PRE-CONTEST DIETING: AN OVERVIEW
The bodybuilding industry is chalk full of experts and pseudo-experts. Look no further than your local gym and there are
probably at least a dozen or so wannabe gym professors spouting out big words and grand ideas to anyone who will listen
to them. More amazing still is the number of competitors who can tell you each and every show exactly how they "blew it"
yet they still manage to "blow it" at each and every show.
The magazines also have their own experts that they tout as the all knowing and all aware gurus that can answer all of your
questions, yet these gurus are often, no more than bookworms who know someone. Their own physiques leave the reader
wandering how much they really know, how qualified are they in reality, and do they have any actual ability for practical
hands on knowledge and applicable information beyond theory and wild speculation.
The point is, that although many claim to be or want to be regarded as experts in the field, there are very few who actually
are real world-in the trenches experts. One such expert, and probably THE expert in pre-contest guidance would have to be
Scott Abel of Canada. What is most impressive about Scott is not only the big names he has worked with, and his academic
credentials, but also his track record. To date clients of Scott's have won over 200 titles. The most impressive aspect of
Scott's reputation is his proven ability of taking otherwise average physiques, and previously unrewarded physiques, and
creating National and Professional Champions, all, from otherwise average genetics. Now that is impressive. And if that isn't
impressive enough, Scott has to be the best-built expert in the business. His physique, (260 lbs at 6% bodyfat, and a height
of 5'9") is a walking testament to his knowledge base. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That being
said, it may be hard for Scott to be humble because in Canada there exists a whole underground network of people buying
and selling Scott's programs and diets because everyone is so aware of his renown and expertise. That is why when
choosing an expert to do an article on pre-contest dieting, there really was no other choice than Scott Abel. The expert's
expert.
I have been involved in bodybuilding at the highest levels for some time now. Lately I have been somewhat dismayed at the
trend in the industry to become more and more tabloid and cover more and more dirt and more and more drug related topics
and less and less real world useful information. There has been far too much hyping of gurus and dogma and not enough
real science in the last few years. I find it amusing that while the drugs have supposedly been better and better, and the
knowledge of how to use them is supposedly better and better, then why are the physiques at contests looking worse and
worse. Those readers who have been around awhile know exactly what I mean. One of the best shows I have ever seen for
depth of quality was the 1991 North Americans. This year, I attended the Canada Pro Cup and the quality of contestants
was horrid. Of the maybe 25 people in the line-up maybe 7 or so were contest ready and the rest were a waste of admission
price.
At the aforementioned 1991 North Americans there were more than 20 lightheavyweights and 15 of them were top-notch
competitors. Why? Why is the depth of talent less and less in the sport when apparently this is the best time to ever be an
athlete in bodybuilding because of the endless proliferation of "useful" information that we all apparently have access to now
via our favorite magazines. Why are the stars of 10 years ago basically the same stars of today? I can tell you why.
Bodybuilders are traditionalists and they follow traditional methods regardless of progress or science. Because the traditions
of bodybuilding are not steeped in science, bodybuilders will recklessly follow whatever trend comes along, without ever
questioning if it is right for them. They read that a certain champion says to train heavy, so they train heavy. They read that
one champion does only 1 set per exercise, so they try that method. Then they read another champion does 20 sets, so
they try that. One does no cardio, another does an hour! One likes carbs, one does not. The bodybuilder without any
scientific method to follow is left spinning his/her tires trying this and that method, and hoping for the best. Worse yet, is the
mentality that the right drug or supplement stack will take care of their mistakes. Wrong!!!!!!
My methods are successful because the whole methodology is based in science from the training to the dieting, and that is
the approach of this article as an overview of the pre-contest diet approach. Many bodybuilders think there is a universal
process to follow regarding getting ready for a show. Most arbitrarily pick a certain week before the show to start dieting and
then gradually eliminate kcalories as the show gets closer. Some still follow the outdated and useless ritual of carb depleting
and loading the week before the show, risking further damage to their physiques; and all under the mis-informed guise that
they are doing something right, when in fact usually nothing could be further from the truth. I like to rely on sounder
methods, methods that are reproducible for best results. These methods are based in science and not ritual and tradition.
