Growing into your show

[Sevn]

I was wondering are there any specific keypoints you should adhere when ''attempting'' to try and grow into your show?

Are you still in a deficit? Are you still on thermogenics? Does cardio stay in to trade cals for cals because more calories is more anabolic environment?

I've researched it alot and I would like to know if I'm heading in the right direction... If a person was stage ready 8 weeks out and which isn't ALOT of time in the BB world to try and still grow but I'm just posting this to learn more for in the future.

And that individual would be stage ready on let's say 350g of Protein, 200 Carbs and 30-40G fat alongside 1 hour LISS ED, with the thermogenic stack of 25mcg T3 and EC stack.

How would you specifically approach the situation if you would be stage ready 8 weeks out and would try to grow into your show?

I was thinking of bumping your protein up to 500-550g and keeping carbs the same all pre, insta and post wo and bumping up healthy fats a tad and watch the mirror closely everyday.

Drug-wise, I would stay on the stack that got me to contest-shape in the first place but I wouldn't use any orals and start going hard on the orals at 8 weeks out until showday Adrol specifically.

 

[tenny]

i have no idea what you just said.....

but...

if i was going to attempt to grow into a show
i would most def. be under 10%bf.

 

[buck]

I probably would make sure that i had been at least as big as i would want to be at the show. Then I would just be trying to regain size I already had.

 

[tenny]

I probably would make sure that i had been at least as big as i would want to be at the show. Then I would just be trying to regain size I already had.

have you ever been on stage...???

because that's not exactly how things work..

 

[Cinder]

Tren harder.

 

[swim15]

Growing into a show is more about the consistency and dedication of the prep. Off-season is easy to be sloppy but on prep it's (usually) the same meals every day, people are much more on point, much more consistent. Combine that with cardio for fat burning (more than people usually do) you can have a little extra food using the cardio as a deficit. Add a nice jump in insulin sensitivity and more quality food/less replacements, shakes, etc and you have an atmosphere for growth not that it comes down to one thing specifically.

I don't do anything special and always grow into shows. One thing I've found may help is having one solid cheat/refeed a week (assuming everything is progressing as it should) to get some surprise cals and I feel like it helps me a lot but comes down to how you or your coach structure prep.

 

[jlm25]

Unless you're Kevin levrone, you won't be growing into shows. If you keep lean in the off season (which there should be the same consistency off season &a prep) the you'll limit how much muscle you lose in prep..

 

[Sevn]

Growing into a show is more about the consistency and dedication of the prep. Off-season is easy to be sloppy but on prep it's (usually) the same meals every day, people are much more on point, much more consistent. Combine that with cardio for fat burning (more than people usually do) you can have a little extra food using the cardio as a deficit. Add a nice jump in insulin sensitivity and more quality food/less replacements, shakes, etc and you have an atmosphere for growth not that it comes down to one thing specifically.

I don't do anything special and always grow into shows. One thing I've found may help is having one solid cheat/refeed a week (assuming everything is progressing as it should) to get some surprise cals and I feel like it helps me a lot but comes down to how you or your coach structure prep.

Unless you're Kevin levrone, you won't be growing into shows. If you keep lean in the off season (which there should be the same consistency off season &a prep) the you'll limit how much muscle you lose in prep..

Haha I find it funny because in real life I always get the two exact same responses whenever I ask someone about growing into a show, always two of the extremes.

Group A: Firm-believer in growing into your shows but precision is key i.e. nutrient timing and having the right foods at the right moments.

Group B: Forget about growing and just focus on maintaining what you have.

I'll experiment on myself soon, last show I reverse dieted strictly after my comp and I looked my best extremely full and dry 2-4 weeks later and looked like I actually gained muscle but first 2 weeks I was still in a deficit I believe just slowly kept adding in cho's.

 

[Kaladryn]

Growing into a show "only" happens when you are dealing with muscle memory (ie returning size that you have previously gained).

For the most part.

 

[Flex500]

"Growing into a show" is as much an illusion as anything. I know many that grow into shows but it always goes like this....

They have their off-season where they just stop. Like think of a bad genetics Kevin Levrone. You focus on work and family and don't train much and get a bit of a skinny fat look (well skinny fat compared to how you look during prep). 20 weeks out you go from no gear and eating 2,000 a day and barely training to five days a week training and cardio, diet on point, and drugs kicked in.

