How do bodybuilders prepare for a show

Things can happen, and you want to make sure you stay hydrated. It's also a good idea to have some kind of electrolyte drink. Bring a banana for some extra potassium, as well, and at least one towel.

Baby wipes are also really nice to have for cleaning off excess tan on your hands or your face after you get offstage. The final thing I like to have in my bag is just some kind of sugar or candy.

People underestimate how exhausting a show is, and the main benefit of quick sugar is to keep your energy up. If nothing else, it's better to have something and not need it than need it and not have it.

Posing is extremely important in bodybuilding shows. I've seen physiques that should have beat me by a long shot, but I end up winning due to posing. Posing and tan are the biggest things that people mess up and it's really sad to see somebody who's put a lot of work into building a physique and just doesn't know how to display it.

I have my competitors start posing daily a minimum of four weeks before a show. The only reason I hesitate to do a lot of posing prior to that is because posing can be a real challenge mentally, and if you start too early it can be frustrating if you're not in good condition yet. Whether you're doing physique, classic physique, or bodybuilding, start by holding each pose for 10 seconds, then the next week go up to 20 seconds, then 30 seconds, then The likelihood you'll have to hold it for that long onstage is very low, but if you can hold a pose for 30 seconds and they only make you hold it for 5, it will feel easy.

A lot of people only pose in front of a mirror. Then, when they get onstage and they don't have a mirror, they realize how much they relied on that feedback to adjust their physique.

When you pose without a mirror, it helps you learn what posing correctly feels like. Additionally, the combination of BA and CM may increase performance of high intensity endurance exercise [ ] and has been shown to increase lean mass and decrease body fat percentage more than CM alone [ ].

However, not all studies have shown improvements in performance with BA supplementation [ , , ]. To clarify these discrepancies, Hobson et al. Although BA appears to improve exercise performance, the long-term safety of BA has only been partially explored. Currently, the only known side effect of BA is unpleasant symptoms of parasthesia reported after consumption of large dosages; however, this can be minimized through consumption of smaller dosages throughout the day [ ].

While BA appears to be relatively safe in the short-term, the long-term safety is unknown. In cats, an addition of 5 percent BA to drinking water for 20 weeks has been shown to deplete taurine and result in damage to the brain; however, taurine is an essential amino acid for cats but not for humans and it is unknown if the smaller dosages consumed by humans could result in similar effects [ ].

BA may increase exercise performance and increase lean mass in bodybuilders and currently appears to be safe; however, studies are needed to determine the long-term safety of BA consumption. Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate HMB is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine that has been shown to decrease muscle protein catabolism and increase muscle protein synthesis [ , ]. The safety of HMB supplementation has been widely studied and no adverse effects on liver enzymes, kidney function, cholesterol, white blood cells, hemoglobin, or blood glucose have been observed [ — ].

Furthermore, two meta-analyses on HMB supplementation have concluded that HMB is safe and does not result in any major side effects [ , ]. HMB may actually decrease blood pressure, total and LDL cholesterol, especially in hypercholesterolemic individuals.

HMB is particularly effective in catabolic populations such as the elderly and patients with chronic disease [ ]. However, studies on the effectiveness of HMB in trained, non-calorically restricted populations have been mixed. Reasons for discrepancies in the results of HMB supplementation studies in healthy populations may be due to many factors including clustering of data in these meta-analysis to include many studies from similar groups, poorly designed, non-periodized training protocols, small sample sizes, and lack of specificity between training and testing conditions [ ].

However, as a whole HMB appears to be effective in a majority of studies with longer-duration, more intense, periodized training protocols and may be beneficial to bodybuilders, particularly during planned over-reaching phases of training [ ]. While the authors hypothesize that HMB may be effective in periods of increased catabolism, such as during contest preparation, the efficacy of HMB on maintenance of lean mass in dieting athletes has not been investigated in a long-term study.

Therefore, future studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of HMB during caloric restriction in healthy, lean, trained athletes. Stoppani et al. All changes were significant compared to the other groups. However, it should be noted that this data is only available as an abstract and has yet to undergo the rigors of peer-review.

Therefore, long-term studies are needed in humans to determine the effectiveness of this practice. In addition, studies are needed on the effectiveness of BCAA supplementation in individuals following a vegetarian diet in which consumption of high-quality proteins are low as this may be population that may benefit from BCAA consumption.