Most of my clients will begin getting ready for a show between 16 and 20 weeks out. It is best to give a lot of time to insure
optimum fat loss and optimum retention of muscle mass. The important point is to follow a relative rather than absolute
kcalorie deficit. An absolute kcalorie deficit is where an athlete starts at a certain amount of kcalories, and just keeps
eliminating them according to the weeks that go by, rather than responding to the cues of their bodies. This is the surest way
to lose muscle mass while dieting. In an absolute kcaloric deprivation approach, the body is also going to be more stubborn
in giving up fat as well, since it will respond to this type of kcaloric deficit by putting itself in a starvation mode, where it will
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protect fat storage at the expense of muscle for energy expenditure.
A relative kcaloric deficit on the other hand revolves around starting the diet at or near the normal BMR of a given individual.
The BMR is the Basal Metabolic Rate, and that is the rate the body burns kcalories while at rest. Once the BMR is
calculated, the client begins dieting by staggering kclories at or near the BMR, while introducing fat burning activity and a
sound diet strategy to create a fat burning dieting machine, rather than a fat storing dieting machine as previously
mentioned. So where do we start in order to figure out a person's BMR? There are a few good equations out there to use,
most involving what is known as a body mass index, but I am quite satisfied with the following formula. (This one is for
males only, because of space)
BMR Formula
LBM X's 6.2 = X
Height in inches X's 12.7 = Y
X + Y X's .65 = Z
Age X's 6.8 = Q
Z - Q = BMR
BMR X's activity level = true BMR
Activity levels = 1.2 (couch potato)
1.4 (average)
1.8 (athlete or very active)
There are several factors that influence the BMR including gender, hormonal levels, body surface area, age, height, and
genetic background. For this reason it is also appropriate to get a client to record a few days worth of eating to see how
closely their kcaloric intake matches their BMR, and also to look for signs in their diet of things they may be doing that
unconsciously sabotages their metabolism.
To give an example of how to apply the formula, I'll take myself as an example. In order to figure out my Lean Body Mass
(fat free weight) I take my weight minus my percent bodyfat.
Therefore 260 - 6 % = 244 lbs. 244 X are 6.2 = 1,515. 28
My height in inches is 69" X's 12.7 = 876.3
X (1,515.28) + Y (876.3) = 2,391.5 X's .65 = 1,554.52
Age (38) X's 6.8 = 258.4
Z (1,554.52) - Q (258.4) = 1296.12 which is approx. BMR
BMR (1296.12) X's activity level is actual BMR. Since I train 2 X's daily 5 days per week, I consider myself very active.
Therefore 1,296.12 X's 1.8 = 2,330.16 kcals.
Therefore my BMR kcaloric consumption is about 2,300 kcals per day. When I add to this my activity in terms of kcalorie
consumption, it is about another 600 kcals. Therefore, my kcalorie stagger should be somewhere between 2300 - 3000
kcals per day depending on my particular goals at the time. If I were getting ready for a contest I would do a 3 -day stagger
around the low end of the total. (E.g. 2,000, 2300, 2600). If I were in off-season, I would do a stagger around the higher end
of the equation, which would be (3,000, 3,500, 4,000). An old rule of thumb is 12 kcals per lb. of LBM for pre-contest and 16
kcals per lb. of LBM for off-season. As you can see, the above scenario fits this standard quite well.
Once kcalories consumption is assessed then we can proceed to an appropriate diet strategy. Most people have no idea
how to properly break down meal plans and for what reason. Between 1800 and 2500 kcals, I would suggest to eat 5 meals
per day, because the body would easily be able to assimilate such small amounts of food. After the 2500 kcals level I would
recommend 6 meals per day in order to keep the overall per meal amounts of food at adequate levels for proper
assimilation. There are several other scientific reasons to keep a small meal, frequent feeding schedule as well. First, it is
well known that small meals result in less insulin activity and therefore there is less chance of lipogenic activity, and less
chance of overstimulating the fat storing enzyme machinery. Also the SDE, which stands for the Specific Dynamic Effect
also, bodes well to a frequent feeding schedule. The SDE can affect the BMR in small but useful ways. Basically the SDE is
the amount of kcals it takes to digest and process meals. Research has found that protein feedings can raise the BMR by as
much as 10%-25%, which is a substantial increase beyond the norm. This is not however an endorsement for higher protein
diets, as I will explain later. Also with the frequent feeding schedule there is less chance of cortisol stimulation, which is
beneficial for insuring optimal anabolic activity.
