competing body builder explain your carb deplete and carb up days

[kdtl61]

Hello All,
I have competed in over 10 shows and have never carb depleted. I always carb up on Wednesday before a Saturday show. I have my last show of the year coming up on Saturday 13th. I want to try something new just to see if I fill out more and still look hard.
Please tell me what day you start to deplete, how low do you take your carbs each day. Then how high have you gone on the carb up day. Lastly how did you handle your water?
I'm 5'7" compete at 174#
My big carb day goes up to 350 grams then 200 on Thurs and Friday. Saturday I might take in 250grams. Not sure. I tend to go by how I look.

Tell me your trade secrets.
Thanks,
kdtl61

 

[DoctorHERB]

I carb depleted like this for my last show:
Sunday=60 grams
Mon. 10-15 grams
Tues. as close to zero as I get(maybe 5-10 grams)
Wed. start carb up

WATER
3 gallons daily for 3 weeks
on Wed. 1.5-2 gallons
Thurs 3/4-1 gallon
Friday 1/2 gallon, stopping at around noon.

Bottom line is, there is NO ONE PLAN that's ideal for everyone. Good luck aand keep us updated on your contest.

 

[kdtl61]

DoctorHerb,
What was your weight at contest time?
How many carbs did you go up to on Wed, Thur, and Fri?
What other drying out did you do. Dandelion etc.

I eat 200 carbs everyday of my diet. Then on Wed. spike up to 350 grams Thur,Fri back to 200 grams.

I understand we all will vary. I only take in 1.5 gallons of water a day. Thurs I cut back to 3/4 and Fri 1/2 gal.

Casey Viator what do you do? It sure works what ever it is.
Hey casey I looked at some pics from the ohio. It looks like the judges wanted a swimmer type body as the middle weight. However they went with the HUGE heavy weight for the overall.
I have had 3 2nd placing up at North Royalton. Must be some kind of curse.

 

[DoctorHERB]

I competed middleweight open. I weighed in at 176. I didn't carb up as high as you on Wed., but kept it around 200 grams wed/thur/fri. I did cut my sodium as close to zero as i could on wed/thurs/fri. The only sodium I had came from turkey breast(about 250-275 per day). I used a mild diuretic(dyazide) on thurs. and fri. at a low dosage. I qualified for nationals at my last show and Im currently trying to bulk up and compete light HW next summer/fall. If things go as planned, I may do the nationals next year or the Jr. nationals if things aren't ideal. Email me if you ever want to discuss things more, because I don't check this board everyday.

 

[FlexBailey]

Here's a pretty simple formula with no vodoo mumbo jumbo shit..

You start your depleting on sunday and do it for three days and then your loading starting on wednesday up to the show which is usually on saturday.
If you daily carb intake is say 300g or 10 potatoes, you deplete by 50% that amount so you for three days only take in 150 grams of carbs or 5 potatoes.
Then on wednesday you load by taking 50% MORE than your REGULAR intake which will be 15 potatoes or 450 g.
This is how Chris Aceto says it's best and what i've used successfully for my shows. Pretty simple eh?

 

[kdtl61]

Hello Flex,
I like this simple approach. What did you do with your water?
Do you still eat egg whits up to the show?

Doctor HERB,
What about you did you eat any egg whites the last 3 days before the show? Or is the sodium in egg not so bad. I eat 16 to 24 egg whits a day. Would you suggest dropping them all together the last few day?

I don't salt anything at any time. the only sodium I get is from whole food. I always strain and rinse my tuna. What else can I do to keep sodium low?

Thanks for your help.
kdtl61

 

[DoctorHERB]

Yes, cut out the egg whites starting wed. You protein intake is not as important as carbing up.

 

[animal B]

I cycle carbs starting 8 weeks out...but the last week is like this
sunday...half the amount of carbs you normally ate
monday...half that
tuesday..half that
wensday half that....but remember when decreasing carbs ..increse the protein.....
thursday..carb up...potato or yam every hr until bed time
friday....potato or yam every 2 hrs
your water should be high..until friday
I always eat eggs....salt is important
pound the creatine the last weeks to get water into the muscles..
diuretics....aldactone 100mg per day sunday to wensday....lasix 40mg thursday, and friday...saturday 2 hrs before show time...a large steak and potato...take a shit and pee before the show...
this is me..Im 4 weeks out now my self

 

[kdtl61]

WOW animal Bthat is a shit load of potatos. You are talking about eating 12 or 15 potato the first carb day. If they are 6 oz
spuds you are looking at 500 plus carbs. How big of a guy are you? What is your competition weight.
Mine is 174#.
So you feel starting the carb up day on Thursday gives everything time to get into your muscles. I have always heard start on Wednesday.

I will not be using creatine because I feel it will smooth me out.
My drying out aids are cutting water, dandelion root, potassium
and B-6. i want to try Glycerol for the first time. I hope to pull a litte water from with in the skin.
Have you ever used it? if so what kind of timing is needed for it to work?

Thanks for your time guys, I will take all information and apply my own thoughts and come up with a plan.

Anyone else have any ideas?

Thanks,
kdtl61

 

[FlexBailey]

Hello Flex,
I like this simple approach. What did you do with your water?
Do you still eat egg whits up to the show?


As Doc Herb said I also cut my eggs at about the time when you start carb loading and decreasing sodium intake. Here's another important thing, don't all of a sudden on wednesday drop ALL of your sodium..that will more than likely leave you flat. Just drop it about 30% each day until the show..And with the water it's the same..don't all of a sudden drop all of it on wednesday just cut it back a bit. Then thursday about half of what you drank on wednesday and then friday you should basically just be sipping right through the show saturday.
All of these methods worked great for me but each of us is different but these are generally rules of thumb to follow. Just as long as your up to par the last week before the show you can follow simple plans like this with success. It's when your not up to par and physique is behind that guys will go a few days with NO carbs and start sipping water on wednesday right through to saturday. Usually these guys end up looking smooth and flat so it's best to ALWAYS make sure you do your homework so you're not having to use these desperate measures that 9 out of 10 times won't work.
Also try adding something like Vanadyl Sulphate the last week around the time when you start carb depleting as it will helps to give you pumps and get veins out a slight bit more especially through the low carb phase when veins are usually hiding a bit.