Competition prep, when to cut carbs??!!
Buncha36
Posts: 5 Member
Hello!!! For all my fitness competition friends out there, I am just nervous about when and how much I should cut my carb intake as I become closer to my competition date.
I step on stage (For the first time ever!!) on April 1st, so I have 10 weeks to go. My macros are currently at 40% protein, 30% Fat and 30% carbs. This is for the NPC, bikini division.
Any advice would be much appreciated!!!
Love
I step on stage (For the first time ever!!) on April 1st, so I have 10 weeks to go. My macros are currently at 40% protein, 30% Fat and 30% carbs. This is for the NPC, bikini division.
Any advice would be much appreciated!!!
Love
3
Replies
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Why would you want to cut carbs?
My carbs are generally the things that change, and as minimally as possible, when fat loss plateaus. I don't use a percentage split, but have grams for my macros. Protein and fat stay pretty constant, although fat may reduce if calories need to be reduced more. My aim is to diet on as much food as possible!
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?1 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
3 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
My carbs have always increased in peak week! That's the fun week for me
2 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
My carbs have always increased in peak week! That's the fun week for me
Yep, I've known coaches on both ends of the spectrum as well as it varying by individual. But those who go carbless... misery.2 -
Lots of peak week programming involved 3-4 days of depletion followed by a carb up at 2-3 days out. Not sure if this is relative for bikini but certaintly for MP and bodybuilding2
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
My carbs have always increased in peak week! That's the fun week for me
Yep, I've known coaches on both ends of the spectrum as well as it varying by individual. But those who go carbless... misery.
ridiculous low fat is worse....from experience.3 -
Personally what works for me and my sanity is adding in an extra cardio session/more time on your current cardio sessions before reducing food intake which may impact your energy levels for training. This is if you have the time of course and once you've exhausted that avenue then maybe look to lower calories. Good luck!2
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Day ON carb50/30 protein/20fat. + hiit+ fitness weight .......day OF -0 carb
2 -
I cut carbs then carved up for my first show, but I came in looking better at my second show when I didn't bother with any of that. A coach would be a good investment, but even then they usually need a few trials to dial in what you respond to.2
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
I am working with a posing coach, but am doing my nutrition my self. I guess I assumed to get your abs to show you needed to cut carbs and increase your fat levels...
I'm 5'5 and am eating 1700 net calories a day, im already getting great results with my body change, so I guess we will just see down the road if I need to change my macro arrangements.0 -
giovanna8830 wrote: »Day ON carb50/30 protein/20fat. + hiit+ fitness weight .......day OF -0 carb
I was also thinking along those lines. If i should keep my carb count high on my HIIT and cardio days (3x/week) and then decrease on just weight training days. Thank you!!0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
I am working with a posing coach, but am doing my nutrition my self. I guess I assumed to get your abs to show you needed to cut carbs and increase your fat levels...
I'm 5'5 and am eating 1700 net calories a day, im already getting great results with my body change, so I guess we will just see down the road if I need to change my macro arrangements.
You don't need to cut carbs to get your abs to show. To get your abs to show you need low body fat and adequate muscle. Carbs can actually help muscles look fuller where cutting carbs often leaves muscles looking flat.0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
I am working with a posing coach, but am doing my nutrition my self. I guess I assumed to get your abs to show you needed to cut carbs and increase your fat levels...
I'm 5'5 and am eating 1700 net calories a day, im already getting great results with my body change, so I guess we will just see down the road if I need to change my macro arrangements.
No no no.1 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
I am working with a posing coach, but am doing my nutrition my self. I guess I assumed to get your abs to show you needed to cut carbs and increase your fat levels...
I'm 5'5 and am eating 1700 net calories a day, im already getting great results with my body change, so I guess we will just see down the road if I need to change my macro arrangements.
You don't need to cut carbs to get your abs to show. To get your abs to show you need low body fat and adequate muscle. Carbs can actually help muscles look fuller where cutting carbs often leaves muscles looking flat.
This is true, but learning how to manipulate them (along with water and sodium) can be the difference between coming in soft as hell, or as cut as possible. Unfortunately, it's another one of those things where every person's body reacts differently.
Hell, I can go from a "2-pack" to six, just by restricting carbs for 72 hours, depleting glycogen stores, then hitting a 400g refeed. It only lasts for about 36 hours though, before my body decides to shove all of the subcutaneous water back into my lower abdomen and back.1 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
I am working with a posing coach, but am doing my nutrition my self. I guess I assumed to get your abs to show you needed to cut carbs and increase your fat levels...
I'm 5'5 and am eating 1700 net calories a day, im already getting great results with my body change, so I guess we will just see down the road if I need to change my macro arrangements.
You don't need to cut carbs to get your abs to show. To get your abs to show you need low body fat and adequate muscle. Carbs can actually help muscles look fuller where cutting carbs often leaves muscles looking flat.