Next thing you know it's a hell of a transformation and you "grew" into the show.

If you are in bodybuilding mode all year I think it's much harder to grow into a show in the true sense.

 

[swim15]

For the record I was talking from a position of being in bbing mode year around but even then off-season is never as strict as pre comp for anyone.

Definitely not impossible to add lbm though. Also, as noted, being ready a few weeks early and then slowly reverse dieting into the show is a good way to do it for some people.

 

[Bigd50]

Growing into a show "only" happens when you are dealing with muscle memory (ie returning size that you have previously gained).

For the most part.

Yes, this. Plus great genetics and a lot of drugs.

 

[need4tren]

Growing into a show "only" happens when you are dealing with muscle memory (ie returning size that you have previously gained).

For the most part.

You will need fresh receptors to grow into a show. Don't get out of shape and keep ur doses low in the offseason. Use food to grow. Come off entirely for 6 weeks preprep and then 20 weeks out blast fucking hard. Start ur cardio early and eat a shit ton of clean food. Tren and gh are a must. Well at least some tren. Anavar helps too

 

[Fit2Serve]

anyone can grow into a show...

imo it sounds totally logical. (not to mention kevin levrone himself explained his reasoning to me why blasting for 3-5 months for a show was just as good or better than doing it for 17 months)
if u are on cruising levels of hormones/compounds and then double or triple em and add some slin and maybe gh.... how could you not put on a bit of muscle and get a bit leaner...? that's growing into a show basically.... not as mythical as it sounds lol. just that most guys have to lose weight to do a show.

my bodyweight will barely change from off season to on stage but it looks totally different. i consider that growing into the show. putting on muscle while losing bodyfat. drugs, genetics, diet, wk out (things in order of importance) is what makes it happen.
-F2S

 

[tri-terror]

You will need fresh receptors to grow into a show. Don't get out of shape and keep ur doses low in the offseason. Use food to grow. Come off entirely for 6 weeks preprep and then 20 weeks out blast fucking hard. Start ur cardio early and eat a shit ton of clean food. Tren and gh are a must. Well at least some tren. Anavar helps too

I'm far from an expert but yes, this that I quoted is spot on from what have been able to learn over the years.

There are a few things that go into this and the primary on is going to be genetics IMO. If you are a naturally gifted bodybuilder(ie a true meso) with great recovery it is a lot easier.

The key though that these guys do is lay off the harsh stuff most of the year. They may "cruise" on more test than you would cycle on but some don't. Many come off completely for a time and then do some lower dose test only or test and gh. Probably slin too if they are really trying to put on size. you want to really grow offseason? look into how to use test no ester with insulin and gh...

Anyway though, then when that person really hits the gas the respond waaaayyy better than if they were blasting shit all year round. Again though, most if not all is muscle memory at this point. It is about physiologically impossible to build lean tissue in a calorie defecit.

What you have to consider is that a person is NOT in a defecit all day right? Like after a meal your body while short for the day, at that moment has nutrients... So I think this is one instance where peri-workout nutrition MAY be a key factor.

To wrap things up you have to be lean. REALLY LEAN. Like 1 maybe 2 weeks out. And I mean for real 2 weeks out. Your skin everywhere on your body should be as thin as the back of your hand. You are NOT only 2 weeks out though but maybe 6 or 8 or something. When your body is this lean you tend to soak up nutrients almost. I know that for me personally, when I start a diet I am not very hungry. By the end? I cannot get enough food. I think that at this point, when super lean, and super hungry, if you push the cals and the drugs up you can grow a tiny bit. Pure speculation on my part. I have re-comped in the past like this but not tried to grow into a show.

Actually I have one more thing. Stimulus. In order to gain, or even retain muscle, your body needs a stimulus to do so. So your training can't waiver. What got you to the dance needs to be what you stick with. Train as heavy as you can in your rep ranges you use. Keep trying to beat the logbook. As long as you keep pushing the weight your body is going to want to hang on to all that muscle you worked so hard for. Now that's not to say go 10/10 the whole prep but... you are going to have to know your body well enough to know when to peel back.



