contest diet choices

[gtj220]

**broken link removed**




This picture clearly shows that the Palumbo type diet works. I tried it but felt flat and small, maybe if i'd have stuck it out i'd been in great shape like Evan in the pic. At what point do you decide if a program is working for you? And what goes into your decision to pick a diet....the guru? the condition of a guy like Alex A. Or Dave P.? And do you stick it out with what has gotten you in good shape in the past or do a 180 degree and try something totally different to achieve your best shape ever? I just like to hear what you guys are thinking. Thanks!!!

 

[buselmo]

there are diets that give you results fast but play with you mentally (like the palumbo diet)... it works and it works well, but in a couple of weeks, you'll feel like you look smaller than when you did when you started bodybuilding!! ... and it's all psychological. you can use a "balanced" diet and do cardio, but results seem like they take 3-5 weeks to start showing, and it's really slow, but you'll look good and feel comfortable the whole time... my advice, get a friend who has an eye for bodybuilding... and let him monitor your progress. cuz diets can mess you up mentally really bad... i've lost less than 1/4" off my arms in 7 weeks of dieting... i felt like i lost 4 inches... so yeah, get someone to check out your progress...

hope that helps

 

[Nat]

For me personally I always keep track of my strength levels in the gym. For me personally this allows me to know if i am loosing muscle (if I am getting weaker things need to change). I like Palumbo's diet but we are all individuals and respond differently to different things. One thing I like to do on a sort of modified Palumbo diet is to carb up for 3 days and supercompensate my muscles like Duchaine talks about in his book. This helps me fill out alot better and I keep more of my weight and size while loosing fat.

But everybody is different. Just find a way to make sure your not loosing muscle, any diet that allows you to loose muscle sucks! Try something else!!!

But again like mentioned above maybe find someone to keep an eye on you, or monitor strength, whatever it may take, but dont loose muscle!!!

 

[Ashop]

the thing about diet is it can be purely individual and you may respond different than others.

 

[gtj220]

the thing about diet is it can be purely individual and you may respond different than others.

Absolutely, Cutler eats tons of carbs and some guys eat very few, I'll find a plan and stick to it, re-evaluate as I go. I'm gonna get with a diet guy and make sure I have someone I'm accountable to, I know we have some good people here.

 

[AWN2004]

You just have to run a diet it's course and then look at the result at the end and evaluate. If you don't follow through 100% with the diet you won't really know if it failed you or not. Little by little you will taking the guess work out of figuring out what works for you. Have you ever noticed it takes guys a long time to achieve their best ever conditioning? There are a lot of variables that come into play like getting leaner each time you diet, however, you also learn more about your body and it makes it easier to know what works. My body is very stubborn and likes high fats and proteins and little to no carbs. I feel great and don't flatten out. Where I know others need the carbs or else they just melt away. I know guys slowly lower the carbs as they get closer to the show and others like a rotational diet or "carb cycling" with high and low days of carbs. Its all determined by your body and how it reacts.

 

[gtj220]

You just have to run a diet it's course and then look at the result at the end and evaluate. If you don't follow through 100% with the diet you won't really know if it failed you or not. Little by little you will taking the guess work out of figuring out what works for you. Have you ever noticed it takes guys a long time to achieve their best ever conditioning? There are a lot of variables that come into play like getting leaner each time you diet, however, you also learn more about your body and it makes it easier to know what works. My body is very stubborn and likes high fats and proteins and little to no carbs. I feel great and don't flatten out. Where I know others need the carbs or else they just melt away. I know guys slowly lower the carbs as they get closer to the show and others like a rotational diet or "carb cycling" with high and low days of carbs. Its all determined by your body and how it reacts.

Thanks guys, looking forward to this season and improving.

 

[Alex A]

Im sure Palumbos diet works and many others do too. But heres why i choose my style of diet over any others.

First of all, my diet isnt really a diet, its a year round way of eating. No offense to Palumbo or anyone else, but can you go for zero carbs or low carbs all year long? i doubt it.

Can you go for high carbs all year long? Yes!

My type of dieting is moderate/high carbs, low fat and a diet that can be followed all year long.