Furthermore, the effects of BCAA ingestion between meals needs to be further investigated in a long-term human study. However, there is little scientific evidence to back these claims. Fahs et al. Additionally, Tang et al. Moreover, arginine is a non essential amino acid and prior work has established that essential amino acids alone stimulate protein synthesis [ ].

Based on these findings, it appears that arginine does not significantly increase blood flow or enhance protein synthesis following exercise. The effects of arginine supplementation on performance are controversial. Approximately one-half of acute and chronic studies on arginine and exercise performance have found significant benefits with arginine supplementation, while the other one-half has found no significant benefits [ ].

Moreover, Greer et al. Based on these results, the authors of a recent review concluded that arginine supplementation had little impact on exercise performance in healthy individuals [ ]. Citrulline malate CitM has recently become a popular supplement among bodybuilders; however, there has been little scientific research in healthy humans with this compound. CitM is hypothesized to improve performance through three mechanisms: 1 citrulline is important part of the urea cycle and may participate in ammonia clearance, 2 malate is a tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate that may reduce lactic acid accumulation, and 3 citrulline can be converted to arginine; however, as discussed previously, arginine does not appear to have an ergogenic effect in young healthy athletes so it is unlikely CitM exerts an ergogenic effect through this mechanism [ , ].

Furthermore, Stoppani et al. However, not all studies have supported ergogenic effects of CitM. Sureda et al. Hickner et al. Additionally, the long-term safety of CitM is unknown. Therefore, based on the current literature a decision on the efficacy of CitM cannot be made. Future studies are needed to conclusively determine if CitM is ergogenic and to determine its long term safety.

Glutamine is the most abundant non-essential amino acid in muscle and is commonly consumed as a nutritional supplement. Acutely, glutamine supplementation has not been shown to significantly improve exercise performance [ , ], improve buffering capacity [ ], help to maintain immune function or reduce muscle soreness after exercise [ ].

However, the role of glutamine in these changes is unclear. Only one study [ ] has investigated the effects of glutamine supplementation alone in conjunction with a six week strength training program. No significant differences in muscle size, strength, or muscle protein degradation were observed between groups. Although the previous studies do not support the use of glutamine in bodybuilders during contest preparation, it should be noted that glutamine may be beneficial for gastrointestinal health and peptide uptake in stressed populations [ ]; therefore, it may be beneficial in dieting bodybuilders who represent a stressed population.

As a whole, the results of previous studies do not support use of glutamine as an ergogenic supplement; however, future studies are needed to determine the role of glutamine on gastrointestinal health and peptide transport in dieting bodybuilders. Caffeine is perhaps the most common pre-workout stimulant consumed by bodybuilders. Numerous studies support the use of caffeine to improve performance during endurance training [ , ], sprinting [ , ], and strength training [ — ].

However, not all studies support use of caffeine to improve performance in strength training [ , ]. Additionally, it appears that regular consumption of caffeine may result in a reduction of ergogenic effects [ ]. Several previous studies have observed deficiencies in intakes of micronutrients, such as vitamin D, calcium, zinc, magnesium, and iron, in dieting bodybuilders [ 3 , 17 , 18 , , ]. However, it should be noted that these studies were all published nearly 2 decades ago and that micronutrient deficiencies likely occurred due to elimination of foods or food groups and monotony of food selection [ 3 , ].

Therefore, future studies are needed to determine if these deficiencies would present while eating a variety of foods and using the contest preparation approach described herein. Although the current prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in competitive bodybuilders is unknown, based on the previous literature, a low-dose micronutrient supplement may be beneficial for natural bodybuilders during contest preparation; however, future studies are needed to verify this recommendation.

In an attempt to enhance muscle size and definition by reducing extracellular water content, many bodybuilders engage in fluid, electrolyte, and carbohydrate manipulation in the final days and hours before competing [ 2 , 60 , ].

The effect of electrolyte manipulation and dehydration on visual appearance has not been studied, however it may be a dangerous practice [ ]. Furthermore, dehydration could plausibly degrade appearance considering that extracellular water is not only present in the subcutaneous layer. A significant amount is located in the vascular system. Thus, the common practice of "pumping up" to increase muscle size and definition by increasing blood flow to the muscle with light, repetitive weight lifting prior to stepping on stage [ ] could be compromised by dehydration or electrolyte imbalance.

Furthermore, dehydration reduces total body hydration. A large percentage of muscle tissue mass is water and dehydration results in decreases in muscle water content [ ] and therefore muscle size, which may negatively impact the appearance of muscularity.

