Tad the Diet Coach at the Masters Nationals
I thought I would let you all peer into my mind a little after I have just competed at this year’s 2010 Masters Nationals in Pittsburgh, PA. As a competitor, it is always a humbling experience to go to any big national event and compete against the country’s best competitors. This year was no exception. This year’s contest was huge with around 500 competitors competing and being in a class of around 20 heavy weight guys can feel overwhelming to the first timer. While I am not new to the National stage, it was still a humbling and inspiring experience for me.
I finished 3rd in such a deep and competitive heavy weight class and it was a great feeling of accomplishment to be in a top spot. I must admit though, the best feelings for me are always when I get crowd support and competitors that come to me and appreciate the hard work that is put into my body in order to get it ready to compete. I have competed for over twenty years and I am still hooked on the compliments that are given to me after a contest.
The most important step in my competitive process has always been answering the critical question “what next?” I always evaluate all my competitive experiences in the same fashion. First, what am I taking away from this show that makes me feel good? Next, what did I learn that can make me a better competitor and bodybuilder? And finally, how do I use these components in my competitive process so that I am building on each show no matter what the outcome was.
This time around I learned to trust what has always worked in my diet process. I did less experimenting and more of what I knew has historically worked for me. Don’t try and fix a machine that isn’t broken. In my case, the keto diet that I had been trying to make work in my diet process the last few contests simply didn’t produce the end product in my physique that I was trying to make it produce. Going back to what I knew would work and having patience with my body was the key to feeling great on my diet and getting my body to look closer to what I wanted it to look like day of the contest did the trick.
Balance and good feelings should always accompany any contest
Finally, feeling great about my competitive process reminded me why I do this stuff in the first place. I do this because it adds value to my life. Feeling great about what you are doing and about yourself is important to being a balanced person as well as giving you the internal fuel to give back to others. So because it was so easy for me to get value from the Masters Nationals this year, it was an easy decision for me to continue my process and plan on competing again in a few weeks at the North American Championships. My goal is to extract similar value from this next contest experience and to walk away with good feelings and a sense of progress in my bodybuilding and my life of good feelings (not to mention my Pro Card!).
Precontest Self-Destruction
It is 7 days out from your show and you want to look your best. You might find your self listening to everyone else around you about what you should be doing the last week. All you really want is to look the best that you can the day of the show. What do you do?
This is a common scenario right before a contest for so many competitors. My suggestion is, don’t lose your nerve or your good sense and start taking advice from everyone in the gym or anyone who walks up to you and offers advice for that matter. Taking last minute advice and deviating from the devised plan has spelled competitor suicide for many athletes. It is easy to want to listen to other competitors, people, friends, and others who may be telling you what your ears want to hear. After all, it is easier to hear that you are holding a little water in your skin than it is to hear that you still have a nice layer of fat that you will have to double time off in a short period of time. Instead stick to your game plan and listen to your one coach (if you have one). In the end, you want to be able to easily identify what you did and what may have gone right and wrong. This way you can avoid similar pitfalls in the future and duplicate your successes.
Contest Week Stress!
Any good coach does what he can to reduce stress for all his competitors.
Well it is a few days before your contest and you are stressing out, running around trying to get errands done, getting in your last workouts, cardio and trying to finish up anything at work that you don’t want on your mind before show day. You have prepared for this contest for many weeks, sometimes months, and it feels like things are coming to a head fast! Be careful, this is a common scenario for many competitors right before a big event and it can spell trouble the day of your event.
Too much activities and anxiety can cause stress hormones to rise, and in these final days before a contest it is essential for any competitor to reduce all the stress on the body, both internal and external. Scaling back workouts and cardio is the first step in this process but you must also put actions in place that will allow for a reduced stress environment. This means no running around like a chicken with its head cut off getting hair, nails, shopping, and so forth done at the last minute before contest day. This also literally means putting the body at rest. Physically being at rest for prolonged periods of time is an important part of getting those stress hormones to lower in the body.
After weeks of increased cardio, high intensity workouts, and stressful dieting, the bodies stress hormones are at their peak levels before a contest. This can cause water retention, muscle loss, and generally give the body a very sub-par look on stage. Reducing these hormones is important to looking your best on stage. Small things can mean big changes on stage. So relax…literally… relax before a contest and only worry about eating, drinking your fluids (or not drinking them in some cases), and feeling at ease that your work is almost done.
Summer Eating!