When I start a 16 week out prep and this is not just me but anyone who I have helped for a show, I just follow everything to a tee. Of course, off season, you can snack a little or eat a little more and not worry about it at 16 weeks out, Its the training, cardio etc that make the "diet" a diet, plus there are some small cuts to be made as you approach the show date. But I dont believe anyone should go under 200 grams of carbs or less.

This is a way of eating that has worked for me for some time now, so i dont believe it was just a one hit deal. I hope I can prove it next year, im pretty sure i can by betting in as good or better shape for nationals! thanks for listening to my opinions here. Alex a

 

[gtj220]

Im sure Palumbos diet works and many others do too. But heres why i choose my style of diet over any others.

First of all, my diet isnt really a diet, its a year round way of eating. No offense to Palumbo or anyone else, but can you go for zero carbs or low carbs all year long? i doubt it.

Can you go for high carbs all year long? Yes!

My type of dieting is moderate/high carbs, low fat and a diet that can be followed all year long.

When I start a 16 week out prep and this is not just me but anyone who I have helped for a show, I just follow everything to a tee. Of course, off season, you can snack a little or eat a little more and not worry about it at 16 weeks out, Its the training, cardio etc that make the "diet" a diet, plus there are some small cuts to be made as you approach the show date. But I dont believe anyone should go under 200 grams of carbs or less.

This is a way of eating that has worked for me for some time now, so i dont believe it was just a one hit deal. I hope I can prove it next year, im pretty sure i can by betting in as good or better shape for nationals! thanks for listening to my opinions here. Alex a

Thanks Alex, I definetly respect your opinion and your philosophy. Now here is what may seem like a dumb question but here goes: some people seem to feel that a smaller guy ( a lightweight like yourself) would have a harder time preping a heavyweight because your perspective and experience is in dealing with a lighter weight class. I have had this conversation with some larger competitors before but I would like to hear your thoughts, anyone else feel free to chime in please. Thanks!

 

[Alex A]

Thats a funny question but actually makes no sense.

Half the prep guys out there, not to name names dont even work out anymore. And even when they did, were not even top competitors. Of course a guy like Dave sure was. And a guy like Tom Prince who helped me back in 2005. I thought could he help me? he seemed to only help the top heavies etc. Well, he sure did.

What about judges, most are not bodybuilders or competitors so how could they judge a physique? But some of the best judges and most experienced are not bodybuilders.

Actually Im waiting untill there shows come up but there are a few guys that are going to make a statement at their shows, following my advise. Of course I cant predict them to win or anything like that, i have no control over that. But I do have control over how they look.

Of course for me, number one, im a competitor. But competing doesn't take up all my time. I have my diet, training, schedule to a tee. It is very easy for me to go into contest mode. Im very anxious. Especially since Im moving up a weight class.

It is not that much of a time consuming thing for me. My wife shoots with Bill Comstock and post their photos for MD. We go to all the shows here in California. I go to all the big shows to help her out. And Im around all the competitors and at the show. Im eventually going to stop competing so Im preparing for somthing to keep me involved in the sport after Im done competing and even now as I have the time to be more involved than I am now. As a competitor I still have time left. I figure a good 5 years.

Im planning on moving to the middleweight class the following year. Then thats it for me, genetically at 5'4" and my type of conditioining I wont be much bigger that will be big enough for me. Size is not my game. A bit more than I have now, with consistant condition is what Im shooting for.

 

[AWN2004]

Thats a funny question but actually makes no sense.

Half the prep guys out there, not to name names dont even work out anymore. And even when they did, were not even top competitors. Of course a guy like Dave sure was. And a guy like Tom Prince who helped me back in 2005. I thought could he help me? he seemed to only help the top heavies etc. Well, he sure did.

What about judges, most are not bodybuilders or competitors so how could they judge a physique? But some of the best judges and most experienced are not bodybuilders.

Actually Im waiting untill there shows come up but there are a few guys that are going to make a statement at their shows, following my advise. Of course I cant predict them to win or anything like that, i have no control over that. But I do have control over how they look.

Of course for me, number one, im a competitor. But competing doesn't take up all my time. I have my diet, training, schedule to a tee. It is very easy for me to go into contest mode. Im very anxious. Especially since Im moving up a weight class.

