How to Carb Up for a Bodybuilding Show
Step-by-step Instructions
Here is what you need to do...
Step 1
So you've got a bodybuilding show coming up. You've been lifting as hard as you can for months and months, and you expect to take the gold medal. Hell, you even dieted down to your skinniest and most ripped form in order to step on stage with the best package possible. With all of that work, it would be a damn shame if you ignored the final step in the competition process: carbing up.
Step 2
Carbing up is necessary because, after leaning down and depleting your body of carbs for a sustained period of time during your diet, your body will crave a muscular explosion. The only way to achieve this explosion to full effect is to ingest as many carbs as possible before a show. The carbs, since they have been absent from your body for days or weeks, will funnel straight into your muscles, pumping them up to a size that is larger than life for a period lasting long enough for you to get on stage and strut your stuff. Below, I'll list some of the best carbs to eat, and I'll also talk about how to eat them in the quest for carbing up before a big show.
Step 3
The kinds of carbs you should be eating are complex carbs. These carbs are pretty much limited to sweet potatoes, whole grain pastas, whole grain breads, and brown rice. However, when you're carbing up for a show, you're allowed to have a couple exceptions in order to shoot your muscles full of as much bigness as possible. These exceptions would include rice cakes, fruit, normal bread, normal pasta. As long as you steer very, very clear of sugar (aside from a small amount of fruit) you will basically be fine with every other carb-related food you shove down your gullet.
Step 4
When you're figuring out the timing to eat carbs, consult this basic timeline: 1 day out, eat all of your big meals with an emphasis on carbs, and eat your smaller snacks with some sort of carb involved. This day will revolve around the carbs you eat going to the body in a slow and necessary way. 0 days out, eat carbs with every single meal. Today, the carbs will fly into your body and will pump your muscles up to maximum potential. The only protein you should have is a shake, which is mixed with a very small amount of water. Otherwise, stick completely to carbs all day long.
Step 5
By eating the right foods, and in the right fashion, you will discover that your physique is miles ahead of what you ever expected it to be. Carbing up, if done correctly, becomes a blessing and a magical way of looking in the mirror and seeing the best damn body you've ever walked around with.
Special Attention
Difficulties people often experience or parts that need special attention to do it right.
The hardest part about carbing up is timing. You have to make sure that you wait until the day before and the day of your show- otherwise the carbs will sit too loosely inside of your body and create a look that is not very admirable, especially on stage. So wait it out, and reap the rewards of your patience.
Stuff You'll Need
| Brand | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| MuscleTech Platinum 100% Whey Protein Powder, Milk Chocolate Supreme, 5.03 lbs (2.28kg) | No Price |
Suggested Further Reading
| Author | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Metabolic Diet revolutionary explodes carbohydrates | No Price |
This Student Author
This Student Author's Background
Funny or interesting story about this topic...
I actually knew a kid who was just beginning what seemed like a promising bodybuilding career. He had a great amount of size for his age, and he seemed to be taking his prep very seriously. Then, all of a sudden, just 5 days before his competition he found himself giving way to carb-cravings. I couldn't believe it when I heard it, because those cravings, as quick and unnecessary as they were, cost him any and every chance of even competing against the other people in his weight class. He ended up doing poorly in his show, and after that he dismissed bodybuilding altogether. Too bad- as it was his own fault.
When did you first do this & how did you get started?
I deal with carbing up whenever I do a photoshoot, which is actually not very often anymore. But when I was heavily involved with them in the past, I learned all the ins and outs of carbing up. Try and pay close attention to the simple rules above, and you'll discover that you can prepare for a show with the confidence of a champion. Good luck out there.
And happy lifting,
J