cutting sodium pre contest

[steak]

Just a quick question. I used to completely cut sodium 12 weeks out the show, well it only came from natural sources. No salt added. How far would you cut the salt without adding any before the show? I know everyone reacts differently, and sodium plays a vital role within body. Advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you

 

[Big Bapper]

2 days before and reintroudce back in before the show. I would not add sodium back in till at least a few hours after I stoped drinking water. Also it is not possible to have zero levles of sodium so its the drop in sodium that counts. Sodium is your friend, just keep checking your condition.

 

[steak]

2 days before and reintroudce back in before the show. I would not add sodium back in till at least a few hours after I stoped drinking water. Also it is not possible to have zero levles of sodium so its the drop in sodium that counts. Sodium is your friend, just keep checking your condition.

Thank you for responding. I also read the Skip method of carb loading, sodium and water control, and it does make a sense.

 

[sizeon]

somewhere i heard from a competitor too up the sodium at some point before contest, which supposivly helps the look, anyone know when and how this is used

 

[Wolfpack]

You should keep sodium high throughout the entire prep. The last week is the only time it needs to be manipulated. It will help with aldosterone levels the last week.

 

[AWN2004]

You should keep sodium high throughout the entire prep. The last week is the only time it needs to be manipulated. It will help with aldosterone levels the last week.

Yep.

If you are on a lower carb type diet, which most are, sodium helps me stay full and I see no reason to drop it. When you are drying out is when you would mess with something like this.

No need to re-invent the wheel. Diet hard, train hard, and do your cardio. Its that simple.

 

[wakejump4me]

i'd cut it back only shortly before the show and then, depending on condition reintroduce it at some point ..........


wake

 

[RONJON]

i was wondering about this as well..good post thanks guys

 

[buselmo]

does anyone ever wonder why out of (for instance) 100 bodybuilders getting ready for a contest, if all of them do the whole "cut sodium, increase water, cut water 2 days out... blah blah blah", only 2 or 3 of them will look full and dry? the rest will look like absolute crap. and those same 2 or 3 guys are the same guys that look full and dry a couple of weeks out when they haven't even played with their sodium levels?
In most cases (since people who are genetically gifted to look best on stage are rare) playing with that crap will make you look like crap.
Also, most people take a mild diuretic or flush their system out with 3 gallons of water for a week before a contest... now tell me, if you have no water in your system, and no sodium, what will happen? if you have no water, but a good amount of sodium, what would happen? if you have a lot of water, no sodium, what would happen? if you have a lot of water, a lot of sodium, and a lot of carbs in your system, what would happen?

It's not rocket science, really. people just over complicated because that's what we bodybuilders do. we over complicate shit.

my advice? keep sodium reasonable (salt according to taste) and keep your water intake reasonable. even right before the contest.
every goddamn time I, or any of my friends who compete, play with SODIUM we get royally fucked and look like absolute dog shit. only a couple of guys do it and it works. those are the same guys who say
"deca and dbol to bulk, primo and anavar to cut"
"high reps for cutting, low for bulking"
"i eat a lot of protein... about 4 scoops of whey per day"
"I do 800 sit ups before bed to get better definition in the abs"

and somehow, they are the ones who look excellent no matter what they do.

i wouldn't listen to them and i would just listen to your body (by closely monitoring it). you will notice that the more sodium (in a reasonable amount) and the more water you drink, the bigger and fuller you'd look.

 

[steak]

thanks for you responses guys,much appreciated. I always used to cut the salt 12 weeks out and was in an awesome shape, buit never full enough. thanks again

 

[MAINEVENT]

IMO as long as your BP is within the normal range keep your sodium pretty high throughout our prep. I think if your looking pretty dry and hard the last week then dont touch a thing.

 

[Strunk]

I've seen the soduim manipulation done many ways. Everyone's a little different on how they respond. I remember seeing Skip LaCour two weeks prior to the 2002 USA's and he was sodium loading heavily. He pulled down his socks and he had really bad sock rings around his ankles from the water he was holding.LOL later on stage...he was fine.

 

[Big Bapper]

IMO as long as your BP is within the normal range keep your sodium pretty high throughout our prep. I think if your looking pretty dry and hard the last week then dont touch a thing.

Best advice so far.

 

[diskey]

I been of interviews of several pros, and all I hear of actually keep sodium constant throughout the contest, mostly to not screw up their condition.

I've done both ways myself and think I got about same results both ways. Just a major pain to do cut sodium thing rigth (calium, water etc)


About the carb up thing. What I belive and have read some pro prep guy say in md is that you should deplete-load only if you're 100% shape one week out. That is the point where many ppl say go flat!don't do anything. That is the point where you can actually benefit good by carb loading. If you're not 100% one week out, just go flat.

 

[steak]

I much appreciate your advice guys,i probably post a pic or two 2 weeks out and let you judge. i did pre contest before several times, and got it right without sodium, but somehow wasn`t full enough. thank you

 

[lynx]

Yep.

If you are on a lower carb type diet, which most are, sodium helps me stay full and I see no reason to drop it. When you are drying out is when you would mess with something like this.

No need to re-invent the wheel. Diet hard, train hard, and do your cardio. Its that simple.

Double ditto, I salted w/sea salt and it helped tremendously with my workouts.

 

[dr. livingstone]

What is the idea behind reintroducing salt on contest day?

Under what conditions can it be done and what is the correct procedure?

 

[dr. livingstone]

bump.

 

[shawnkarbabacz]

I belive, although i might have a misunderstanding, guys reintroduce it AFTER cutting water for a set amount of time, so since the water is already gone, the sodium still fills you back out but has no water to trap between you skin and muscle. Every i PERSONALLY know that does this doesnt drink anything after they reintroduce it. Usually these guys are teh ones doin a shitload right b4 bed or the morning of the show

 

[vadim_b1]

does anyone ever wonder why out of (for instance) 100 bodybuilders getting ready for a contest, if all of them do the whole "cut sodium, increase water, cut water 2 days out... blah blah blah", only 2 or 3 of them will look full and dry? the rest will look like absolute crap. and those same 2 or 3 guys are the same guys that look full and dry a couple of weeks out when they haven't even played with their sodium levels?
In most cases (since people who are genetically gifted to look best on stage are rare) playing with that crap will make you look like crap.
Also, most people take a mild diuretic or flush their system out with 3 gallons of water for a week before a contest... now tell me, if you have no water in your system, and no sodium, what will happen? if you have no water, but a good amount of sodium, what would happen? if you have a lot of water, no sodium, what would happen? if you have a lot of water, a lot of sodium, and a lot of carbs in your system, what would happen?

It's not rocket science, really. people just over complicated because that's what we bodybuilders do. we over complicate shit.

my advice? keep sodium reasonable (salt according to taste) and keep your water intake reasonable. even right before the contest.
every goddamn time I, or any of my friends who compete, play with SODIUM we get royally fucked and look like absolute dog shit. only a couple of guys do it and it works. those are the same guys who say
"deca and dbol to bulk, primo and anavar to cut"
"high reps for cutting, low for bulking"
"i eat a lot of protein... about 4 scoops of whey per day"
"I do 800 sit ups before bed to get better definition in the abs"

and somehow, they are the ones who look excellent no matter what they do.

i wouldn't listen to them and i would just listen to your body (by closely monitoring it). you will notice that the more sodium (in a reasonable amount) and the more water you drink, the bigger and fuller you'd look.

you nailed it lol