http://www.universalnutrition.com/features/20weeks.cfmGood stuff Vinny!!!!
20 Weeks to Triumph
by Vinny Galanti
The last article I explained how I broke down my training over the course of the week.
Now I'm going to give a little insight as to how I'm going to start my prep for my pro debut at the Night of Champions this coming September.
I like to be full swing into a "diet" at 12 weeks out from any given show, but I need a time frame before that, that I like to call a "transition phase." I will be the first to admit that I hate contest dieting, but I found that if I break into it easy over a few weeks, I tend not to notice being on a diet when 12 weeks roll around.
I start my transition phase at 20 weeks out. I am very lucky that I can eat the kinds of food that I do in the offseason, some people would just get very fat.
For me, since I have always been a hard gainer, and getting ripped has not been a problem, it wouldn't be uncommon to see me eating a double cheese burger from the local dinner for lunch, and a huge bowl of pasta for diner at our favorite Italian restaurant.
It is hard for me to just jump right into a precontest regimen.
Here is how I break it down:
Weeks 20-18
I never count calories or weigh my food, but make sure I start the day off right with a bowl of oatmeal and egg whites with spinach and mushrooms from a diner. After that, normal offseason daily eating.I make sure I drink water throughout the day.
Weeks 17-15
Now I replace whatever my last meal is at the time, with 2 cups of brown rice and 8 ounces of grilled chicken. This way, I'm now eating 2 clean meals a day. I make sure I drink 2 quarts of water every day.
Weeks 14 & 13
Here is when I make sure I now become consistent with my lunch feeding. I start to eat another clean meal, often like 8 ounces of flank steak and a baked potato. I make sure I drink 1 gallon of water daily. Up until this point I am still eating what ever I want on Sundays.
12 Weeks Out
This is where the fun starts. All meals are clean. I still do not weigh or measure my food. Most of the time I'm eating out, so measuring would be a no go.
The bottom line to any successful contest diet is one critical factor--consistency.
No matter what you do, if you train on a low carb/high fat diet, or if you eat a lot of carbs…Whatever works for you, just do it, and don't fall off.
We all eat the same foods, it just makes a big difference when you don't cheat, and you are suffering.
When I am at about 6 weeks out I start to rotate my carbs, 2 days high, 2 days low, 3 days at zero. And last year, I used a very high fat/protein diet the last 3 weeks that seemed to work excellent.
If you are training for your first show and don't know where to start, try this:
Eat a protein food source and a carb food source 6 times a day for 8 weeks. Before you are at 12 weeks out, see where you are at, and then start to play with your carbs for 2 weeks by rotating them like I did. If you are a seasoned competitor, you already know the deal. You don't need my advice.