Pre-Contest Dieting

Since before the inception of this website, I have received hundreds of e-mails asking about how do construct a pre-contest type of a diet. "How do I get 'Shredded', 'Ripped', or 'Cuts To The bone' they ask. When I first launched the website, the biggest request was to post a sample pre-contest diet.

The page where I posted a sample of my own personal diet has the third highest page view count. So why has it taken me so long to write an article about the pre-contest diet? Well, to me, it is one of the most simple of aspects of the entire bodybuilding contest process that you will have to execute. Simple, not easy.

The Problem

I believe that too many bodybuilders make the dieting process much more difficult that it needs to be. Should you go low carb, high carb, cycle your carbs to high for three days then low for 6 days, maybe you will carb load or better yet, fat load. All of these methods have some sort of rationale to them that may make sense to some of you. However, he problem arises when you actually have to execute this plan.

The less thinking, planning and preparation that you have to put into a diet plan, the better. With all of the other things you will have to deal with as contest time grows closer, eating should not be one of them. At that point, it should be automatic.

Making the diet as scripted, simple and easy to execute will be the best method. Also, do not try anything new or something you haven't tried before. now is not the time to test out new dieting methods. You don't want to find out that it wasn't the greatest method 3 weeks before the contest.

The Basics of The Diet

I define 'Dieting' starting at the time when you eliminate all junk foods and unnecessary calories. Your diet could still be a 3,000 calories a day diet. Nonetheless, it is still a 'diet'. The most critical step you can do is write down the exact diet plan that you will follow for the next X - months. Yes, you should be eating the same foods for the same meals, at the same times, every day until apporx. the final week of the contest preparation process.

I do things because this eliminates the guess work, confusion and makes the process much easier. There is nothing to mess up. You know that at 5:00pm you are going to be eating 5 ounces of chicken breast, 12 ounces of broccoli and a whey protein shake. No questions asked! If you have something going on around that time, you know what you have to prepare a head of time. It ensures that you are eating the same number of calories every day, and this will allow you to make adjustments much more easily.