Once the eating strategy is figured out in general then it becomes necessary to fine-tune the diet in terms of percentages of
fat, carbs, and protein. A great deal has been written on the matter in the last few years and most of it is downright hogwash,
proving that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Let's make one point clear right now. In a kcal deficit situation, as in a
pre-contest diet, there is no predisposition for your body to store fat from any energy source. Therefore when dieting the
issue shouldn't be that certain energy sources may make you fat, but what eating strategy is best to optimize fat loss while
insuring absolute retention of muscle mass. Many, many people miss this point entirely. It is well known that carbs and fats
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are the protein sparing energy sources. That is, there must be ample amounts of either or both of carbs and protein present
in a diet for protein to be used to build and rebuild tissue. If not, then a process called deamination occurs where the body
strips the protein of it's nitrogen component and then uses the kcalorie source for the production of energy, at the expense
of building and rebuilding tissue. At this point, protein intake for muscle becomes useless, and so does training. Moreover
because of the protein wasting effect any training just makes the problem worst and the metabolism goes into a fat storing
state, and the BMR lowers itself to compensate. This is a death knell to dieting athletes trying to get lean. Maybe now, you
get the idea that pre-contest dieting is a little more scientific then you imagined, especially if your goal is the absolute
optimum results, which should be everyone's goal.
Far too much has been written about the negative aspects of carbs lately and it is flat out wrong. Athletes need carbs for
energy production and storage, as well as to preserve protein as previously mentioned. Carb bashing has gone hand in
hand with mis-information about insulin, and ludicrous ideas about the glycemic index. Well, I will now set the record straight
and explain to you why carbs must be a part of you pre-contest diet strategy. Carbs are not the bad guy, and in effect the
bodybuilder's new found fear of carbs is destroying their physiques.
When the book The Zone became a best seller, many people quickly jumped on the carb bashing bandwagon, without a real
clear understanding of the message of the Zone diet, or the unwritten subtleties behind it. Using the general population as
an example pretty much excludes high performance athletes and bodybuilders as a representative example such as
portrayed in the zone. The idea behind the carb bashing trend is that high carb diets lead to high insulin levels and high
insulin levels lead to fat since insulin is a powerful storage hormone. Remember firstly, however that in a kcalorie deficit
situation, there is no predisposition for a body to store fat from any energy source. Also as previously mentioned in a
frequent feeding scenario of small meals, there is less insulin production.
But it is important also to show that all this carb bashing is unwarranted to begin with. The arguments surrounding the notion
of carb bashing center around those individuals who eat a fairly standard North American diet of processed food, and who
skip meals etc. The development of Type 2 Diabetes or insulin resistance in adult populations is a result of lifestyle factors
and a small percentage has to do with genetic pre-disposition toward diabetes. For the record 80% of adults with Non Insulin
Dependent Diabetes (type 2 diabetes) are obese, and carry substantial weight around the waist and internal organs. It is
predominantly the fat on the insulin receptors that causes the resistance to insulin and not a high carbohydrate intake! So
unless you are an obese bodybuilder, if you are treating carbs as some kind of enemy energy source then you are doing
yourself a disservice. Indeed there are many studies that illustrate the benefits of a high carb low fat diet for lowering insulin
resistance. Am J of Cardiology 1992) Moreover, and more important to athletes is that other studies show that when testing
different diets on exercise ability, individuals on higher carb diets averaged higher glycogen content on biopsied muscles,
and could train harder and longer than individuals on lower carb diets of differing types, including the high fat diet.
