on (my final coat is usually back stage right before the first call out).

    After prejudging on Friday night, I will shower (which usually washes off the Jan Tana but leaves most of the Pro Tan on). I will put on another coat of Pro Tan before bed. The following day, I will begin to put coats of Jan Tana on before Saturday evening finals.

    If you are new to competition, I would strong suggest experimenting with your tanning products prior to your show. A bad tan can really ruin months of training/dieting. You want that tan to look perfect on the day of competition!
    Attached Images Attached Images

  5. #5
    BARBARIAN BROTHER joedemarco's Avatar
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    Default Tanning - addendum

    One final note on applying tanning products prior to a contest. When I first start applying color, I do not apply it to my face. I also avoid my hands and feet initially. If you start applying color to your face to early, it will become way to dark by contest day. I've seen guys make this mistake, and it looks somewhat comical when they are on stage. Their face will be 4 shades darker then the rest of their body.

    I don't apply color to my face until the day of the show. The same goes for my hands and feet. These areas tend to get really dark, really quickly.

  6. #6
    GYM RAT tony63's Avatar
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    Dr. Joe,

    Are you a fan of the final weeks Carb deplete/Water load - Carb load/Water deplete schemes?

    I know there are a ton of variables to consider but what is your overall opinion??

    Thx..

  7. #7
    BARBARIAN BROTHER joedemarco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tony63 View Post
    Dr. Joe,

    Are you a fan of the final weeks Carb deplete/Water load - Carb load/Water deplete schemes?

    I know there are a ton of variables to consider but what is your overall opinion??

    Thx..
    I was carb depleted going into my final week of prep this past September because I was on Dave's keto diet. I did carb load but not until Thursday afternoon (prejudging was Friday night, finals on Saturday). I would have started carb loading a day earlier but couldn't because I was killing myself trying to make my weight (weigh-ins were Thursday afternoon).

    In regards to water, I don't fully deplete. However, I do switch to distilled water about 3 days before prejudging (I also cut sodium out two days before). I used 1.5 gallons on Tuesday, a gallon on Wednesday, 1/2 gallon on Thursday, and sipped as needed on Friday (prejudging). I could almost feel my skin tightening up everytime I went to the bathroom. This technique seemed to work well for me. Hope this answers your question.

  8. #8
    GYM RAT tony63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by joedemarco View Post
    I was carb depleted going into my final week of prep this past September because I was on Dave's keto diet. I did carb load but not until Thursday afternoon (prejudging was Friday night, finals on Saturday). I would have started carb loading a day earlier but couldn't because I was killing myself trying to make my weight (weigh-ins were Thursday afternoon).

    In regards to water, I don't fully deplete. However, I do switch to distilled water about 3 days before prejudging (I also cut sodium out two days before). I used 1.5 gallons on Tuesday, a gallon on Wednesday, 1/2 gallon on Thursday, and sipped as needed on Friday (prejudging). I could almost feel my skin tightening up everytime I went to the bathroom. This technique seemed to work well for me. Hope this answers your question.

    Thank you. It answers my question very well. I was considering doing Dave's keto plan too, and was curious about the carb load if any for a show. Did you up your fats or decrease them during the load?
    Same with protein!

  9. #9
    BARBARIAN BROTHER joedemarco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tony63 View Post
    Thank you. It answers my question very well. I was considering doing Dave's keto plan too, and was curious about the carb load if any for a show. Did you up your fats or decrease them during the load?
    Same with protein!
    I was severely carb and fat depleted during that final week. I was having a difficult time getting down to 154 pounds. That is why I will be moving up to the welter weight class in 2010 (165 pounds). After weigh-ins on Thursday afternoon, I began eating 1/2 cup of oatmeal with a tablespoon of peanut butter every three hours or so. That is essentially what I loaded on until prejudging on Friday night. It seemed to work well for me. Protein was kept relatively the same.

    Over my 20 years of competing of have pretty much tried it all. However, what I did this past September seemed to work the best for me. Will I do it exactly the same in 2010? Who knows...lol.

  10. #10

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    Dave's PEAK WEEK protocol:
    DAYS TILL CONTEST CARBOHYDRATES***
    6 days out No carbohydrates
    5 days out No carbohydrates
    4 days out No carbohydrates
    3 days out 30g carbs per meal x 6 meals
    2 days out 40g carbs per meal x 6 meals
    1 day out 50g carbs per meal x 6 meals - cut sodium, cut water at 5 PM
    Contest Day 30g carbs per meal

    As for the potassium and sodium, I'd just go with 3 days of 500+mg, then taper down 1 day of 250mg, then normal, then below 250mg.

    Water should be doubled what you drink now.

    Found this on another thread- Daves Peak week - what do you guys think? To me the carb up seems too low- for me anyway..

  11. #11
    OLYMPIAN esplendido's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HeavyDutyGuy View Post
    Dave's PEAK WEEK protocol:
    DAYS TILL CONTEST CARBOHYDRATES***
    6 days out No carbohydrates
    5 days out No carbohydrates
    4 days out No carbohydrates
    3 days out 30g carbs per meal x 6 meals
    2 days out 40g carbs per meal x 6 meals
    1 day out 50g carbs per meal x 6 meals - cut sodium, cut water at 5 PM
    Contest Day 30g carbs per meal

    As for the potassium and sodium, I'd just go with 3 days of 500+mg, then taper down 1 day of 250mg, then normal, then below 250mg.

    Water should be doubled what you drink now.

    Found this on another thread- Daves Peak week - what do you guys think? To me the carb up seems too low- for me anyway..
    Too low.....way low! But that's if you're in shape 6 days out. If not, you better still be dropping fat up to contest time.

  12. #12
    UltraFit360.com axioma's Avatar
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    Agree, too low. This is what I did last show and the photos are the proof. Avatar and others three weeks out, show that I just needed to harden and dry out. continuing to deplete with an inadequate carb load left me flat. I am going to let it hang out with the load this time.

  13. #13
    UltraFit360.com axioma's Avatar
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    Thanks for the great thread BTW! Great info, can never get too much GOOD info for that final week/days/hours before show.

    Any suggestions on dealing with cortisol related to adrenaline dump? I have really seen some guys fall apart from nerves and their conditioning just disappears! Happened to me in my first show, entered two divisions and I was exhausted more from the adrenal damage that anything. Meditate?

  14. #14
    Administrator Mac's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by axioma View Post
    Thanks for the great thread BTW! Great info, can never get too much GOOD info for that final week/days/hours before show.

    Any suggestions on dealing with cortisol related to adrenaline dump? I have really seen some guys fall apart from nerves and their conditioning just disappears! Happened to me in my first show, entered two divisions and I was exhausted more from the adrenal damage that anything. Meditate?
    Anti-cortisol supplementation, Phosphatidylserine has worked well for me. There are others but this one has scientific studies, not just broscience.

    And some meditation and positive thinking. Don't let your mind think you're under stress.

  15. #15
    UltraFit360.com axioma's Avatar
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    Dr. Joe-keep this thread going....please! The last week/days is when we tend to be our own worst enemy! Give us some more nuggets.

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