In the final days before competing, bodybuilders commonly practice carbohydrate loading similar to endurance athletes in an attempt to raise muscle-glycogen levels and increase muscle size [ 4 , 18 , 60 , ]. In the only direct study of this practice, no significant quantitative change in muscle girth was found to occur [ ]. However, an isocaloric diet was used, with only a change in the percentage of carbohydrate contributing to the diet.

If total calories had also been increased, greater levels of glycogen might have been stored which could have changed the outcome of this study. Additionally, unlike the subjects in this study bodybuilders prior to carbohydrate loading have reduced glycogen levels from a long calorically restricted diet and it is possible in this state that carbohydrate loading might effect a visual change.

Furthermore, bodybuilding performance is measured subjectively, thus analysis of girth alone may not discern subtle visual changes which impact competitive success. Lastly, some bodybuilders alter the amount of carbohydrate loaded based on the visual outcome, increasing the amount if the desired visual change does not occur [ 60 ]. Thus, an analysis of a static carbohydrate load may not accurately represent the dynamic nature of actual carbohydrate loading practices.

In fact, in an observational study of competitive bodybuilders in the days before competition who loaded carbohydrates, subjects showed a 4.

Although it is unknown if this was caused by increased muscle glycogen, it is unlikely it was due to muscle mass accrual since the final weeks of preparation are often marked by decreases not increases in LBM [ 6 ]. Future studies of this practice should include a qualitative analysis of visual changes and analyze the effects of concurrent increases in percentage of carbohydrates as well as total calories. At this time it is unknown whether dehydration or electrolyte manipulation improves physique appearance.

What is known is that these practices are dangerous and have the potential to worsen it. It is unclear if carbohydrate loading has an impact on appearance and if so, how significant the effect is. However, the recommended muscle-sparing practice by some researchers to increase the carbohydrate content of the diet in the final weeks of preparation [ 6 ] might achieve any proposed theoretical benefits of carbohydrate loading. If carbohydrate loading is utilized, a trial run before competition once the competitor has reached or nearly reached competition leanness should be attempted to develop an individualized strategy.

However, a week spent on a trial run consuming increased carbohydrates and calories may slow fat loss, thus ample time in the diet would be required. Competitive bodybuilding requires cyclical periods of weight gain and weight loss for competition. In a study by Anderson et al. One third to half reported anxiety, short tempers or anger when preparing for competition and most Competitive male bodybuilders exhibit high rates of weight and shape preoccupation, binge eating and bulimia nervosa. However, they exhibit less eating-related and general psychopathology compared to men already diagnosed with bulimia nervosa [ ].

Often they are more focused on muscle gain versus fat loss when compared to males with eating disorders [ ]. That being said, this may change during preparation for competition when body builders need to reduce body fat levels. Muscle dysmorphia is higher in male competitive natural bodybuilders than in collegiate football players and non-competitive weight trainers for physique [ ]. However, the psychosocial profile of competitive bodybuilders is rather complex.

Despite exhibiting greater risk for eating disturbances and a greater psychological investment in their physical appearance, they may have greater levels of physique satisfaction compared to non-competitive weight lifters and athletically active men [ ]. Also, male bodybuilders are not a body-image homogenous group when experience is taken into account. Novice bodybuilders show greater levels of dissatisfaction with their muscle size and greater tendencies towards unhealthy and obsessive behavior [ ].

Furthermore, the physical effects of semi-starvation in men can approximate the signs and symptoms of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa [ 11 ].

Thus, many of the psychosocial effects and behaviors seen in competitive bodybuilders may be at least partially the result of a prolonged diet and becoming very lean. When these factors are all considered it may indicate that at least in men, competitive bodybuilding drives certain psychosocial behaviors, in addition to those with prior existing behaviors being drawn to the sport.

However this may not be as much the case with female bodybuilders. All of these markers were significantly higher in bodybuilders than in non-competitors. Furthermore, it was found that menstrual dysfunction was more common among the bodybuilders. In agreement with this finding, Kleiner et al. Competitive bodybuilders are not alone in their risk and disposition towards behaviors that carry health concerns.

Elite athletes in aesthetic and weight-class sports as a whole share these risks [ ]. In some sports, minimum body fat percentages can be established and minimum hydration levels for weighing in can be set. However, because bodybuilding performance is directly impacted by body fat percentage and not by weight per se, these regulatory changes to the sport are unlikely.

Therefore, competitors and trainers should be aware of the potential psychosocial risks involved with competition. Open and frequent communication on these topics should be practiced and competitors and trainers should be aware of the signs and symptoms of unhealthy behaviors.

