Now here is an article from my book
"Your first competition" on Carb Loading.
Please realize that this is what I did and it may not be safe or advisable for
you to do. I am by no means a doctor and bodybuilding can be a radical sport.
If you want to see what is included in this book that may help you prepare for
your first competition, check out the table
of contents.
Carb Loading Advice for your first Competition
By Ray Burton
Some people like to carb load and others don't. It is a personal choice so I have included it for you to try if you want and then you will know if it agrees with your body or not. Like I said, your first competition is a series of experiments. The idea behind the loading phase is that after the initial depletion stage your body will store more glycogen intra muscularly causing an increase fullness and appearance of size. So here is the general protocol on carb loading advice.
1. Deplete carbs for three days and carb load for three days,
more than this will lead to muscle loss. So you deplete on Sunday, Monday,
and Tuesday.
2. Keep sodium high and even add some just before you go into a carb loading
stage. Keep it high until you restrict your sodium two to three days out.
The sodium excreting hormones will still flush out sodium for a while even
though you have dropped your intake giving you a hard look.
3. Exercise on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday with a higher volume of 15-20 reps
and 16-18 sets per body part to produce enzymes that will store glycogen in
the muscles come carb loading time.
4. No cardio in the last week.
5. Deplete carbs by 50% on the three low days.
6. On Thursday and Friday use 400 mcg of chromium, 300 mg of ala, eight grams
of omega-3, and 1000mg of hydroxycitric acid. These nutrients will promote
the muscle to store the carbs in the muscle and not as fat, (not that you
worry at this point but spillover is a conern).
7. Double water intake on Sunday to Thursday and cut back on Friday by following
my contest prep water intake in this chapter.
8. Use 1000-2000 grams of supplemental potassium daily during the final week
before the show to excrete more sodium and store more carbs.
9. Use 20-30 milliliters of glycerol with eight ounces of water on Thursday
and Friday to prevent dehydration and to suck water from under the skin.
10. Carb load on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Multiply precontest carb intake
by 1.75 daily for carb intake.
11. Watch and either lower or raise carb intake depending on what the mirror
shows you.