I have been doing a lot of thinking about post competition and reading different things about it. It’s a really big deal. Competitors change their whole life focus for contest prep and take on this new form of dieting and training and LIVING, for this short moment onstage, then once it’s over and it’s traumatic and anti-climactic because it’s like…now what? It’s all over and life is back to “normal”…and what does “normal” mean anymore? How am I supposed to eat? train? What am I supposed to look like? Many competitors binge like crazy and end up gaining 5-20 pounds in a week or two!
I’ve known that I needed a plan, but didn’t know what I wanted it to be. One part of me wants to be the devil and say eff all this, and not even consider any cardio and blah blah EFF IT! One part of me wants to eat the world, especialllyyy the delicious and highly delectable, heart attack treats oh yes oh yes. On the OTHER hand whispers to me the angel. The sculpted athlete. That cautions against feeling and looking like crap, in such little time after getting the most smokin body ever! Took me months to get here, but um I don’t think it would be that hard to gain a lot of weight quick!
As I draw closer to Saturday and my workouts have been reduced and my energy is being restored, I feel my mood lifting and my post competition plan crystallizing. It’s not all the way set, but this is my general plan: Stay eating clean. I ABHORE CARDIO. Really. I REALLY don’t want to do it. Maybe a tiny bit. But to be able to do minimal cardio, I have to eat clean. I plan on consuming MORE carbs, and MORE calories, but sticking to clean eating sources! 😉 I will probably still buy and cook in bulk (a lot of chicken breast), and may even still bust out my food scale for protein portions. I will eat more complex carbs surrounding resistance training (perhaps carb cycling, with higher carbs around leg training), and will consider incorporating simple carbs as well in the post workout window. I am thinking about adding creatine to supplement pre workout to promote anabolism. I want to experiment with my crazy protein and veggie recipes again 😉 I am thinking of continuing with a multi daily, fish oil daily, and L-carnitine pre cardio. I think I want to get back into MMA. Maybe other cross training. I want to build up my LEGS and get some shredded-azz LEGS!!! QUADS, HAMS, GLUTES! I always love new challenges. I wanna look at these babies and see some ripped-ness! Heavy leg resistance training twice a week…hitting other body parts (minus chest, I RARELY hit chest) once a week, except abs maybe 2X a week. Cardio if I feel like it? Maybe once, maybe twice? Maybe none. <Delivish Look> Maybe I’ll count MMA/no gi/muay thai/wrestling if I take those as a cardio….Really want to use the alleged heightened anabolism of the post contest period to gain serious muscle, especially in the legs…by doing my (4 day?) split hard and really dialing into pre and post workout nutrition….Then once I get a little breather in my system then I’ll consider another show 😉 But anyway that’s what I’m thinking for now as far as post comp plan…I am sure it will become clearer day by day until it will just manifest…Just have to keep my mind right!
Here are some articles/blog entries related to post competition. A common theme overall is to BE PREPARED as well as to GRADUALLY introduce elements of the pre-contest lifestyle back in OVER TIME. Don’t just jump back into eating tons of carbs n candy and stop exercising or you’ll be VERY, VERY SORRY. Check out Berardi’s article, in particular.
Getting Unshredded- Tips for Coming Off of Extreme Diets by John Berardi, CSCS
Post Competition Blues Part 1: Understanding the Mind Game When It’s Over
Post Competition Blues Part 2: Preparedness and Expectations
Morning After: Post-Competition Blues
What do you think?
Lots of love,
Kristina
AUG