Early therapeutic intervention by specialists with experience in competitive bodybuilding and eating disorders should occur if disordered eating patterns or psychological distress occurs.

The primary limitation of this review is the lack of large-scale long-term studies on competitive natural bodybuilders. To circumvent this, long-term studies on skeletal muscle hypertrophy and body fat loss in athletic dieting human populations were preferentially selected.

Int J Sports Physiol Perform. PubMed Google Scholar. J Am Diet Assoc. Int J Sport Nutr. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. Sports Med. PubMed Article Google Scholar. J Strength Cond Res. Hall KD: What is the required energy deficit per unit weight loss?. Int J Obes. Article Google Scholar. Am J Clin Nutr. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Keys A, University of Minnesota. Google Scholar.

J Int Soc Sport Nutr. Forbes GB: Body fat content influences the body composition response to nutrition and exercise. Ann N Y Acad Sci. Hall KD: Body fat and fat-free mass inter-relationships: Forbes's theory revisited. Br J Nutr. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Aust J Sci Med Sport. Eur J Clin Nutr. Butterfield GE: Whole-body protein utilization in humans. Your overall training protocol should include periods of heavy and moderately heavy weights anyway.

So if you program correctly you will arrive full and ripped on contest day. If you program your training like a dodo, your presence on stage will be that of a dodo: non-existent.

There is absolutely no reason why any bodybuilding competitor or anyone should stop performing the basic exercises and their variations during contest prep training.

These are the movements that have forged your physique and it is a great idea to keep using them. What you will want to do though is have a variable training program so that every session is not a lame 3 x 10 with no intensity or progression.

The RP Training System and various other protocols can be used in cycles to ensure your body is always progressing throughout the year. You see when you are in a caloric deficit, it is even more important to continue to use movements that target so many muscle groups at once. Remember the main goal during contest prep is to retain as much muscle as you can.

You have to do everything you possibly can to hold onto to your hard earned muscle. Yes, you will still and should have isolation movements like sissy squats, biceps curls, and dumbbell triceps extensions in your program.

But these isolation movements cannot be prioritized over the big compound movements especially during pre-contest period. If you were going to specialize to build certain muscles, the time to do it is in the off-season when your calories are higher.

There is no specialization occuring during the pre-contest period because you simply do not have enough calories coming in to build new muscle mass especially if you are natural like me. Of the 4 rules for contest prep training, this is the one that gets many competitors in the bodybuilding game into deep waters. You see, bodybuilders performing way too much cardio is the most common sin. I have also seen competitors at shows coming in stringy, flat, and gaunt.

The bottom line is if you are lifting hard and heavy enough while working at a brisk pace, you are still getting a great conditioning effect. Ultimately, the main driver of your reduction of body fat will be your adherence to your diet.

But to get super lean, separate conditioning sessions can help. With that being said you need to do the right type of conditioning to build or retain muscle. You can save yourself some time and perform shorter, more intense sessions that promote muscle growth. These high intensity sessions could be sprinting on the track or pushing the Prowler sled. Yes you can go for a walk with a weighted vest on in a fasted state to eat up some body fat.

Walking is so low in intensity that you will not sacrifice your muscle mass. But you have no chance to perform a high quality sprinting or hard conditioning workout while fasted.

Your performance numbers will suffer and your workout intensity will be absolutely lousy due to the lack of fuel. These sessions can be done on separate days or post-workout. This style of conditioning will keep your furnace burning long after the session is complete.

You could also use a high-low format for your conditioning. An example of this would be to alternate sprinting and walking for your conditioning sessions. The main differences between high and low intensity conditioning is the effort and duration.

Sprinting is dramastically more difficult than walking and takes about minutes to complete based on what sprint workout you are doing. Walking is much easier than sprinting, but you will need to commit at least minutes to that session to get any true effects from it.

Stage presence is just a critical as your diet, if you ask me! You have worked so hard to get to stage day, so make sure you know how to present your physique in the best way possible. Invest in a posing coach, or ask an experienced competitor to help you with mandatory poses.

Each competition may be different, so it is always good to be sure you know what these poses are. Then, time to practice, and practice some more - every day if you can! Most importantly, enjoy the process! The journey to your first competition is an adventure, and something to remember. Try to be in the moment, learn as much as you can and soak up all the advice you can get.

Committing to a competition is tough, but extremely rewarding. Good luck on your adventures!