Bodybuilding Pre Contest Diet
Weight loss and diet
Bodybuilding contestants usually gain weight between contests to increase their muscle mass. Then as an event nears, they steadily lose weight so that their muscles will be more defined and “cut.” Typically, top competitors begin a pre-contest diet 12 to 16 weeks before an event. This gives them enough time to lose up to 25 pounds— or even more, if necessary. Of course, it’s best not to gain this much weight in the first place.
Once again, timing is critical. You need to start losing weight early enough to get in tiptop shape by the day of the event. Too often, contestants appear doughy and smooth because they haven’t dropped enough weight. However, it’s also possible to lose so much weight that you look weak and dehydrated onstage.
It takes experience to know how much to cut your calories before a contest so that you look your best in competition. By the time you begin preparing for competition, you should already understand your body’s metabolism, that is, how easily your body burns calories. Once you understand your metabolism, you can more accurately plan your diet. It’s unlikely that you’ll diet perfectly for your first contest. There’s a learning curve, just as there is with all aspects of preparation. After a few contests, though, you should be able to chart out an eating plan that gets you in lean shape just in time.
Your preparation should address not only lifting and eating but also aerobic exercise. Normally, bodybuilders increase the amount and intensity of cardio work leading up to an event. The reason is simple. They want to burn off as much fat as possible so that their muscles show more prominently. You have to be careful, though, because if you do too much aerobic exercise, you can lose muscle tissue as well as fat. Then you’ve undermined all your efforts to build mass.
Some bodybuilders make the mistake of using diuretics before an event so they can lose water weight, figuring that excess water detracts from their definition. Diuretics, however, can be extremely dangerous, even fatal. Your body needs an adequate amount of water for proper functioning, and muscles are made up primarily of water. If you extract water from your body with diuretics, you decrease your muscle size. Today, major bodybuilding contests test for diuretic use, just as they do for illegal drugs. Don’t be tempted to break the rules and endanger your life.
Consider the tragic story of Mohammad Benaziza. After winning the 1992 Belgium Grand Prix bodybuilding contest, he dropped dead only hours later. It’s believed that he died because of an electrolyte imbalance brought on by diuretic use. “Momo just froze,” says bodybuilder Mike Matarazzo. “Guys who were there said he was like a piece of iron when he died.”
If you are looking for more information about diet and weight loss, or supplementation, please visit http://www.consumersuggest.org/, the health care, sport authority site with a lot of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.
Article Source: http://www.consumersuggest.org/weight-loss/diet-weight-loss
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Michael Sausedo – Preparing food for pre contest. 5 weeks out from show.
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