A New Set of Challenges During Prep Number Two

I’m exactly two weeks out from check-in and weigh-in for my next competition. I’m already at my target weight and body composition. Pals, that’s not good. Stick around if you want to know more.

There is absolutely no doubt that I’ll be competition-lean on show day, which you’d assume is a good thing. But when you have my metabolism and my tiny frame with an additional two weeks of a deficit, I’m now at high risk to lose muscle as my fat stores are almost non-existent. I’m also at risk to be dinged by the judges for being too lean as I will absolutely dip below the bottom body fat target for Classic Physique and into Bodybuilding-division-lean. Each division has its own standard for how much body fat one should have. And yes, I realise it is confusing to have an umbrella sport by called Bodybuilding, but it also has its own division called Bodybuilding.

You may think that the solution would be to move to maintenance for the next two weeks. However, unfortunately, that isn’t an option as the next two must be dedicated to water manipulation plus depleting my body of glycogen so that when I carb up the day before and the day of competition, my body will be primed to pull all fluid out from under my skin and into my muscles for an amazing pump.

How did I get here? Well, I did something really not good. I obviously learned from last not-so-great prep and didn’t repeat those mistakes. Instead, I did a horrible really bad thing and memory holed that a specific food is toxic to me because I love the flavour so much. That food would be mushrooms. They are toxic to me because they are high is mannitol, which is a sugar alcohol, and I have zero tolerance for zero alcohols. I made a delicious stew with loads of mushrooms. Sooooo delicious. Sooooooooooo toxic.

For the last five days, I’ve had horrible gastrointestinal issues and have not been absorbing anything. I’ve lost a huge amount of both water and fat during these past five days. A dangerous amount, to be clear. I’ve been barely able to keep on top of my hydration and electrolytes. My muscles definitely are not being fed the protein I’m eating to keep my muscle mass intact during this fat loss phase.

Aside from all of the above, it is also causing my hormones to be out of whack. Yes, my hormones are exogenous. But because of my how metabolism functions, keeping them stable isn’t a thing and my body fat does have an effect on them. Getting this lean will also make it more difficult to regain necessary fat when I’m done competing for the year because of how extra my metabolism is.

Tomorrow is a refeed day. I’m crossing my fingers that some of those extra carbs will be pushed into my muscles as intended and put some water back into them. But I know it won’t be what is needed.

These final two weeks until show day is going to be such a delicate balance of working out the requisite amount and not depleting my body to such a degree that I will be too unwell to compete. They pull you from competition if you look at all unwell, disoriented, light-headed or are experiencing undue cramping, all of which is possible as I’m barely able to keep on top of my hydration and electrolytes at the moment.

Anway, pals. Don’t be me and memory-hole foods that are toxic to you. Especially when you have a competition rapidly approaching. It’s a very not fun bad thing.