Therefore, if proper diet strategy eliminates carbs as a fat gain threat, then the argument about using low glycemic carbs in
order to control insulin is a moot one. Not only does protein and fat buffer the rate of absorption of the carbs, but fluid intake
effects the glycemic index as well. The more fluid taken in at a meal, the higher the glycemic effect. Does this mean not to
drink at meals? Of course not. The point is to ignore the glycemic index almost entirely when considering carb choices. Most
of my clients and myself included, use a combination of high to medium glycemic index carbs. The important point when
choosing carbs is not the glycemic index, but rather the length and size of the polysaccharide chain of carbs selected. My
clients use most of the no no carbs according to the glycemic watchers. We use rice cakes and potatoes and cream of
wheat and shredded wheat. We tend to avoid all mucous producing carbs as well as rice, because rice is a relatively small
granule polysaccharide, and it also contains phytohemmaglutinin, which can cause mild to severe allergic reactions, and
among the mildest is of course water retention. Indeed most of the carbs we should avoid have nothing to do with the
glycemic index but have to do with 1) mild to severe allergens contained within the specific foodstuff. (E.g. Gluten in wheat
and flour products) and 2) the granule size of the polysaccharide. Studies at the University of Toronto and Cornell University
showed clearly that regardless of diet style, and energy source of kcals, the body handled glucose exactly the same.
The only time the glycemic index is of any value is before training when glucose ingestion is detrimental because the
stimulation of insulin will inhibit glucagon release. This results in a lowered blood sugar level and an inhibition of lipolysis (fat
breakdown) and this reduces fuel supply to working muscles, thus limiting exercise or athletic performance. So the next time
you see someone walking around with a high carb drink in his or her hand while training or just before training, smile to
yourself because you know better.
Keeping in mind now, that carbs are not an enemy fuel source, we must not lose sight of the fact that too much insulin may
still be a problem when trying to get ultra lean. Carbs, are not the enemy. Too much insulin though may be a problem.
Therefore we must also keep in mind that there is no predisposition for a body to store fat from any energy source in a
kcalorie deficit situation. Therefore to control insulin, we just monitor our biofeedback after every meal. One of the reasons
my clients keep training diaries is for this exact reason of recording biofeedback about training and diet. The problem is that
both too much insulin and too little insulin result in feelings of hunger. If there is too much insulin the body becomes tired,
because of rebound hypoglycemia, as well as a trigger of other hormones. If there is not enough insulin then a person
becomes hungry but mental focus stays fine. In this case the hunger has set in because too little insulin produced means
less is crossing the blood/brain barrier, which increase neuropeptide Y levels in the brain causing hunger. The solution to
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these two predicaments then becomes a matter of fine-tuning. If a person is tired and lethargic after a meal then they are
consuming too many kcals at the previous meal. If they are hungry but still focused then they may need to add kcals to the
previous meal. Pre-contest dieting bodybuilders get used to this latter situation. With all of that explained, then how do we
portion the ratio of proteins, carbs, and fats? Well, staying with myself as an example, remember that my kcal intake for precontest
fat loss would be around 2,000 - 2,600. Science has shown that the athlete needs no more then 1 gram pro per lb.
of lean body mass. If we already determined my fat free weight to be 244lbs, then my pro needs would be 244 grams. Since
there are 4 kcals in a gram of protein then my kcals needs from pro per day would be 976 kcals. That is slightly over 45% of
2000 kcals. The rest of my kcals should come from carbs with minimum of fat. Therefore on my low kcal day I would eat
about 45% pro and 45% carbs, on my next highest day the ratio would be more like 35% pro and 55% carbs, and the
highest kcal day would be about 30% pro and 60% carbs, trying to keep fat kcals to 10% or under. There are other ways of
doing this, but this is the best for advising readers whose bodies I do not know. You will find this formula works very well. In
terms of fat loss and gain simply monitor bodyweight each week, and biofeedback from meals each day. That way if either
of the above insulin situations occur, you will learn in time how to adjust the kcals up and down according to the feedback of
the body. This is the most thrilling aspect of what I do.
