Water cut, which method is preferred?

TooPowerful4u · Feb 26, 2005

Hoping to get some replies from some of the great competitors and prep guys we got here. Well i always see two methods for cutting water.

One of them is extreme, something like 3 gallons mon-thurs, 1gallon friday cut water around 4pm.
The other i see is like 3 gallons til wed, then thurs 2 gallons, fri 1 gallon, cut water later on like 8-9pm. Its more tapered than extreme. I think i saw wylde post on here taking it 1 step further, 3 tues, 2 wed, 1 thurs, sip on black coffee n green tea fri.

Would there be a reason to use each of these methods or is one of them flawed? Also is there a reason to switch to distilled water rather than regular spring water? Would diuretic use cause the need to change the method you would use to cut water? How?

Reload · Feb 27, 2005

Which ever method you decide on please be sure to take in supplemental potassium as drinking that much fluid will make you hypokalemic...think Munzer or Benazazi. Spring water should be fine as the Lasix will help to rid you of that last little bit of Na blurring providing your at 3 to 4% BF. Distilled water night before and day of comp.
Everybodys different when it comes to this part of the prep. Ask 5 different guys...get 5 different answers. When guys pay trainers to get them into their best shape, this is where experience and a thorough understanding of fluid /electrolyte balance can mean the difference between 1st place and an oversized coffin. I'd PM Wylde.

xcelbeyond · Feb 27, 2005

Yes.

Do a search on distilled water - has been a lot of discussion on it. Phil is against distilled. I just know at my last contest I did distilled and got cramps that wouldn't quit.

gooey · Feb 27, 2005

agree

distilled is very strong, take postassium and other mineral often it pulls mineral out fast, i couldnt flex or even stand at coll nats. I did 6 days 3 gall of distilled, i was freakin dry but shouldnt of cut water then on weds. Just a cpl of days of distilled strong stuff
gooey

TooPowerful4u · Feb 27, 2005

I found this to be very helpful.

http://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3680&highlight=depletion

mark mcgwire · Feb 27, 2005

TooPowerful4u said:
I found this to be very helpful.

http://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3680&highlight=depletion

I'm glad you were able to get some direction on this topic. Randy is very smart when it comes to this. His pics are proof of his knowledge.

Skip · Feb 27, 2005

Reload said:
Which ever method you decide on please be sure to take in supplemental potassium as drinking that much fluid will make you hypokalemic...

This is not completely accurate because if he is using a potassium sparing diuretic (as has been more common in past years) instead of harsher diuretics, additional potassium would not be needed. Additional SODIUM is needed.

I use a water plan that is pretty extreme and I am almost finished with finishing touches on a complete micronutrient/electrolyte plan to go along with it. You bring up hypokalemia but hyponeutremia would be much more of a problem, in my opinion - especially with alot of the "usual" supplementation schemes during the last week of prep.

Skip

USMuscle9403 · Feb 27, 2005

Skip, how do you feel about supplemental potassium for your average bodybuilder (no water manipulation)? I try to get in around 1 gallon water and 1 gallon green tea daily along with whatever I drink at the gym along with what would probably be around 5g sodium a day.

Skip · Feb 27, 2005

USMuscle9403 said:
Skip, how do you feel about supplemental potassium for your average bodybuilder (no water manipulation)? I try to get in around 1 gallon water and 1 gallon green tea daily along with whatever I drink at the gym along with what would probably be around 5g sodium a day.

Depends on your diet. If you aren't taking in alot of foods with good micronutrient profiles to supply potassium, supplementing it would be wise. I don't rank it at the top of the list but I wouldn't overlook it, either.

I am finding alot of guys lately that are focussing too much on limiting their carbs and while doing this, they are not taking in any vegetables or other fibrous carbs - only protein and fats, primarily. Even if you are on a very low carb diet or consider yourself "carb sensitive", it would behoove you to still take in vegetables and plenty of them. If vegetables make you fat, you better take up another sport.

Skip