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"Spill over"...my azz

Flex

Flex

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I'd hate to sound an awful lot like Layne Norton, but where did the myth originate that water is an "enemy" when it comes to peak week? The body holds far more intracellular water than subcutaneous water. Hell, our muscles are practically 3/4ths water!!!

EVERY bodybuilder I know locally does the most ridiculous, drastic, pre-contest prep's you can imagine. Switch to entirely distilled water! completely drop carbs and then load up on as many as possible! Drink as little water as possible for an entire week! Drop sodium out for an entire week! Shit load!!!!

These plans are bogues. If you look good a week out, why change anything? 99% of bodybuilders look better a week ahead rather than on stage. I may be exaggerating a bit, but from what I've seen it couldn't be more accurate.

A popular local bodybuilder I'm close with has a show coming up in a few weeks. His plan was to carb deplete, then start carbing up four days before the show. This sounded like an excellent plan to me, until he said he planned to only drink 1/2 gallon his first carb-up day. Not only that, but lower to 1/4 three days out, then completely cut it out the next day! Oh, btw, the miniscule amount of water he was to drink was also distilled. :no:

This is similar to every pre-contest plan he's done for about twenty years. Yet, he never places well or looks close to as good as one week out. You would think after a couple years he'd of being unsuccessful he'd try something else.

Anyways, I seem to always hear in the bodybuilding world "OMG, I hope I don't spill over!!!" Spilling over in my opinion is far overrated, coming in flat is what bodybuilders should be worrying about. Come in flat, and not only are failing to achieve the fullness you could have, but you'll also look as if you "spilled over" or "needed a couple more weeks of dieting."

For the NPC Natural Ohio, because of the minimal amount of time in-between shows, I had David drink just 1 gallon two days out, and only a half-gallon one day out. Because of this, he was flatter than he could of been, making him appear less full (which caused an appearance of a higher bodyfat% OR that he spilled over). Did he spill over? Fuck no, there's a big difference and I think bodybuilders fail to realize that sometimes.
 
dilatedmuscle

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pshh, what do u know. its not like you've ever trained someone who goes on to become a natural pro.... :turborun:
 
Duality

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i like this very much. branch warren summed up something similar to this and i fully agree. don't fuck with a good thing, if you look like you should, don't change anything.
 
Flex

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Turns out I'll probably be working with this bodybuilder to nail his conditioning in his final couple weeks. The plan will probably look something like this. If you're confused by the numbers, he has a very fast metabolism for an old man; his carbs are still above 300g.

Saturday: 150 g CHO, protein same, fat same, normal water, normal sodium
Sunday: 150 g CHO, protein same, fat same, normal water, normal sodium
Monday: 150 g CHO, protein same, fat same, normal water, normal sodium
Tuesday: 700 g high glycemic CHO, protein same, fat same, normal water, normal sodium
Wednesday: 650 g low glycemic CHO, protein same, fat same, 75% normal water intake, sodium(1-2 grams)
Thursday: 650 g low glycemic CHO, protein same, fat same, 50% normal water intake, sodium(1-2 grams)
Friday: Add in more dirty foods starting around 12 PM, cut water at this time. Show is at 5 PM Friday.
 
Duality

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very basic question for you in terms of water consumption and what kind of water; i hear all the spring water this and distilled water that and would like your opinion on, if a show is on saturday, the water consumption you would have someone do leading up to that.
 
Flex

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It doesn't make any sense to me to switch to distilled water when you're attempting to carb-up. The whole purpose of the carb-up is to fill out, so you're only compromising that effect. Once you decide to cut out water, sipping distilled may help keep the bloat down from any heavy meals including sodium (I'm not sure if the difference would really matter). Distilled can also make it confusing to know where your numbers should be as far as carbs go. So, I'd always recommend spring when you're trying to fill out, and you're counting your numbers.
 
Duality

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^ i was also asking how much water you would recommend. ie, 2 gallons a week out, 1 gallon 3 days out, etc.....
 
Flex

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^ i was also asking how much water you would recommend. ie, 2 gallons a week out, 1 gallon 3 days out, etc.....
Find out how much you're getting in a normal day (by using gallon jugs) and base it from there. I believe it's best to figure where you're at two weeks out or sooner.

For example, if you count your water and you're at 1 3/4th gallons. Drink 2 gallons a day up till your carb up and your peak week would like this:

Sunday: 2 gallons
Monday: 2 gallons
Tuesday: 2 gallons
Wednesday: 2 gallons (first carb-up day)
Thursday: 1 1/2 gallons (second carb-up day)
Friday: 1 gallon (third carb-up day)
Saturday: sips only (show day)



OR, if you're too paranoid of spilling over:

Starting 15 days out: 2 1/2 gallons
Sunday: 2 1/2 gallons
Monday: 2 1/2 gallons
Tuesday: 2 1/2 gallons
Wednesday: 2 gallons (first carb-up day)
Thursday: 1 1/2 gallons (second carb-up day)
Friday: 1 gallon (third carb-up day)
Saturday: sips only (show day)


It depends on your normal water intake, but it also depends on your metabolism and the amount of carbohydrates in your carb-up.

It's not easy to come up with the perfect numbers, but it's worth it in the end. Then, you can figure out what #'s work best for the future. It's far more effective than loading up on as much food as possible while drinking as little as possible.