Keep in mind also that when the body is in a fat burning mode, hydration needs increase dramatically. High insulin
production tends to increase water retention while greater insulin sensitivity through proper diet and exercise cause a
decrease in insulin activity and therefore less water retention. More body fluids are lost and so replenishment becomes
crucial. Proper fluid replenishment and electrolyte balance is important at this stage to maintain cell integrity and intracellular
water. Therefore sodium ingestion should also be quite high. (For a full explanation of this see my previous articles in
Musclemag on sodium)
After an athlete or coach has taken stalk of all of these above variables, and has set a controllable procedure into action, the
athlete can then and only then look outside of himself for other factors that can influence his performance. The right training
environment, the use of the best equipment, and keeping stress levels to a minimum, all are factors outside of the diet mode
which can contribute positively or negatively to performance.
The other two parameters of course are supplements and drugs. I have neither the desire nor the space for a discussion of
performance enhancement pharmaceuticals within the confines of this article. Far too many readers are already relying too
heavily on a pharmacological influence, and I will not contribute further to that mentality. However, the field of
supplementation is gaining substantial ground and supplements can be put to great use in both off-season, and in precontest
dieting mode. Obviously within the scope of this article, I wish to discuss the pre-contest use of supplements to aid
the athlete in ultimate performance. There is a caveat here though. These products are called supplements for a reason.
They are supplements "to" the diet or training. They are not REMEDIES FOR, incorrect dieting or training. Far too often
people stop me at the water fountain etc in the gym and tell me, " I'm taking this fat loss product but I'm not dropping fat."
Supplements exist to aid the process of fat loss and muscle gain. They do not replace bad training or coaching, misinformed
or incorrect dieting, or otherwise unsound athletic practices. Supplements do not fix what is wrong with your
program or diet. ONY YOU CAN DO THAT! That having been said supplements can have a profound effect on the finished
product of your physique.
This was not always the case however. Readers may remember a buyer beware article I did on supplements a few years
ago. That marked my foray into the supplement industry. At the time many new companies were jumping on the new
supplement awareness bandwagon. Many unscrupulous companies popped up promising the moon to consumers but not
delivering the goods. I ended getting involved in such a company, unaware at the time that I was being used. I was in
charge of research and I did a great deal of writing to hype the upcoming products. I brought several reputable experts
aboard, including administrators from the N.H.L. and Drs. and leading researchers. I was absolutely disgusted when I made
an inadvertent call to the manufacturer one day and found out that the company was using my name and reputation, but
when it came time to manufacture the products, the ingredients were not what the research intended, and the company was
just another hype being used to lure good people to purchase worthless products. I walked immediately, and I was
embarrassed to have to inform the other professionals of what had transpired. I vowed to never take part in the supplement
side of the industry again. But as fate would have it, some interesting things happened. Some of my research assistants
ended up with other supplement companies, in their Research and Development Divisions. Most kept in direct contact with
me letting me know what their jobs entailed etc.
Then I made an interesting observation. Because of the nature of competition among the more reputable companies in the
industry, a few companies were using great research and coming up with or enhancing already existing products. The
company that impressed me the most by far has to be Muscle Tech. Never one to just rely on a brand name I put my
research knowledge to work regarding ingredients and feedback. I was even more impressed. Products work because of
what their items are composed of, and often what they are not composed of. While this often increases the cost of a specific
item, the cost effectiveness is much better as well.
Of the macronutrients consumed in a pre-contest mode, whey protein makes the most sense as a supplement. Whey
protein has a very high BCAA percentage. BCAA"s comprise 50% of all aminos of which muscles are composed. 30% of all
aminos required after exercise come from the BCAAs. During workouts BCAAs are sacrificed from working muscles in order
to make glutamate and alanine, which then goes to the liver and through a process called gluconeogenesis, the amino acids
are converted to glucose, to refuel working muscles. This process is referred to as glutamate-pyruvate-aminotransferase
activity. Therefore because of the high BCAA content of whey protein, supplementing right after training makes good sense.
