2 weeks out from competition, striations everywhere yet abs are barely visible...?

[makeitcount]

Has strength dropped? Here's what I'd do: If you've been at those macros for a while and feel depleted I'd do a heavy load for a day (drop cardio, say 60/600/300 macros) and rest for that day. You could be a tad flat but it's hard to say without working directly with you and seeing exactly how changes have been made. Evaluate physique the following day. If you don't look harder I'd just look at a later show.

 

[palifter21]

Has strength dropped? Here's what I'd do: If you've been at those macros for a while and feel depleted I'd do a heavy load for a day (drop cardio, say 60/600/300 macros) and rest for that day. You could be a tad flat but it's hard to say without working directly with you and seeing exactly how changes have been made. Evaluate physique the following day. If you don't look harder I'd just look at a later show.

Strength has dropped a bit but nothing too concerning. That's an interesting protocol but I don't think I have the guts to do it. I'm committed to this show so I'm doing it regardless.

 

[thehazzle]

Why not drop carbs even more so then just push it last 2 weeks.

 

[Flex500]

You are NOT screwed. Stick to the plan and keep going. I won my first show (albeit a small show) at your level of leanness. Classes at "ok" shoes are won at the level of leanness you could be in two weeks.

 

[makeitcount]

If you're 100% committed then push:

Liss fasted in the AM, 45 minutes. .2mg/kg bw Yohimbine HCL and 200mg caffeine 20 minutes before.

Hiit in the AM as follows with 2g L-tyrosine 30 minutes before (try to do this away from carbs):

*10 minute Easy spin on a bike. Let's get blood in the muscle, heart rate up a bit, and make sure glucose and insulin are completely cleared from your system.

*7 Intervals of STRAIGHT SPRINTS for 15 seconds, 45 second easy spin in between

*5 Minutes of TOTAL rest

*30 minutes of LISS with heart rate at 130-140

*Back to spin bike, 5 long intervals of 30 seconds on/30 seconds off.

*5 minute easy cooldown


Your weight may or MAY NOT drop substantially (increased cortisol+water retention from yohimbine), so make SURE to back off the last few days and get the carbs in to fill back out.

 

[Flex500]

Why not drop carbs even more so then just push it last 2 weeks.

I agree. You share close to the show but still have time to tighten up. I'd push it hard and drop the carbs way low. Don't starve yourself but you have enough muscle you can push it.

 

[palifter21]

Why not drop carbs even more so then just push it last 2 weeks.

I agree. You share close to the show but still have time to tighten up. I'd push it hard and drop the carbs way low. Don't starve yourself but you have enough muscle you can push it.

Yeah this is most likely what I'm going to have to do.

 

[Love_to_Bodybuild]

remember 99.9 percent of guys never acheive this low body-fat so be proud

this is your first who you say?

for your first show I consider this fantastic conditioning .

you're borderline ripped/extremely lean at 6-7 % and more on the 6 % side. I use the inbody 520 machine a 7 thousand dollar machine and lowest mine read was 6.9 or so my last show. Id say you're like 6.4 maybe, in the 6's for sure

just dont do anythign crazy before the show a guy I competed with a friend, we hung out the whole show ate a whole pizza the night before...he still looked great and all, and I could be wrong, it could have cost him a couple places down

 

[NEMSZ]

I trained abs for years daily and my stomach never distends, even when I'm higher body fat like now I can still see them. If anything maybe the added weights may cause distention, but look at all the guys from the 70's/80's that did abs every day, name one with a distended stomach...

People are lazy now a days and don't want to train abs.

 

[bieberhole69]

I don't know why a few of you are saying 6-7%. 6-7% and your abs will show whether you train them or not. Training them will make them pop more but I can't think of a single person at a true 6-7% that doesn't have abs. Shoulders would be looking stupid striated at 6-7% in a side tri pose too.

You can still tighten up plenty in 15 days bro. Just go hard and suffer a little bit more. IMO, now you're at the point BF-wise where you can see drastic changes week to week (how drastic depends on how hard you push).

 

[Deleted member 121863]

abs are muscles too, they need to be trained. You can have a flat stomach with no fat and look like a justin bieber stomach (well your much better than that) but to make them pop, there`s gotta be something there. I don`t buy into ab depth causing the bulging pregnant belly either.

 

[Dancho]

Your ab muscles are not thick enough to pop. You make a mistake not training them. If 20 crunches is all you can do, then do this several times a week, better than nothing. Even better if you add weight. No way something to be visible if it's not there if you know what i mean.

The best you can do right now is to focus on loosing as much fat as you can and show up dry. You are in good shape and have good genetics, your total package is very good and should place well regardless of the abs.

 

[Erichuup]

Sorry to tell you this bro, but you're AT BEST 8-9%. Not anywhere close to 5. You need to get a lot leaner.

what this guy said more suffring.. looking great tho

 

[morepain]

Just do the show , do the best you can...for fucks sake its your first show , just gain the experience and next time you will get better. Why all the "you have to be perfect or you may as well forget it crap?" No one is perfect their first show , enjoy it , learn , get better.

 

[Jizzmo]

as it was said before, several points:

-youre more like 7-8% bodyfat
-you HAVE to train abs directly to make them show and actually LOOK GOOD
-regardless, very good physique and for your first show this is still a good result

BY THE WAY: ive said this before, calipers dont test your bodyfat accurately. you always have to add around 2-3%, because calipers only measure subcutaneous fat. the few % of "vital" body fat that you have in your brain and organs are not measured by calipers and this is not included in the calculators

with that being said, suffer throught the last 2 weeks and good luck at your show !
you have a very well flowing physique :headbang:

 

[Rob S.]

You will be fine don't worry. It LOOKS like you also are holding quite a bit of water...face looks way too puffy for only 2 weeks out. If you can drop another 1% bf and get all that water out you will look great. Remember, it is not the Olympia or some very high national level show i guess....for a rooky this conditioning will be o.k.

 

[GreenTLB6]

Probably a bit too late to build your abs but I'd train them everyday until the competition. Then when pumping up I'd hit some crunches back stage. Not a ton but enough the get some blood flow and have them 'pop' a bit more. Your waist is tiny so a few crunches before will be fine. Mine always pop more after doing a little ab work. Just don't do too much where it's hard to hit poses.

 

[plex1500]

Don't do anything drastic. Stick to your plan. This is the time all the self doubt creeps in. We start second guessing and taking too much advice and end up doing something silly that back fires and you miss your peak. Relax and hold your course. Suffer a little more but stay YOUR course and write notes and learn from this show and change accordingly for the next.

 

[veins1000]

Sorry to tell you this bro, but you're AT BEST 8-9%. Not anywhere close to 5. You need to get a lot leaner.

Seriously? This guy is 6 to 7% all day. If you were to cut water for 24 hours, youd dry up and look really good, especially for your first show. You have a great physique and would be competitive at any novice show. Just go no carbs for 10 days, then slowly introduce them back in , and you'll look great.

 

[ZOFO1973]

You will be fine don't worry. It LOOKS like you also are holding quite a bit of water...face looks way too puffy for only 2 weeks out. If you can drop another 1% bf and get all that water out you will look great. Remember, it is not the Olympia or some very high national level show i guess....for a rooky this conditioning will be o.k.

Def holding water. You can see a bit on lower back. I'd estimate bf def south of 8%. Get rid of that water and you see nice change. BTW, training abs is a must in my opinion.