Summer is here and the BBQ season is in full swing. But watch out because a recent study indicated that American’s are actually getting fatter in spite of the fact that there are actually more people including more activity in their lifestyles. While the number of people have increased who are working out each week, it still hasn’t put a stop to the rising number of people who are considered obese by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control. So does this mean that all this activity is of no use? Obviously increased activity is very beneficial. What keeps American’s from getting the physique they really want is two main factors, food choices and the relationship to food that most people seem to have.
Poor food choices seems obvious but most people perceive that the “good foods” for you won’t make you fat. The notion that what foods are good for you can’t hurt you or that they are somehow exempt from contributing to excess fat stores is simply not true. This may seem obvious to some but not to many. However bad this kind of thinking can be, it is nothing compared to what I think is the real problem with the American diet and that is how most people relate to food.
It seems that you can’t have any social function in the United States without involving food, and bad food! Our summer social calendars are often filled with dinners, parties, social get togethers that all center around eating and drinking excessive amounts of calories that most o our bodies have no real need for. as a matter of fact, most people over eat their energy needs regularly. It seems that socially we seem to center our activities around food. We can’t seem to get together without involving food. We need to change our attitude toward food and social events.
So as you start looking at your social calendar this summer, and you are planning which BBQ’s to attend and what functions you will going to, remember that food doesn’t have to be the focal point. But if it has to be the center of attention then throw in extra activities such as cardio or another workout session to help cover the indulgences you are affording yourself.
Visualization or just wishful thinking?
When you look at yourself what do you see? I am always surprised with the answers that I get from people. Some of the most successful and beautiful people that I have ever worked with just don’t see what I see when they look at their own lives or themselves in the mirror. Why is this question important? As a competitor, you have be able to see your future. You must be able to look at yourself and not only see what you must change, but more importantly you must be able to see what you will become.
If you can’t look into the mirror and see what is going to be, then the possibility of transforming into this image will fade with the first challenge that comes your way. Most competitors almost always focus on the things they want to change about themselves. “I want my butt like ….” “I want my arms bigger.” “I need my…. to look better.” and so forth. This is great thinking when you want to improve your physique, but it is only half the equation. A successful person must also temper this kind of critical analysis with recognition of the good qualities that they possess. And they must be able to believe that these things will and are happening now.
"What do you see?"
When I look into the mirror I have always taken note of the things that I want to change, but I also see what I want to happen and I know it is a reality or soon will be. I see myself as an evolving process that is taking shape in the ways that I want and believe. There have been lots of books written on visualization over the years and in general I would have to agree that visualization is very powerful stuff when applied consistently. What you see for yourself, your body, and your life will come to happen. This is a assured. You will make as much money as you think you will, you will have the kind of relationship that you think you deserve, and your body will change in ways that you believe that it can.
The power of what I am talking about is the power of your own ability to believe in you, what you want, and what you desire. What you really believe will happen in your life, and to your body has everything to do with all the destinations of your life. Your life and your body follows belief. If you believe something to be true, it will be true in all its consequences. Most of the time most call this attitude. I like to think of attitude more as a reflection of what you believe. No matter what you call it, your attitude and your beliefs will impact your body’s progress and your life’s journey. The best part of this story is that you get to choose what you believe. Don’t accept anything from yourself that you don’t want. Look at yourself in the mirror and see what you want and become what you want.
What contest should you do?
Everyone wants to make a big splash the first time they step on stage to compete. From the moment that I started bodybuilding over 23 years ago I knew that I wanted to compete, and everything I did in the gym was geared toward the day when I would appear on stage to fight it out in the physique world. I never gave a second thought to what competitive strategy I might employ to eventually make the biggest impact and move up the competitive ladder. These days if you want to earn one of the coveted IFBB Pro cards, then it is wise to give some thought and planning to which shows to do so that you can get the kind of forward momentum it takes to make it to the IFBB Pro ranks.
The sad facts are that not many competitors make it to the National level in the NPC, let alone make it to the pros. However this doesn’t mean that every competitor shouldn’t give a little thought to which shows to do and how each might try to move up the competitive ladder.
My suggestions for most people are based on two critical elements, having a great experience at any show, and challenging yourself always. For most, this usually means compete when and where you can as long as you have the a good chance to have some fun. This also means that you shouldn’t compete in a show just because you think you can win it. Winning shows is a great thing, but remember there is only one winner in any show, which means most of the competitors who do shows lose. So the value most competitors get out of a show will come from some intrinsic elements you derive from your competitive process, what you learn about yourself and your body, and finally what relationships you form while competing. All these things will determine if you made a good competition selection and consequently either encourage you to compete again or not.
