Third Time's a Charm

So this was it, my third and final peak week. Since this year marked my first year of competing in bodybuilding contests, I have been trying out different peak week diets and methods over the past 25 weeks to see how my body would respond and which one would bring the best results. 

This week's approach had been fairly similar to my very first plan, as it did not include a keto run over an extended period, but rather slowly decreased carb intake over the course of a week and ended with only one zero carb day. 

In addition, the exercise program and water intake were also very much alike. 

Since I was coming fresh off the Delaware Championships and only had two weeks in between that competition and my next one, I started with the preparation right away and only allowed myself one cheat meal Sunday morning and went straight back to chicken and broccoli afterwards.

Sunday morning treat

Since my body was still sore and exhausted from the long day before, I did not work out on Sunday and gave my body some much needed rest. This was actually the first time in 168 days that I did not work out at all and even though my mind tried to guilt trip me I simply did not have the energy to do anything.

The rest day paid off and I went back to "work" fresh and revitalized early Monday morning.  

My trainer bumped up my carbs Monday and Tuesday which further helped with the recovery and resulted in great chest and back workouts. 

Starting Wednesday he slowly decreased the carbs every other day and increased my daily cardio to a full hour. 

Thursday and Saturday he had me doing two short but intense leg workouts consisting of only three exercises, leg extensions, leg curls and walking lunges.  

Each exercise required 8 sets of 20-25 reps and really pumped some blood into my quads and hamstrings. My legs were completely fried after these two sessions but the separation in between the individual muscles had never been better and I was excited to see how they will look at the show. 

On Sunday I started adding another evening cardio session  to my workout plan.

For the next three days I lifted weights, immediately followed by an hour of steady state cardio, in the morning and did a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) session in the evening. 

Besides cardio, my weight lifting workouts also changed and the focus switched to low weights/high repetitions. Sunday I did chest and back, Monday I trained shoulders and arms, and Tuesday, as well as Wednesday I worked my entire upper body.
Wednesday was also the last day before I would start loading up my body with carbs and reduce my water intake so my diet for that day called for 3 gallons of spring water, 30 oz. of salmon, 30 oz. of chicken, 22 spears of asparagus and 2 cups of spinach.

ZERO Carb Day

It took me quite some time to get used to having salmon for breakfast since fish, with the exception of canned tuna, hasn't been part of my diet since my trip to Germany (where I developed a strong dislike for broiled fish). Over the past 14 days I ate a total of 13 lbs., which probably equals the monthly consumption of a full-grown Alaskan Grizzly bear, and will definitely avoid any salmon for a very long time after these two weeks.
Thursday I was finally done with fish and started with the carb loading process after twenty minutes of cardio in the morning.

Different to the two previous two times, this time's carb loading only included carbs from foods that were previously part of my diet, such as rice, potatoes and yams.

Carb loading done the right way

My carb loading menu on Thursday consisted of 6.75 cups of white rice, 13 oz. of sweet potato, 12.75 oz. of regular baked potato, 2 whole eggs, 31.5 oz. of chicken breast and 60 oz. of water. I surely missed my apple pie filling/dry oats mix but am confident in my trainer's plan and trust his expertise. 

Talking about my trainer, for this preparation I worked with IFBB professional bodybuilder Fred "Biggie" Smalls of Above and Beyond Physiques and gained a great deal from his vast experience in the sport.
He was very accessible through text messages and email if I had any questions or concerns, and since his office is conveniently located in my gym, I was also able to get immediate feedback from him and have him closely monitor my progress.

After looking at me Thursday, he increased my carbs from 620gr to 810 gr for the following day, which brought my total calories up to 4,500 and limited my water intake to 12 oz..
It is amazing what he has done over the past couple of days. I have never looked that lean and cut.
Despite the great improvements in my physique in such a short time, the past few days seem to have taken forever, as I felt physically and mentally exhausted. This week I was completely drained and had almost no energy left. I could not wait for the contest to be over so I could finally take some time off from the gym and enjoy some less healthy foods. I think after 25 weeks of strict dieting and tons of cardio I deserve some ice cream, pastries, pizza, chocolate, Chinese food, pasta, cakes and french fries. Maybe not exactly in that specific order, but I guess you get the point. 

If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.