Peak Week - What's It All About?

I have been going on and on about peak week. It starts TOMORROW, so it is about time I blog about what to expect.



What the heck is peak week?



Doing a show is all about reaching a "peak" with your physique. You workout and train hard and watch your nutrition. And then it all comes down to this final week where you make sure you will look your ultimate best on stage.



Everyone has different tricks to the week. The main thing is you pull all your water weight off your body. This means you could shed anywhere from 3-7 more pounds in the one week. Me, I'm not too worried about whatever it is I shed. I'm hoping for the 3 pounds. I'm shorter so I'm not expecting much.



So the first three days, you eat pretty normal. I'm going to watch my carbs but not worry about it too much. And I'm doing something most people don't: I'm sodium loading. This is a trick that helps with sodium depleting. If I put on extra sodium, it will just shock my system that much more when I pull it out. This is one of my more "liberal" competitor tricks. Talk to most of them and they will be like "oh, no you can't do that!"....whatever people. If there is one thing I learned through this whole thing, it is that most of the dieting is a bunch of BULL SHIT. No joke. I will blog some other time about how stupid it is to starve yourself to death and how much work is just thrown down the drain by overdoing it. I have done better in the weeks I gave myself more breaks and less cardio and a cheat meal. So there. Anyway....I'm sodium loading despite what Nathan told me to do. I'm going with Amy into peak week. Sorry but Nathan isn't a figure competitor, and Amy's only done this a million times. I think I have the right person beside me in this....



SOOOO.... after the three load days, I pull out the sodium 100%. And at that point, I add in a diuretic to help shed water weight. You still drink water, but it helps pull it out from under your skin. This helps show off your muscle definition and vascularity. I have been blessed with huge veins so I don't need help in that department, but I do want to show the striations in my muscles, which the water is covering up currently. You also take added potassium during this time which is mainly a health thing so you don't hurt yourself in the process. This may sound kinda scary, but it is normal. Don't worry!

As for the diet itself....I'm eating the same amount of calories as always. Only this week I'm not putting as much protein into it. Why? Because I'm not going to be lifting very heavy at all. And also, there is a belief that if you eat more carbs, they can give you a more "full" look. Not full like fat...full like roundness to your muscles. Something that is great for your shoulders and legs. Which is what figure is all about! Anyway, once again it is a myth that you can't eat carbs while training in figure. Yes, you should watch them when you are leaning out...but this last week...I'm not going to lose weight other than water weight! So it's not like I'm going to spill over eating carbs!!!

Now, the best day of all is contest day. I think most competitors are stupid about this day. They don't eat carbs all week and go to the show starving to death. And then they have to eat fish for breakfast which is stupid. Me? Just look at what I'm eating on contest day:

Breakfast:
1/2 cup oats
almond butter
banana

Snack:
frosted mini wheats (dry)

Snack:
m&m's (prejudging..will get some sugar into my veins! make them pop!)

Lunch:
potato
steak
salt free ketchup

Snack:
rice cakes and cashew butter

Snack:
Trail mix

Then I get to eat whatever I want after the show and Sunday! YAY! What an absolute thrill that will be.

What is funny is none of the foods above have sodium in them so you are still keeping the water weight off all day. But you aren't eating ANY protein...because, why? What do you need it for on contest day??? This is something other competitors do that is retarded. I'm telling you...I have discovered that this competing thing does not have to be so freaking complicated. Again, more on that later.

As for workouts, I'm taking it lighter this week. Still doing the same amount of cardio through Wednesday. Thursday I'll just ride the bike on a level 1. Not trying to kill yourself on Thursday when you are sodium depleting. Posing practice every day this week. As for weights...last leg day is tomorrow. This is because your legs hold the most water. You don't want to work them out really hard later in the week because they will just retain that water. All other weight days will be back, shoulders, and abs. Abs I'll train every day up to Thursday. Obviously Friday, I won't work out at all.

Additionally, I will go tanning this week. Some people say to tan, others say there is no point. I'm going to go a couple times because there is a belief that it not only makes your spray tan go on a little easier, but that it also helps tighten up your skin. Something I want in my midsection most. I'll only tan up til Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, I'm going to get an all over exfoliation at the spa. You want to make sure your body is very smooth for when you get the spray tan. AND, I'm going to use extra lotion all week to help with this as well.

So...other than all the training and tanning and eating...I'll be running errands and packing! Lots to do since there is a lot of stuff to bring! But I am very excited and looking forward to this week!!!!