FlaredupFitness

I am 3 days out from my return to the stage at the 2017 Kelowna Classic! I am feeling awesome and cannot be more excited for Saturday!

What is Peak Week?

The week prior to the competition is called Peak Week. It is used by bodybuilders, fitness models and physique competitors to “peak” while on stage or for a photo shoot. Starting one week before your competition or photo shoot you start manipulating water, sodium, potassium and carbs to showcase the best physique possible.

I went into further detail in a previous post from 2 years ago when I competed for the first time.

Physique Update #6 – Peak Week: 1 Week Out!

What am I doing for Peak Week?

This year I will doing the same as last time, where I deplete carbohydrate stores (glycogen) in the muscles for the first 3 days before front loading carbs, filling up slowly earlier in the week.

There are so many ways of doing peak week and it is an easy way to ruin a great physique by coming in depleted, with flat, stringy looking muscles or over spilling and looking watery from eating too many carbohydrates causing the body to retain water. This is where hiring a coach or someone with experience with peak week can help. There is a very fine balance between too many carbs and not enough. You have worked so hard for this why wouldn’t you want to come in looking your best?

I am not cutting any water, using any diuretics, or manipulating sodium or potassium. The only thing I am changing is my carbohydrate intake.

I cut my carbs Saturday, Sunday and Monday, tapering them from 125g-90g-50g depleting my muscles of glycogen and priming them for a large carb load. Everyone is so different so what I am doing is specific to me and my body, and will not likely work for someone else. This is just what I am doing.

With that being said, I front loaded carbs with 500g Tuesday, 400g Wednesday and will have a moderate day of around 300g Thursday. I have not spilled over so I will likely be doing another moderate day Friday and eating a few meals before stepping on stage Saturday.

I have never felt better dieting!

I have felt tremendously better dieting for 10 weeks this time than when I dieted last time. I have had the time to devote to training and everything else involved with competing this time around. My stress levels are low as I just graduated university and have a flexible work schedule.

I also attribute a lot of my success this prep to doing things all naturally. No protein powders, no pre-workouts, no fat burners, no artificial sweeteners, no steroids and no supplements. Just whole natural foods, a lot of self control and a whole lot of hard work in and out of the gym. I have certainly brought the best conditioning, posing and physique I ever have.

I am so excited to share my journey and experience and of course, showing what’s possible with Crohn’s Disease!