I was just wondering what everyone has done, tried, or tinkered with for pump up meals. I have done muscle provider goo, red wine, sodium free applesauce (anthony bussuco article gave that suggestion), and snickers before(NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THRU THE SHOWS I'VE DONE). Just wondering what everyone has tried and their results from them. Thanks.

Honestly the more I tried the less I saw. Train hard and show up lean and leave things the same the final week. This worked wonders for me.

I've got the lean part down. I'm always interested in people's techniques. Everyones got something different. I'm coasting into the Northern Kentucky this year. Diet hasn't been bad at all.

Kevin, like you I've probably tried everything when it comes to day of the show meals. But what I've found workes best for me so far is the goo made with a little syrup, Muscle Provider, a little heavy whipping cream, and M & M's. I also eat a little sweet potato. I take lots of Muscle Synergy and sip glutamine select/creatine Phosphate.

Of course, who knows if this really makes a big difference. For one show, I was kind of sick and threw up into b/t the prejudging and the night show. By the time the night show came around, I was starving and felt very depleted. I got a combo meal from Subway and ate that! (1/2 turkey sandwich with BBQ Baked Lays chips) I ended up looking and feeling great at the night show.

This year I may use some Morton's lite salt. Do you have any experience with that?

I've never used the morton's lite salt. What's your theory behind that? Just Curious

This is what I've done in the past:
1)Muscle Provider goo - tasted great, didn't see the greatest pump though
2)Snickers 1 hr prior- ran through my blood stream pretty fast. That added with warm coffee did okay.
3)Sodium Free Applesauce- From Anthony Bussaco's article. Didn't see anything positive from it.
4)Red Wine - worked pretty good, but had before the night show and ended up w/ a killer headache about a half hour after the show ended. Can you say hangover.
5)Hostess Apple Pie- I thought getting the highest sugar thing i could find might work. Didn't do much.

I've always gotten good pumps staying warm and eating a couple hours before and maintaining a little intake up until i step on stage. The last minute quick meal has never really worked for me.


I've heard of trying Waxy Maize with frozen strawberries a couple hours before the show. I'm putting some thought into doing it. Anyone else tried Waxy Maize?

http://beverlynutrition.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/90460954...591061062#7591061062

Kevin, check out this post and the newest NNN has a profile of a bodybuilder who used some. It is suppose to help you lose that last LITTLE bit of water.

mike ashley a pro bodybuilder told me that if your not a vein poping person or not in shape nothing will work. wine,candy,and so on.

Cold weather, nothing worked for me. Preparing by spending a lot of time in the sauna and higher carbs the last two weeks worked. The last couple of weeks, I say, because it was my second contest six weeks later. That contest, I was in the best shape EVER and not one picture. NOT ONE!

Stay low carbed for several weeks prior, then gradually intoduce the carbs, much like carb depleting but there is no carb loading and timing.

I used gober grape(pb and jelly mixed together and raisens worked great my first show

I'm normally a pretty vascular person, sometimes the last week prep kills it though. I'll always have some, but not as much as say I do right now at 3 weeks out. This prep is different than ones i've done in the past. Of course its been almost 5 years, but there's a lot of improvement. I'll post pictures when it comes around on the 22nd and discuss what I did for pump up.

KEVIN!!

It's been a few. If you're on target and you are ready to step up on stage, it's time to have fish and sweet potato. If you're not stage ready, then add some mild cardio.

This week:

Meal 3 should be
beef/ small sweet potato

Meal 4
Cod or fresh tuna Wed/Sat 4 oz salmon (All fresh or frozen)
Asparagus/broccoli

Meal 5
50:50 MP/100% Egg
1/2 grapefruit

Next week:

Meal #3
Cod/tuna (Fresh or frozen)
1 sm sweet potato

Meal #4
MP w/fruit strawberries

Meal #5
beef w/grapefruit

AM foods should be as you're doing now. If carbs are included, continue them. If not, add oats.