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My clients mostly use Designer Protein, but Muscle Tech has a new prototype Whey Protein that is yielding wonderful
results with my clients. (More on that later)
In order to aid workout efficiency, most people are well advised to use a thermogenic aid while dieting. Not only do the
thermogenic aids bode well for fat loss and kcalorie consumption, but also they enhance awareness and concentration, as
well as prolonging endurance and thereby enhancing workout performance. By far the best item on the market for this is
Hydroxycut by Muscle Tech. Not only do the thermogenic compounds exist in the precise ratios recommended by science,
but Hydroxycut also includes Hydroxycitric Acid. Anyone who has read Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale's book will know that HCA
decreases the formation of bodyfat from carbs and protein, and decrease the storage of fat in the body. This is different from
the fat burning effect of the other thermogenic ingredients, so it acts as a one-two punch so to speak in terms of weight
control. HCA also contributes indirectly to fat breakdown, compounding the effect of ephedra and mahuang in the product.
Benefits of HCA include increase glycogen storage, decrease appetite, stabilized energy levels and an increase in insulin
sensitivity. This is an all around great compound for fat loss and weight control and combining it in a thermogenic formula
like Hydroxycut makes the product the market leader and the first choice of my clients. I would rather have clients take
Hydroxycut over clenbuterol anytime, and in fact they always do. Taken about a half-hour to 45 mins before training is my
recommendation for this particular product, although there are individual variances.
Acetyl-l-carnitine has long been known as a useful supplement for both off-season and pre-contest use. Among the better
known effects of this compound are that it prevents the normal fall in testosterone, which usually accompanies exercise.
Acetyl-l-carnitine is also known to free up bound (inactive) testosterone. This makes it a useful compound for preventing
catabolic activity. Acetyl-l-carnitine also provides protective effects for the heart, and sedentary people are now using it
along with items like Co-enzyme Q10, as a possible preventative health measure.
Also among the micronutrients it has long been known that zinc has a pronounced effect in both anabolic activity and
testosterone production. The athletic community is just now realizing the benefits of zinc supplementation. Why? Because
what was not as well known before, is how incredibly difficult it is for the body to absorb zinc, and how easy it is for the body
to lose it. When I was in graduate school I had a friend in Med. school. As a way of making money as a poor student, he
took part in a study that had to do with zinc absorption. For two whole weeks he had to collect his entire feces, after every
bowel movement and take it to the lab. This study showed how difficult it is for a body to absorb zinc since massive amounts
of it was being lost in the feces every day. Zinc, like most micronutrients is an item where you do not so much notice its
presence as you would its absence. Therefore it made it difficult to prove that it might be necessary as a supplement to
athletes who would be prone to losing even more of it through sweat etc. Another big problem with zinc is in terms of
absorption. Most of the micronutrients compete with each other for absorption. That is why a multi -vitamin is often useless
for athletes. There is no way of telling which vitamin or mineral is being absorbed and which is not. Zinc is often the loser in
competition for absorption. Often to save money, companies use cheap buffers like dicalcium phosphate or calcium sulfate
as filler. Well, calcium pretty much eliminates the probability of zinc absorption so any zinc intended in such a formula tends
to be useless. Another example of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing. For zinc, even minor amounts of aluminum
such as contained in drinking water in the US. or aluminum chlorohydrate in some anti-perspirants, can interfere with zinc
absorption. It makes good supplement advice to stagger the intake of certain minerals and knowing how to combine certain
vitamins and minerals in order to increase absorption is wiser even still. Zinc, taken with magnesium, and vitamin B6 will
increase zinc absorption substantially and thereby aid in the anabolic process. Muscle Tech has a formula called Acetabolin
2 which combines both the proper zinc combination with the acetyl-l-carnitine previously mentioned. This makes great sense
since both have a targeted effect on testosterone and testosterone action. Remember I said earlier that supplements are
often good for what they don't contain as much as for what they do contain. Well the Acetabolin 2 product contains no
calcium or other micronutrients that potentially interfere with zinc absorption. It is recommended to take before training.
Another little known fact about B6 is not only that it enhances zinc absorption, but also B6 combines with ammonia (a byproduct
of energy metabolism) in the body during training and makes l -glutamine. This is just an added bonus to taking the
product before training.
