[quote]zraw wrote:
- what do you guys like to do post contest[/quote]
I always give myself the evening of the contest, as well as the day after to enjoy myself. NO training, no cardio, not concerns about macros of any sort. I eat what I want, when I want, as much as I want. I figure that not only have I earned it, but psychologically, it’s necessary after the suffering I’ve endured.
[quote]
2) what have you had success with [/quote]
This has been my approach since I started competing, and it still makes sense to me.
To be honest, I don’t feel that there is such a thing as a rebound effect the way some people perceive it. Now, what I mean by that is that you’re body will not suddenly pack on muscle at a PED-enhanced-like rate if you’re natural simply because you dieted down so low. What it will do however, is quickly refill if it’s been depleted, as well as look for the quickest route to buffer and protect itself from the almost starvation like process it just experienced.
What that really means is that because of the now skewed situation of your metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and somewhat warped psychological state, it will be damn easy to pack on fat if you just throw caution to the wind and try to gain muscle as quickly as you can with no real plan.
If I’ve got an event (ie. I competed a few months before my wedding), or it’s summer and I’ll be chillin’ poolside, then I do like to be on the shredded side, BUT, I’m not one of those people who needs veins running through my pecs year round. I love the sport, and I’m damn proud of my accomplishments, but they don’t define me. I don’t need everyone to turn their heads when I walk through a door, despite the facts that my brothers seem to get a kick out of my physique more than I do. I’ll suffer for a contest, but the rest of the year, I certainly don’t deny myself ‘living’ because I need to have people constantly look, or ask me questions. I’ll stay relatively lean (‘lean’ for the majority of people) enough to make gains, and feel good about myself.
[quote]
6) how do you approach training post contest[/quote]
I realize that my body may be somewhat fatigued, so I do keep a lid on my overall volume for a couple of weeks. If I feel I need a day off, I take it. But to suddenly cease training, or even cardio for an extended period of time after your body has gotten used to the rate of calories used each day, is asking for a quick adipose gain IMO.
[quote]
7) how do you add cals post contest [/quote]
Work them up slowly in weekly increments. Carbs in a similar manner, paying attention to timing, sources, and amounts.
[quote]
8) anything else u wanna talk about [/quote]
Nope, I’m good 
S
I have to agree with Stu that the whole post contest is the best time to grow is more of a myth than fact.
How to Make Your Next Contest Prep Difficult - Go on a Post Contest Binge After This Contest
Was talking to someone yesterday about what I feel is the single biggest mistake in the off-season of someone who competes. From my perspective this is easy. Typically when competitors get done with a contest, they pig out, pig out, and pig out some more. It goes for weeks and months on end. And here is what is particularly moronic. They post pics of their scale on facebook, and brag about how they gained 30 lbs in 3 days, but didn’t gain any fat (hello water and gycogen).
This is particularly common in people who are too “hardcore” to do a strategic cheat meal or refeed. My people don’t flip the blank out and eat cakes and pies because they had a cheat meal the whole prep weekly, or those who use refeeds have also had some “yummy” carbs via Ken Skip Hill style.
So the bottom line is yes your muscle cells are probably a little more “insulin sensitive” but so are our fat cells. But I don’t care how sensitive either are, when you take your calories and quadruple them, and then are less active…YOU GET FAT. After 3 to 4 weeks of eating like this, most guys look worse than they did when they started their diet, and women too. So if something isn’t done, and the trend progresses, good luck on the hell you are going to have to go through to get the excess off again. - John Meadows
So glad im working with John lol
[quote]RATTLEHEAD wrote:
How to Make Your Next Contest Prep Difficult - Go on a Post Contest Binge After This Contest
Was talking to someone yesterday about what I feel is the single biggest mistake in the off-season of someone who competes. From my perspective this is easy. Typically when competitors get done with a contest, they pig out, pig out, and pig out some more. It goes for weeks and months on end. And here is what is particularly moronic. They post pics of their scale on facebook, and brag about how they gained 30 lbs in 3 days, but didn’t gain any fat (hello water and gycogen).