I had the problem with the cold. My vascularity would disappear.

Using flaxseed/olive oil, you can maintain the higher fat to keep the macros at 40:30:30, that is, if you're looking to use carbs rather than fat loading.

Frank,
Right now I am staying consistant at about 150 in morning and going up to 153-154 in the late afternoons. I am getting my 9pt skin fold test today again. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm mixing 1 1/2 cans of tuna w/ three egg whites and oats twice a day. I'm getting great results from varying the carb amount each day. Days 1,2,3-1cup Days 4,5-1/4cup Day6-no carb, Day7-1 1/2 cups (oats)

I am also added a glycemic spike on day 5 in place of my last meal of the day (normally 9 eggwhites, 1 whole). At 4 weeks out I added the heavy BCAA's w/ Density (man that stuff works for me, btw) and Lean Out. My BF% is lower than It has ever been and I'm still holding my vascularity big time right now. As long as my weight continues to drop slowly, and im losing fat, not muscle. I'm going to keep doing whats not broke.

You ever get some new pics for me for your webpage? We need to update that thing. How's TX nowadays? I'll be down in Dallas and Waco area in late july.

quote:

As long as my weight continues to drop slowly, and im losing fat, not muscle. I'm going to keep doing whats not broke.

EXACTLY!! For vascularity, just mess with the carbs a little. Some have found that the final week, just keep doing what you've done all along, no special tricks. For some, that is what works the best.

Let me know the dates when you'll be here in the area!

My body is really weird, but this worked for me everytime.

Morning of the show: Small but concentrated Coffee

25 mins to stage time at pre-judging/"pumping up": L-Arginine + Creatine of somekind (perferably with some Sugar)

After pre-judging: huge peice of CARROT CAKE!!!! (sounds crazy, but man it works and Franco and Arnold used to do that for every show!)

After pre-judging I don't eat anything again that day until after the night show and sip water if I'm thirsty.

This works for me every time. It sounds crazy, but as you know, all your work should be done by the morning of the show and you should wake up looking DRY! The day of the show is competely different for me.

I agree that really if you time everything right Weds-Fri, you can do very little to screw it up on Sat. I prefer to eat just rice cakes and small bites of turkey, beef or chicken. I dont think there is anything you can really do Sat to make a huge difference, have to get carbs, water and sodium right Weds-Fri in order to be on point. Sat I just do what is easiest for meals.

Chunky, not eating all day then having the cake AFTER prejudging doesnt make much sense to me. If it makes you look good after, why not have it before, so you look good for prejudging, then have another piece before overalls if necessary.

Anyways, many ways to skin a cat. Have to find what works for you.

Hey J. Yah, I think it works in the same manner that post-workout carbs do. When you are doing your predjudging poses, that is some pretty tough work, it is a decent workout. After the prejudging the thought is to replenish the glycogen reserves and STAY full. This little trick has worked for me, I don't advise it for anybody else who hasn't already tried it.

But my whole idea is to stay full and dry all day, which can be tough and this is the best way I've found. Strange I admit

It depends on the individual. I usually like to load up on carbs and fat. Maybe eat bites of sweet potato with peanut butter. And some fatty ground beef. About an hour before pre-judging I'll have about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a tbls of olive oil, and some sweet potato. Half an hour later I'll down 20 Muscle Synergy. Have had great results.

I love the carrot cake idea. What I usually do though is eat either snickers bar or some peanut butter/mm's with sips of water about 30-45 mins before pre-judging. It makes me insanely vascular.

Thanks to everyone that replied. I have a plan in mind and I'll elaborate after saturday. It is very simple and doesn't change much of anything I'm eating. K.I.S.S. method at its best (Keeping It Simple Stupid).

Kevin, I'm doing the same thing. Because I was ready for the contest early (conditioning-wise), I had time to try a few things out. With one secret exception , nothing worked better than what I always do and eat day in, and day out.

After months of dieting and training, why do I worry so much about the last few hours? Probably doesn't really matter that much anyway.