If there are any competitive certainties in the world of bodybuilding, bikini and figure, they are these: you can’t do anything about who shows up to a show to compete against you, and you can’t do anything about what the judges think of your physique. So in the end analysis, it makes sense to do shows that add something to your life, give you an opportunity to learn more about yourself, and for you to challenge yourself so that you know exactly what you need to do to be better next time you step on stage and compete. Make your competition choices based on what value you will get out of each experience and not whether you want a trophy. Most likely if you are having a lot of fun competing, learning and growing as a competitor, that you will probably look up and find after a few contests that you have a nice collection of trophies anyways.
How soon to start a contest prep?
I just got back from the 2010 NPC Orange County Muscle Classic in Anaheim this weekend, and I am always amazed at some of the competitors and the poor condition they show up to a contest in. While sometimes it is obvious that they just didn’t realize that many of the other competitors take competition very seriously, I am not sure if this is the case in some of the others. I have to assume that the out of shape athlete simply didn’t know the level of conditioning it takes to do well at a bodybuilding, figure or bikini contest. Then there are those few, and if you have been to a few contests then you know what I am talking about, that show up simply way out of shape for a contest. These individuals really shouldn’t be on stage at all, I often think some of these guys and gals get up on stage because of a dare or bet they lost the night before.
While it is within everyone’s right to show up and compete in any condition they want, my guess is that they would have a deeper sense of accomplishment, not to mention, they would avoid some of the embarrassing ridicule, if they just understood some kind of standard for preparation for a contest. My guess is that in many cases, many lack the understanding on how to properly prepare for a show. After all, it is a very difficult process and it is wise for anyone to hire a coach to help them with their contest prep and guide them through this process, especially if they have never done this kind of competition before.
Having said all this, I thought I would give you a few general guidelines that most people can follow for determining how long a contest diet might take you. We will focus on bodybuilding and figure since the standards for these rely more on conditioning and thus a little easier to predict how long you should start your contest prep. For figure, most ladies really need fall in between 8.5% and 9.5% body fat in order to look well conditioned, firm, toned and tight. Much of this is individualized because each woman will hold her fat disproportionately in different areas on her body. So in the end you should rely on what the judges will see and not on body comp %. You can assume that for most women it will take one week of prep for every 1 lbs of scale weight that you have to loose. Now there are many assumptions built into this, and this is just a gauge. But this is generally accurate. You may lose more weight the first few weeks but once your body stabilizes the weight will come off slower. In the end, the average will be about one pound per week most likely.
As for men’s bodybuilding, men have the capacity in most cases to lose overall body weight at a much faster rate. So in general, you can assume 2 lbs of scale weight per week of contest prep. In most cases, men bodybuilders should come to a contest testing anywhere from 4.5% to 3.5% body fat. But again, at the end of the day you want the judges to see lean, hard, full muscles. Use your eyeballs to judge not a body comp test.
Now this stuff is just general advice and I have to qualify this post and say that everyone’s body can move at very different rates and with very different results. The best course of action that would have helped anyone who I saw out of shape at any contest would have been to start early, hire a professional to help develop a contest strategy, and stay positive because it should get hard. Remember, the worse you feel on a contest diet, the better you probably look!
Not all Veggies are created equal!
In every contest diet or fat loss diet, I give my clients a list of good vegetables and bad ones that they can sometime choose from. Often times many of my clients mis-understand what I mean by bad vegetables and good vegetables. Most competitors who have suffered through a tough contest prep can attest to eating a hoard of broccoli and/or cauliflower during their diets. These are good examples of what I consider good vegetables. Good veggies have a one thing in common, they all have a low glyco-response in the body. This means that they don’t affect insulin levels very much and any carbohydrates that you derive from them are minimal and are delivered very slowly into the blood stream. These veggies include (but may not be limited to): broccoli, cauliflower, greens, lettuce (any kind), spinach, spouts, green beans, mushrooms, cucumbers, celery, peppers (any kind), and daikon (radish). Many of these can be used liberally in a contest or fat loss diet without fear of disrupting insulin levels. Hence, great for the contest dieter who wants to maximize fat loss and minimize hunger.