This is particularly common in people who are too “hardcore” to do a strategic cheat meal or refeed. My people don’t flip the blank out and eat cakes and pies because they had a cheat meal the whole prep weekly, or those who use refeeds have also had some “yummy” carbs via Ken Skip Hill style.
So the bottom line is yes your muscle cells are probably a little more “insulin sensitive” but so are our fat cells. But I don’t care how sensitive either are, when you take your calories and quadruple them, and then are less active…YOU GET FAT. After 3 to 4 weeks of eating like this, most guys look worse than they did when they started their diet, and women too. So if something isn’t done, and the trend progresses, good luck on the hell you are going to have to go through to get the excess off again. - John Meadows[/quote]
Ah yes,… glad to see that my writing is having a positive influence on Mr. Meadows there…
(I keed! I keed! -lol)
S
Hello all. I’m new to T-Nation so here’s my background:
12 years weight training, about 5 good solid years of weight training geared towards bodybuilding.
Endomorph
5’9"
220lbs
6-7% bf
I’m 4 weeks away from my first contest and I’ve been running a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet. Last year I worked with a trainer and did a conventional prep for 5 months where my carbs were cut down to only vegetables and protein for the last two months and my cardio was jacked up to 3 hours. I didn’t get below 9% bodyfat and needless to say didn’t make the show. I spent the next year experimenting with different dieting approaches including 4 day carb cycling and peri-workout carb feeding ala the Mountain Dog Diet via John Meadows, but I found that CKD actually agrees with my body amazingly. I stay fairly full, incredibly vascular, and I shred up very quickly.
For those you unfamiliar with CKD, it consists of eating under 30 grams of carbs 6 days a week, eating 1g/lb bw in protein, and 1.5g/lb in fat. Your total protein to fat ratio in grams should be 40%/60%. The science behind it is that the elevated amounts of fat in your diet force your body into ketosis, utilizing fats for fuel instead of glucose. You body starts to prefer ketone bodies for fuel as opposed to glucose and thus does not break down amino acids for gluconeogenesis, thereby sparing muscle tissue and melting away fat. On the 7th day, you replenish muscle glycogen by decreasing fat to under 88 grams and increase your carb intake to 8-10 grams/kg bw. This period last exactly 24 hours and follows a full body depletion workout. As an endomorph who has tried conventional approaches and failed, I can say that this is the best diet I’ve ever run for burning fat while keeping my muscle mass intact.
My question is does anyone know what to do after the show when running CKD for prep? Do I continue running CKD and just increase my calories? I know when I want to add some mass I’m going to have to go for a more carb based approach, but being that my carbs are under 30g/day 6 days a week, I’m not sure how to integrate back into a carb based diet without putting on unwanted fat.
Thanks. Forgive me if I’ve forgotten to mention anything important, I’m eating under 30 grams of carbs.
You do NOT want to do anything drastic after your show. If anything keep the diet the same and just drop the amount of cardio you are doing (do not eliminate it if it is significant, just cut it in half or maybe even a third). This will naturally fluctuate your calorie balance.
I am a fan of CKD’s and use one myself no matter what the goal. If you enjoy this style of eating there is plenty of evidence to show that it can work for gaining as well. I suggest you look up the Anabolic Diet, and check out the thread on this site (there are many, but the original that has TONS of good info is called “My experience on the anabolic diet”).
If you tolerate a bit of offensive language you may wish to look up “The Apex Predator Diet” series over on Chaos and Pain, it is a fun read chock full of science on CKD’s and is the current diet used by the holder of the 181 raw power lifting record Jamie Lewis. His approach to the CKD is unique (4-5 protein shakes throughout the day, and then a fatty meat heavy meal like ribs or steak at night 6 days a week, and the 7th day is a carb up with a 3 hour anything-goes refeed to end the day)
Alternately, you might experiment with your current set up and then adding a 100-150g carb day mid week carb spike.
Again, the major thing is to not do anything drastic like adding 300g of carbs a day and dropping all your cardio because its time for the GAAIINNNZZ now.