Written by: Tamara Makar, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Hello everyone! I haven’t been very active on here in the past weeks/months because my competition season started in May and I have been focusing on that. I still have one last competition in September, but a lot of people asked me about my competition prep and I thought I’d shed some light on how a competition prep goes, what it really entails.
I am going to talk about the bodybuilding division mainly, so bear in mind that other divisions are not necessarily the same.
I usually start my prep for a competition about 12-16 weeks out. It depends on how I look, how lean I am offseason. Our diet consists of mainly cutting calories in a very controlled way. The calories have to be calculated precisely because not enough caloric deficit or too much caloric deficit can both do more harm than good.
So prep starts at around 12 weeks out, training intensity is still high, we still have the energy. Everything is going fine until you reach a certain body fat level when your body starts resisting any further fat loss. If you’ve been trying to lose weight, you are probably familiar with this feeling. Your weight loss stops and you need to tweak your diet, increase cardio, or just do whatever it takes to get you back into the fat-burning state. This is not only a pressure on your body – not many people mention mental fatigue. This whole process is a constant focus on your goal (the leanness, the trophy, whatever it may be). Dieting down for competition is more of a mental game, not a physical one. You have to convince your mind that you are not tired, you are not drained, you can push through. This mental challenge is one of the biggest reasons why not more people stand on the stage because they don’t make it. They quit before they could see the end results.
Almost every prep is different. Your body gets used to the process, but it also wants to give up at different times and stages. It’s your mind, which convinces your body to keep going.
Weeks go by, you are cutting calories and increasing cardio to burn that ever stubborn fat so that you can present a lean physique on stage. The leaner and drier you are, the more muscle mass and separation show in your body.
The last 3-4 weeks are usually quite tough because by then, you have run out of energy, training takes its toll on you, and you feel like you are always drained and tired. You just can’t seem to get enough rest.
The last week of prep is probably the toughest – and the busiest time. By then, we are very depleted. Depletion means that your body used up all the muscle glycogen in your body for energy, your muscles look ‘empty’ – and this is exactly how it feels to train at that point: your body is running on empty. Usually, 1 or 2 days before the competition we start the filling up process by taking carbs. Quite a lot of it actually, because we need to fill out all those depleted muscles.
The last few days before a competition, we also need to dehydrate: the purpose of that is to pull the water out from under the skin, so the skin stretches tight to show the muscle separation underneath. This process usually involves increasing your water intake for a few days, up to about 6 liters or more, depending on your body, and then cutting it. Some people have to cut water completely, others just need to reduce it. It all depends on your body.
These last 1-2 days are very precise because you have to ‘peak’ on stage. You have to bring your fullest and driest form when you step on stage – and that state cannot be prolonged for too long. You can look great at 8 o'clock in the morning, and when you go on stage at 10 am you might flatten out by then (it happened to me before). The last 2-3 days are about constant checking of your physique and adjusting your food. Some people work great with carbs, others need some fats, too. Everyone is different and reacts to different foods in different ways.
All foods are not created equal. All calories are not equal. Some foods have more nutritional values, others can be slightly inflammatory. When the goal is to look dry and chiseled, you have to consider the different food sources. Usually, throughout a contest diet, we take out certain foods from our diet to make sure what goes into our bodies is pure and clean food to maximize their nutritional values. No zero sugar alternatives, no diet drinks, no sweeteners, no additives/fillers. Even supplements (pre-workouts or BCAAs) can contain some of these, therefore I usually restrict most of the supplements in the last 2 weeks to only BCAAs and 1 protein shake after training.
People usually believe that when you are on a diet, you need to have a ‘cheat day’ every week. The truth is: cheat meals are tools. They are not rewards on a diet. They have their purpose. When your body is very depleted, and your weight loss stops, a cheat meal can help kick off your metabolism again. Cheat meals are usually not completely ‘clean’ foods, but – again - it depends on your body. Some people can get away with eating absolute rubbish, and others have to consider some better sources. Cheat meals are not a must. Sometimes I go almost all the way to the end of my prep without having one. It depends on your diet, how restricted it is and how depleted you get.
If you have ever tried a generic diet from the internet, you know that it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ thing. How seriously you need to take your nutrition depends on your goal: if you just want to look good and you want a physique that you can maintain in the long run, you can probably get away with less restrictions – purely because you can’t go on with caloric and food-restricted diet indefinitely. However, if your goal is a competition, a photoshoot, or even a holiday, then you will need more discipline and careful consideration of your food intake.
Usually, after I’ve finished a season of competitions, I do a hormone resetting diet. Dieting for a prolonged period of time can take its toll on your body, and some hormones can get imbalanced. I always find it very helpful for my body to reset all hormones so that I can start my offseason and the following season without any digestive or metabolic problems. A hormone resetting diet can do wonders for people with digestive issues (like IBS), or even insulin sensitivity. If you’re suffering from some issues and can’t lose weight, it could be a hormonal imbalance.
If you’d like to get more information on a hormone resetting diet, drop me a message, or if you need help with your diet or weight loss, hit me up on my email hello@tamaramakar.me or check out my website: www.tamaramakar.me
Tamara Makar, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Tamara Makar is an IFBB pro female bodybuilder internationally known and recognized after competing at the highest level for many years. She has been in the fitness industry for over 25 years, helping people to achieve their fitness goals and desired physique. Tamara's passion and dedication will help those willing to change their lifestyle as well as mindset. With a huge hunger for achieving results, Tamara has been studying psychology (and specifically sport psychology) to combine her knowledge of fitness and nutrition with the knowledge of how people get motivated and how they can change their mindset to achieve their goals. She is a certified Personal Trainer and an Advanced Sports and Exercise Nutritionist and has worked with some of the best in the industry. Tamara is very much a people's person who thrives off working with people of all ages, backgrounds, and desired goals – from beginners to competing athletes. She is relentless in making sure everyone achieves their desired outcome!