Now some of the bad vegetables include: potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, yams, squash, and beets. These veggies often are too starchy and can slow or even stop fat loss. This is death to any contest dieter or for anyone who is aggressively trying to lose body fat quickly. Now this isn’t to say these vegetables don’t have there place in a well constructed diet, they just must be watched with care or you can eat your way out of a fat loss diet quickly. Quick note, I get asked a lot about tomatoes, and actually tomatoes are a fruit and aren’t a vegetable. So needless to say tomatoes, while can be healthy to eat, they can be bad for fat loss if eaten in excess.
Veggies are a contest dieter’s staple and should be included in everyone’s daily food intake as a healthy part of a balanced meal plan, but too much of just about anything can be a bad thing. When you evaluate what veggies to include in your eating plan, first consider what your goals are for your diet and then decide what response you want from your food. This will often tell you what you need to know in deciding how starchy of a vegetable you want to include in a particular meal.
Quick Weight Loss = Increased Metabolic Slow Down
I am constantly asked about questions regarding metabolism and there there are a few basic things that everyone should understand about how this mechanism works in your body and what its role is in creating weight loss during your dieting journey. Many dieters often feel the metabolic slow down after a very short time dieting and soon hit plateaus in their weight loss. While a certain degree of metabolic slowing must be expected in any diet quick losses can often lead to premature slow down and an almost complete stop of overall progress. Why does this happen?
The basics of weight loss and fat loss are simple really; burn more energy than you consume on a regular basis and your body will liberate energy stores on the body to cover the deficit. Do this long enough and consistently enough and you have constant weight loss. The problem is your body recognizes this at some point and puts the brakes on and thus your progress slows down. Your body wants to keep you alive and it is smart enough to know that quick losses mean danger if left unattended long enough. So the quicker the loses the faster the body will respond to it. And the faster your body responds the harder the adaptation that adjusts metabolism to meet your daily requirements. How can you prevent this kind of slowing of the metabolism?
Your body will only lose fat at a certain rate, beyond that it uses other stores of energy trapped in muscles (i.e. protein structures). If pressed to lose too quickly your body may burn some fat but may also tap into muscle tissue for energy at an alarming rate. I have seen people 10-15 lbs of muscle in a matter of weeks dieting for a contest. Trying to force their bodies to burn fat too fast and losing hard earned muscle in the process. The trick is to take a reasonable amount of time to lose body fat. You do this by starting your contest diet early, know how much body fat you are starting out with and do not try to force your body to lose body fat quicker than it really can. A good rule of thumb for fat loss can vary from person to person but a good rule of thumb for most is 1 lbs of body fat a week on a fairly aggressive diet and exercise plan.
A quick mention on carbs and metabolic slow down. One of the biggest culprits of slowing metabolisms is a severe reduction in carbs for too long a period of time. In our carb conscious society we live in today many people have the wrong idea about how they can treat their bodies and how many carbs they should really eat everyday. Remember, if you eat it you should have a need for it, and you will need to burn that energy off. Think of carbs as a 2-4 hour fuel supply, if you take in more carbs in one sitting than you really need in the next 2-4 hours you will most likely store some of the excess energy that those carbs represent somewhere in your body either as glycogen in the liver or muscles or as body fat. Know what you eat, know what your needs are, and know how much is too much and how much is too little. The right balance can give you a healthy responsive body that diets for contest very well. While an imbalanced diet in the off season can often lead you to a long and painful contest diet.
Cheat Meal or No Cheat Meal?
Don't overdo your cheats!
I am one of those diet coaches who definitely believes in the value of giving cheat meals to my competitors. There are many diet coaches who don’t do this and there is a lot of opinions about which is the better tactic. If you account for a weekly cheat meal and have guidelines for those meals then these meals can be very beneficial to your cause in 2 very good ways. First, a well planned cheat can help to push in needed nutrients into your body and keep your metabolism ramped up during heavy adaptation that occurs during a long and hard contest diet. And a well planned cheat meal can also provide a well needed psychological reprieve from a strict diet. After all, if you are dieting for more than 10 weeks then you are in for a long diet that can wear you down mentally. A cheat meal can provide you with a needed break from your diet and something to look forward to all week. This kind of small reward can often make the difference in making it to a show and giving up halfway into a hard and long diet.
I haven’t always used cheat meals and they certainly aren’t good for everyone. Some people just don’t know when to say when as the food enters the mouth. But if you can stick to a few rules of thumb, it can often times help most people survive a contest diet. I enforce two rules on my clients when it comes to cheat meals: eat all your other meals completely and on time before the cheat meal, and don’t let the meal last more than 45 mins in duration. Like I said before, cheat meals aren’t for every dieter, but they can be good for many. Bon appetite!