It is not that much of a time consuming thing for me. My wife shoots with Bill Comstock and post their photos for MD. We go to all the shows here in California. I go to all the big shows to help her out. And Im around all the competitors and at the show. Im eventually going to stop competing so Im preparing for somthing to keep me involved in the sport after Im done competing and even now as I have the time to be more involved than I am now. As a competitor I still have time left. I figure a good 5 years.

Im planning on moving to the middleweight class the following year. Then thats it for me, genetically at 5'4" and my type of conditioining I wont be much bigger that will be big enough for me. Size is not my game. A bit more than I have now, with consistant condition is what Im shooting for.

Hey Alex...I was talking to you at the Nats with a couple other people (from this site) at the weigh in on Thursday. I was talking to you about poker if that helps you remember who I am. I just wanted to say whats up to you before I gave my own two cents on this. The whole arguement of being smaller and not being able to dial a bigger guy in, as you said, makes no sense at all. Principals and techniques can be applied to anybody and I think someone with a highly trained eye can adjust the anyones program to work for them. If you see a guy who gets peeled and shows up in condition for their shows, chances are they know their shit. I can pretty much garauntee they didn't end up the way they are on accident.

 

[Alex A]

of course I remember your bro. You were with Lisa Bickles and Scott right. I remember we had a long chat. By the way, i played some cards at Commerce just a few days ago.

Shit, if I can spend my life doing two things it would be working out and playing poker. If I was rich, i would get up, train, do cardio, etc. get that out of the way then hit the casino buddy. Anyways....

Next year bro, your gonna see me again this time with all my mistakes behind me.

I did have a great time at nationals though. Got the MD shoot, video with Palumbo, Iron Man vid and shoot, it was good. And small guys like me rarely get these opportunitites.
It is a rare thing and somthing of honor when Steve Blechman. owner of MD, calls you up on the phone and asks you to do a shoot with his photographer, Per Bernal. And thats after a less than brilliant performance at the pre judging.

I really had a good prep and season this year and looking forward to competing. Im just sad I have to wait almost a year. Hope all is going well? How is scott doing, he is one cool dude. Hope his training is going good.

 

[AWN2004]

Good to hear that Alex. I have not been playing much live poker as of late but mainly just the regular online stuff. I have not talked to Scott in a while but I'm sure he is growing like crazy. The guy seems to look at weights and puts on 25lbs. One of these days I need to come out to LA and play at Commerce with you for a bit. Have a good Christmas Alex and a very successful new year.

 

[Phidias]

there are diets that give you results fast but play with you mentally (like the palumbo diet)... it works and it works well, but in a couple of weeks, you'll feel like you look smaller than when you did when you started bodybuilding!! ... and it's all psychological. you can use a "balanced" diet and do cardio, but results seem like they take 3-5 weeks to start showing, and it's really slow, but you'll look good and feel comfortable the whole time...

Exactly what I've been experiencing!

Keto diets are efficient and supply you with lots of energy to go through your daily activities and workouts, but at the same time you feel so "invisible" you won't even dare to take off your sweaters when training...

Not to mention the discomfort involved by heavy carb-ups when your body is no longer used to produce amylase to digest carbs, and the pain it can be to go back on the diet after 24 to 48 h spent eating what your stomach had been craving for...

No, patience is the key here... a balance diet for a little longer is IMO the way to go.

 

[gtj220]

Thanks Alex and crew!! Kinda the response I expected. Good point about diet guru's and judges. Good luck to you Alex next year, I 've never seen a better conditioned bodybuilder and your time is coming!! perhaps the under 202 division in the pro ranks will extend your competive days after you get your pro card.

 

[The Wolf]

Your not going to beleive this but towards the last few weeks I actually got fat on the palumbo diet and 2 days before the show, just a simple carb load filled out my backside and my ass ended up looking bigger than my moms.

I think I got too cocky with the keto diet thinking I could increase my fats a bit more without getting fat and even though the ketois sticks were purple, I still ended up putting fat in the end. Sure the first few weeks of the diet is good and you lose weight but its more water weight from the zero carbs. BUT WHEN YOU JUST TAKE BIT OF CARBS ALL THOSE MONTHS OF DIETING GO DOWN THE SHIT!

BigA's diet is very effective but very tough.