The benefits of taking high amounts of exogenous forms of L-glutamine and creatine are also well documented, and I need
not go into the list here. Suffice it to say that during the middle period of the pre-contest diet (say, the 10 week mark till the 6
week mark supplementing with both before and after training as well as before bed will aid the body in recuperation, energy
storage, and optimum volumization of the intracellular muscle space.) Stopping at 6 weeks out gives the body time to shed
the mild water retention commonly seen from taking these two products in combination, while still insuring optimum muscle
fullness. There are little tricks that can be used by manipulating both of these items after a weigh -in, or between the prejudging
and the night show, but the application is very specific to each individual and a general application may do more
harm than good. All the more reason to hire the services of a good coach who knows this stuff, and who will not use your
body and your contest condition as an experiment to find out what will and what won't work. Your contest is far too important
to let someone use your body as a test case, whether it's with supplements, steroids, diuretics, or anything else. Obviously I
believe proper coaching is necessary but there are far too many wannabe gym professors and gurus out there who haven't
even figured out their own bodies yet, but they have no problem telling you what you should do with yours! Coaching is a
relationship and trust is a big factor in that relationship. Anything that has not been tried but seems promising must be
discussed in advanced and agreed upon by both coach and athlete before its undertaking. A case in point:
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Mike McHugh has been a client of mine for a few years. In Oct. 1998 Mike won the Overall Championships at a level 2
Contest here in Ont. This qualified him for the Ontario Championships the following year. (In Canada we have a level
system of competition that all competitors must go through) Usually the Ontario Championships are held every fall,
somewhere around the Canadian Thanksgiving, which is in October. Figuring we had a year till that show Mike took the
following month off after his contest win. When the schedule came out for the following year the Ontario Championships had
been moved up to July. Mike was disappointed to say the least because our plans for off-season training and gains were
now out the window. We had to regroup. I asked Mike if he would be willing to try an experiment with the show involving
several supplements that I was starting to believe merited some consideration. Figuring the off-season was already gone,
and knowing that he would need to improve in order to compete one level higher Mike agreed to let me guide him in using
supplements for the show. All other variables remained the same. Mike started his diet and used the supplements of
creatine; we used MesoTech by Muscletech, as well as glutamine and the Acetabolan 2 formula mentioned above. Before
each of his twice a day workouts Mike used Hydroxycut right up to the show. As the show got closer we used a prototype
whey protein that Muscletech was developing and that they were desperate to try out. Mike and I were quite thrilled with the
results. In October 1998 Mike weighed in at just under 190lbs. With barely any off-season and all other variables remaining
the same, Mike weighed in in July 1999, just seven months after beginning his contest prep, at a weight of 206lbs. That is an
increase of about 16 lbs LBM. Keep in mind also that this is contest weight, dehydrated, fat free muscle mass. In terms of
real world walking around weight, the muscle gain is more like 25lbs, and that is in 7 months. Yes, the supplements made a
huge difference, but it is important not to lose sight of a few things. First, Mike is an intense individual with the tenacity of an
untamed tiger and the heart of a lion. He had a passion to improve that should not be underestimated. Second, Mike had the
best coaching and the best training environment to work with. You see how the supplements can make a difference only
when other critical factors are controlled. Next time you want to claim that your supplements did nothing for you, closely
examine what I just stated about controlling for all variables, and ask yourself if you are REALLY training with a hunger and
desire to improve, or are you relying on drugs or supplements to fill in those gaps for you. News flash.
They won't!
When you see pictures of Mike McHugh you will see the difference all these variables can make when put together
PROPERLY.
This article was an attempt to give an overview to the pre-contest diet approach. Everyone is a little different and that is
where expertise comes in. If your show is really important to you you will not leave your contest prep to chance but you will
rely on the services of proven professional coaches or trainers. The article does not touch upon final prep like diuretics,
water and electrolyte control; fat loading etc. because all must be individually applied and general advice can often do more
harm than good.
I wish all of you luck in your training and competition endeavors. I hope this article helped to sort out some confusion and lay
to rest some old myths.
