As I am getting closer to the March contest, I'm wondering if I should change or do anything different to come in to the lower weight class. On the track I am on right now I'll probably end up around 156 or 157lbs. I know from past experience that if I stop using creatine I'll loose about 2lbs of water weight. I had planned on continuing creatine up to the day of the show, thinking that it will add fulness and volume to my muscles. I've been pretty much having the attitude that I'm not really worried about my weight, and that its really about the conditioning etc.. but I figured it was still worth asking what everyone else thought. I'll be in Men's Novice, so being in the mid 150's will definitely put me at the light end of the class.

This weeks weigh in and 9 point BF analysis has me at 161lbs and 6% BF. I'm figuring on loosing at least 2 or 3% more, which looking at my calculations would be 4lbs of BF.

6 weeks to go!

If you’re doing the Northern, you’ve got 6 weeks from this weekend. The cutoff for Lightweight Novice is 154 ¼ lbs, so that’s very realistic to get to. If your bodyfat % is accurate, you would be shredded at 154.

I would recommend keeping Creatine Select in your arsenal at least the next 5 weeks for the benefit of your training, strength and muscle retention.
But, as a last ditch effort, if you do all you can do to get there, but are still 155 or 156 etc, you may want to cut it out right at the end. Although all the other final week steps that everyone goes through will drop your weight a bit anyway. If you want to get to that class, you can make the weight without dropping Creatine Select.

Just to be clear, and since others will read this post - there’s no reason to cut out Creatine Select for subcutaneous water retention (other brands or creatines are a whole other story). Creatine Select has a 3:1 ratio of potassium to sodium which is good for shedding subcutaneous water. REAL creatine without added fillers and sugars only holds water in your muscle cells, which is exactly where you want it for the muscle fullness and volume that you mentioned in your post. To read more, go to:
http://store.beverlyinternatio...preadd=action&key=59

Good Luck at the show!

Steven
BI

I can attest to Steven's post. I've been using the new Creatine Select formula now for the last 4 weeks and it has been the best form of creatine I've used in regards to performance in the gym, and remaining bloat free. And I'm using it rather unconventionally. 3/4 of a scoop with the final meal of the day to set me up for my 5AM training sessions. Great stuff. I plan on using it until two weeks out, then dropping it for a week, until I load on it during peak week.

Thanks a bunch for the input guys. I'll keep rocking and try to make 154.

Steven, yes I am doing the northern.

Eric,

What I usually do is drop the C.S. about 4-6 weeks out, and then load starting Tuesday, before the show with 5, 5 Gram sevings after meals, right up to the show. This never gave me any water retention, if anything it filled me out a bit. And don't worry about the sodium, because the potassium in it balances it out.

Thanks Bob. I'm still taking the CS right now. I think I'll be ok as I'm still getting better every day. I dropped about 150 calories a day and with with the suggested contest peaking diet. I'm 3 weeks out, weigh 158 in the morning, 161 in the evening. I think I'll make it, especially with what I'm being told about the final week prep and water manipulation. My only concern at this point is the fact that weigh in is Friday evening, which will not be as good as Saturday morning obviously.