This is true, but learning how to manipulate them (along with water and sodium) can be the difference between coming in soft as hell, or as cut as possible. Unfortunately, it's another one of those things where every person's body reacts differently.
Hell, I can go from a "2-pack" to six, just by restricting carbs for 72 hours, depleting glycogen stores, then hitting a 400g refeed. It only lasts for about 36 hours though, before my body decides to shove all of the subcutaneous water back into my lower abdomen and back.
That's a peak week technique that works for some, but isn't necessary as a fat loss method while weeks or months out from a show. My abs show even at 24% body fat, so I'm one of those that doesn't need water manipulation to make them pop.0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
I am working with a posing coach, but am doing my nutrition my self. I guess I assumed to get your abs to show you needed to cut carbs and increase your fat levels...
I'm 5'5 and am eating 1700 net calories a day, im already getting great results with my body change, so I guess we will just see down the road if I need to change my macro arrangements.
You don't need to cut carbs to get your abs to show. To get your abs to show you need low body fat and adequate muscle. Carbs can actually help muscles look fuller where cutting carbs often leaves muscles looking flat.
This is true, but learning how to manipulate them (along with water and sodium) can be the difference between coming in soft as hell, or as cut as possible. Unfortunately, it's another one of those things where every person's body reacts differently.
Hell, I can go from a "2-pack" to six, just by restricting carbs for 72 hours, depleting glycogen stores, then hitting a 400g refeed. It only lasts for about 36 hours though, before my body decides to shove all of the subcutaneous water back into my lower abdomen and back.
That's a peak week technique that works for some, but isn't necessary as a fat loss method while weeks or months out from a show. My abs show even at 24% body fat, so I'm one of those that doesn't need water manipulation to make them pop.
Exactly, and given that OP is 10 weeks out, she made it sound like she was trying to plan ahead for that final week of prep. I may well have misjudged her intent though.0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »Gallowmere1984 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
I am working with a posing coach, but am doing my nutrition my self. I guess I assumed to get your abs to show you needed to cut carbs and increase your fat levels...
I'm 5'5 and am eating 1700 net calories a day, im already getting great results with my body change, so I guess we will just see down the road if I need to change my macro arrangements.
You don't need to cut carbs to get your abs to show. To get your abs to show you need low body fat and adequate muscle. Carbs can actually help muscles look fuller where cutting carbs often leaves muscles looking flat.
This is true, but learning how to manipulate them (along with water and sodium) can be the difference between coming in soft as hell, or as cut as possible. Unfortunately, it's another one of those things where every person's body reacts differently.
Hell, I can go from a "2-pack" to six, just by restricting carbs for 72 hours, depleting glycogen stores, then hitting a 400g refeed. It only lasts for about 36 hours though, before my body decides to shove all of the subcutaneous water back into my lower abdomen and back.
That's a peak week technique that works for some, but isn't necessary as a fat loss method while weeks or months out from a show. My abs show even at 24% body fat, so I'm one of those that doesn't need water manipulation to make them pop.
Exactly, and given that OP is 10 weeks out, she made it sound like she was trying to plan ahead for that final week of prep. I may well have misjudged her intent though.
Those were my initial thoughts as well, which is why I said coaches tend to do trial runs in an earlier comment I made. She quoted someone suggesting a certain macro split on training days and 0 carbs on off days, to which she said she was thinking high carb on cardio days and low carb on off days.1 -
Yes thats what i've been doing now. High carbs on my cardio+training days and low carbs on my other days. I am realizing how important carbs are O.O I appreciate everyone's comments. they have been a huge help
0 -
Hello!!! For all my fitness competition friends out there, I am just nervous about when and how much I should cut my carb intake as I become closer to my competition date.
I step on stage (For the first time ever!!) on April 1st, so I have 10 weeks to go. My macros are currently at 40% protein, 30% Fat and 30% carbs. This is for the NPC, bikini division.
Any advice would be much appreciated!!!
Love
Unless you're carb cycling you don't want to cut carbs until the last week and that's only depending on how you're looking. Carb loading the night before and day off is common, but only if you're depleted.
0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
You may not need to change much. Are you working with a coach?
That's the key question.
Peak week typically has you going into carb cutting crazy town but with so many different coaches and protocols, it'll vary all over the place to various extremes.
I am working with a posing coach, but am doing my nutrition my self. I guess I assumed to get your abs to show you needed to cut carbs and increase your fat levels...
I'm 5'5 and am eating 1700 net calories a day, im already getting great results with my body change, so I guess we will just see down the road if I need to change my macro arrangements.
You don't need to cut carbs to get your abs to show. To get your abs to show you need low body fat and adequate muscle. Carbs can actually help muscles look fuller where cutting carbs often leaves muscles looking flat.
I experienced this for the first time this weekend, although I was cutting carbs to make weight for a powerlifting meet. All week I cut most carbs and water loaded. After the meet, I'm sitting there eating a pizza and out of nowhere, I feel my body swell and muscles inflate.
It was awesome.0
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