Hey guys,
Always been a fan of competing and I decided to compete myself this November 10 in an Amateur show for Men’s Physique
24 year old. 7th year of lifting. 5’7 and 161lbs at the moment.
Currently consuming ~300 carbs / ~200 protein / ~60 fat and doing 45 minutes of cycling for cardio almost everyday.
Wondering if I can afford some cheat days here and there as I’m quite lean for 6 weeks out or if I’m mistaken please let me know so I can increase cardio and adjust my macros.
Needing advice on whether or not I should increase / decrease cardio and when it’s time to start lowering carbs (maybe 4 weeks out?)
I do not know everything you’ve been doing before, even though you’ve listed your current macros and calories. So I don’t know for sure what I’d reconmend.
If you are losing weight steadily at this current amount and see yourself on target for a predictable and reasonable weight for stage readiness on contest day, then keep things the same. But I think you’ll likely have to decrease calories and carbs a tad soon!
No cheat meals on preps! Higher carb days are sometimes necessary but there’s no benefit to cheat meals. Right, perhaps nothing bad will happen. But on contest prep, EVERYTHING needs justification!
Not everyone has to drastically cut carbs. If you’re progressing at a good and steady pace, and your conditioning looks to be where it will need to be, you Don’t have to change anything!
You are pretty spot on at this point. Show us a back shot to make sure you are not holding anything back there. People lean out in different locations at different rates.
For physique, looking good for 6 weeks out. Definitely no cheat meals. A well calculated higher carb day can be great, but with the carbs you’re currently consuming you probably don’t need it. 6 weeks out, push hard every day and be relentless!
I’ll be following this. I’ve been interested in competing for a while but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Granted I’m way older than you. Hope you have a smooth cut and a great competition.
Are you progressing on a weekly basis? If so, is it a solid 1-2 lbs or < 1 lb? I don’t like the idea of having a Target number in mind unless you’ve competed before and can use your previous weight/conditioning for comparison.
If you can physically get leaner, do it. No one ever lost a show because they were too good.
When I first started what I was told was “diet until your cheeks sink in” -lol
When you start getting close to stage ready, you need to go by the mirror and not a goal weight, which is irrelevant. The judges won’t ask what you weigh. You could lose a few more pounds to really be ready, I don’t know about 6lbs. Every federation is different as well, some like a fuller look for physique, some leaner. Have you been to a show, or seen pics of guys that win and what the judges look for?
My last client did! He was absolutely the best, most shredded physique on stage, and got 4th. But, in a different federation he might have done better. Physique is a weird beast.
Physique is about looking like you’d sell A fitness magazine if your image were on the cover.The scoring rounds include presentation and overall appearance as Opposed to straight conditioning and muscularity like you see in the bodybuilding divisions.
As a GUESS (its always a guess because visual appearance and actual composition can vary a lot!), I’d say 5-8 lbs offhand. Again, I’m ballparking here.
