How do male body builders lose weight so quickly?

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Green605
Green605 Posts: 15 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Sometimes I hear about male body builders for competitions they will lose weight in pounds. How do they do that? I am a male I exercise all the time. Anyone know what the situation is going on here? Is doing Running and cardio a factor for this?

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  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    In the short term right before competitions? Generally by starving and de-hydrating themselves. As soon as the competition is over, they eat and re-hydrate and put the related weight back on. Same concept as wrestlers trying to 'make weight'

    Not a particularly useful strategy for someone looking to shed overall weight in the long-term.
  • evildeadedd
    evildeadedd Posts: 108 Member
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    Are you talking about cutting weight? Like a fighter or wrestler? It is water weight. Bodybuilders look like they do because they are extremely dehydrated.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    It's not usually done super quickly. They do last minute finagling (dehydrating, etc.) but I believe most plan 12 weeks or so as their final prep period.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    edited February 2016
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    All of what's been said.



    Also, most (at the pro level) are on the juice.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    In the short term right before competitions? Generally by starving and de-hydrating themselves. As soon as the competition is over, they eat and re-hydrate and put the related weight back on. Same concept as wrestlers trying to 'make weight'

    Not a particularly useful strategy for someone looking to shed overall weight in the long-term.
    jemhh wrote: »
    It's not usually done super quickly. They do last minute finagling (dehydrating, etc.) but I believe most plan 12 weeks or so as their final prep period.

    This and this.
    They usually start at a lower bodyfat anyway. Prep typically starts 12 weeks out from competition but that would depend on how much there is to cut. Prep would consist of restricting calories and upping activity.
    Shortly before comp they will use different techniques to drop water/dehydrate. Very often there are drugs used including diuretics.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
    edited February 2016
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    As a competitive bodybuilder I can help with this.

    1. Generally they maintain a fairly lean body year round.
    2. Their cut takes 12-24 weeks to do.
    3. They use unsustainable methods to achieve it (since it is a short term diet and the results are for a single day).
    4. They eat high protein and low calorie with just enough fat to sustain hormones.
    5. Steroids and diuretics.

    Maintaining a lean body is really the biggest factor. That and absolute accuracy with eating/logging.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
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    Clen, T3, DNP, and other chemicals that if you have to ask what they are, you'd probably kill yourself trying to use them.
  • bellaa_x0
    bellaa_x0 Posts: 1,062 Member
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    senecarr wrote: »
    Clen, T3, DNP, and other chemicals that if you have to ask what they are, you'd probably kill yourself trying to use them.

    haha clen was the first thing that came to my mind
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Super low-carb/ketogenic. No magic here.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    evildeadedd wrote: »
    Are you talking about cutting weight? Like a fighter or wrestler? It is water weight. Bodybuilders look like they do because they are extremely dehydrated.

    This. Kid in hs lost 12 pounds in a day for a wrestlimg match (and he wasn't the heavy puffy kid, he was jacked)

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