Try this plan: (#'s referring to days out)

15.) 2 gallons
14.) 2 gallons
13.) 2 gallons
12.) 2 gallons
11.) 2 gallons
10.) 2 gallons
9.) 2 gallons
8.) 2 gallons
7.) 2 gallons
6.) Carb-deplete (divide carbs by two) Water (2 gallons)
5.) Carb-deplete (divide carbs by two) Water (2 gallons)
4.) Carb-deplete (divide carbs by two) Water (2 gallons)
3.) Carb-up (multiply normal carbs by two) Water (2 gallons) Normal sodium
2.) Carb-up (multiply carbs by two) Water (1 1/2 gallons) Sodium (1-2 grams)
1.) Carb-up (multiply carbs by two) Water (1 gallons) Sodium (1-2 grams)



Hopefully I didn't write this too confusing.
 
Flex

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Just so everyone knows, I'm not saying that spilling over is never a problem. I'm simply stating that it seems like bodybuilders coming in flat is far more common.

Many of them consume absurd amounts of sodium while eating as much junk as possible. This can cause a bad bloat (even with only small sips of water) after cutting sodium for several days, caused by the release of adosterone...which also causes the appearance of spilling over...
 
Duality

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Find out how much you're getting in a normal day (by using gallon jugs) and base it from there. I believe it's best to figure where you're at two weeks out or sooner.

For example, if you count your water and you're at 1 3/4th gallons. Drink 2 gallons a day up till your carb up and your peak week would like this:

Sunday: 2 gallons
Monday: 2 gallons
Tuesday: 2 gallons
Wednesday: 2 gallons (first carb-up day)
Thursday: 1 1/2 gallons (second carb-up day)
Friday: 1 gallon (third carb-up day)
Saturday: sips only (show day)



OR, if you're too paranoid of spilling over:

Starting 15 days out: 2 1/2 gallons
Sunday: 2 1/2 gallons
Monday: 2 1/2 gallons
Tuesday: 2 1/2 gallons
Wednesday: 2 gallons (first carb-up day)
Thursday: 1 1/2 gallons (second carb-up day)
Friday: 1 gallon (third carb-up day)
Saturday: sips only (show day)


It depends on your normal water intake, but it also depends on your metabolism and the amount of carbohydrates in your carb-up.

It's not easy to come up with the perfect numbers, but it's worth it in the end. Then, you can figure out what #'s work best for the future. It's far more effective than loading up on as much food as possible while drinking as little as possible.



Try this plan: (#'s referring to days out)

15.) 2 gallons
14.) 2 gallons
13.) 2 gallons
12.) 2 gallons
11.) 2 gallons
10.) 2 gallons
9.) 2 gallons
8.) 2 gallons
7.) 2 gallons
6.) Carb-deplete (divide carbs by two) Water (2 gallons)
5.) Carb-deplete (divide carbs by two) Water (2 gallons)
4.) Carb-deplete (divide carbs by two) Water (2 gallons)
3.) Carb-up (multiply normal carbs by two) Water (2 gallons) Normal sodium
2.) Carb-up (multiply carbs by two) Water (1 1/2 gallons) Sodium (1-2 grams)
1.) Carb-up (multiply carbs by two) Water (1 gallons) Sodium (1-2 grams)



Hopefully I didn't write this too confusing.


that's very helpful. thank you.
 

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tim290280

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I've never seen water intake to be the issue with subcutaneous water retention. I get more water retention when I'm dehydrated, have messed up my carbs (especially wheat carbs I've just discovered), or been in A/C all day (essentially dehydrated skin).
 
Natzo

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Quality thread !

Thanks Flex.

The state that most BB get in before a show always makes me glad I don't compete.

SOme seem that they're going to die right there.

Cut Water not good.. at all levels.
 
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mvsf1

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^^ Distilled water? That makes no sense and it's too dangerous. Distilled water would take out of your baody some nutrients, vitamins and basic "chemicals" your body needs to work fine.

WTF, does bottled water have too much sodium for a pre-contest diet? ..........
 
Flex

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^^ Distilled water? That makes no sense and it's too dangerous. Distilled water would take out of your baody some nutrients, vitamins and basic "chemicals" your body needs to work fine.

WTF, does bottled water have too much sodium for a pre-contest diet? ..........
Distilled water is just one of the many crazes in bodybuilding that make no sense.

What do you mean by pre-contest diet? If you're referring to the entire pre-contest diet, then you are crazy! There's no reason to lower sodium until a couple days before the show. As for those days, bottled water is fine also. The sodium amount is tiny.
 
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mvsf1

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Distilled water is just one of the many crazes in bodybuilding that make no sense.

Of course it does not.

What do you mean by pre-contest diet? If you're referring to the entire pre-contest diet, then you are crazy! There's no reason to lower sodium until a couple days before the show. As for those days, bottled water is fine also. The sodium amount is tiny.

We have the same opinion, I didn't explain myself correctly:

Some bbs are really concened about sodium and water retention, but bottled water only have some miligrams of sodium on it. Also, distilled water get rid of Cl, Mg, Ca or Fl ions, elements you need in your body :thumbsup2:.
 
The Creator

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Thank you for this post. Very informational and clears up a lot of myths. I about shit a brick every time I hear a fat ass competitor tell me that they spilled over. Honestly, for me personally, if I do a show on saturday I dont think I "spill" until about tuesday or wednesday the next week! And thats after eating nothing but shit! Like you said, if you look great a week out, why mess with anything? Far too many bodybuilders think the magic of looking great on stage is in the mystery of "peak-week" when indeed it is the months that lead up to that.
 
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