OK, now...
What's SMART to do is not worry about growing. Try to KEEP as much muscle as you can and get ready a few weeks EARLY. Why? So you can practice your last minute shit. Practice your water depletion and your carb load a couple weeks out so you can get your timing right. Throw some abombs in to make you POP more. You may not grow but you will LOOK bigger, fuller, rounder etc.

 

[buck]

have you ever been on stage...???

because that's not exactly how things work..

Yes but it has been 20 years or so. It seems that Kevin Levrone and others would usually grow into a show by rebuilding muscle that they already had previously.

 

[Sevn]

I'm far from an expert but yes, this that I quoted is spot on from what have been able to learn over the years.

There are a few things that go into this and the primary on is going to be genetics IMO. If you are a naturally gifted bodybuilder(ie a true meso) with great recovery it is a lot easier.

The key though that these guys do is lay off the harsh stuff most of the year. They may "cruise" on more test than you would cycle on but some don't. Many come off completely for a time and then do some lower dose test only or test and gh. Probably slin too if they are really trying to put on size. you want to really grow offseason? look into how to use test no ester with insulin and gh...

Anyway though, then when that person really hits the gas the respond waaaayyy better than if they were blasting shit all year round. Again though, most if not all is muscle memory at this point. It is about physiologically impossible to build lean tissue in a calorie defecit.

What you have to consider is that a person is NOT in a defecit all day right? Like after a meal your body while short for the day, at that moment has nutrients... So I think this is one instance where peri-workout nutrition MAY be a key factor.

To wrap things up you have to be lean. REALLY LEAN. Like 1 maybe 2 weeks out. And I mean for real 2 weeks out. Your skin everywhere on your body should be as thin as the back of your hand. You are NOT only 2 weeks out though but maybe 6 or 8 or something. When your body is this lean you tend to soak up nutrients almost. I know that for me personally, when I start a diet I am not very hungry. By the end? I cannot get enough food. I think that at this point, when super lean, and super hungry, if you push the cals and the drugs up you can grow a tiny bit. Pure speculation on my part. I have re-comped in the past like this but not tried to grow into a show.

Actually I have one more thing. Stimulus. In order to gain, or even retain muscle, your body needs a stimulus to do so. So your training can't waiver. What got you to the dance needs to be what you stick with. Train as heavy as you can in your rep ranges you use. Keep trying to beat the logbook. As long as you keep pushing the weight your body is going to want to hang on to all that muscle you worked so hard for. Now that's not to say go 10/10 the whole prep but... you are going to have to know your body well enough to know when to peel back.



OK, now...
What's SMART to do is not worry about growing. Try to KEEP as much muscle as you can and get ready a few weeks EARLY. Why? So you can practice your last minute shit. Practice your water depletion and your carb load a couple weeks out so you can get your timing right. Throw some abombs in to make you POP more. You may not grow but you will LOOK bigger, fuller, rounder etc.

Super insightful post thanks alot for your information.

Yeah it's not something I have in mind as a specific goal I want to achieve in my life but I was more thinking in the scenario of doing shows back to back 6-8 weeks apart, I've seen alot of people take it easy for 2 weeks on diet and training then ease into dieting again and basically bring the same package again for the next show not that's bad or anything but I'd rather try to grow into my next show if it would be possible.

 

[Fa Seeshus]

My simplistic strategy when doing it:

1) try to look my absolute best, but without gear- this means getting diet recovery and training really on point and training clean for at least 2 mos... Actually trying to peak at the end in leanness

2) add gear and train/diet just as hard for another 2-3 mos.

 

[SRhealth-Rachel]

My simplistic strategy when doing it:



1) try to look my absolute best, but without gear- this means getting diet recovery and training really on point and training clean for at least 2 mos... Actually trying to peak at the end in leanness



2) add gear and train/diet just as hard for another 2-3 mos.

Agree, diet and training really plays important roles




从我的 iPhone 发送，使用 Tapatalk

 

[Geardepot]

If you wanting to grow into he show you have to have the body type to allow this. Some guys have it, others don't. The most famous case of a guy growing into shows is Levrone. You have to understand that he didn't train much in the off season as much as other BBers do. As someone said above you need to have the genetics for this and be an ecto or meso body type. You can't be a heavier guy and expect to grow into the show.