Peak week for bikini and figure competitors is different than a typical bodybuilding or physique competitor. During a bodybuilding competition it is vital that your muscle glycogen levels are filled out completely and your conditioning is at its peak with maximum vascularity.
Obviously a winning bikini and figure physique is much different than a winning bodybuilding physique.
This article is going to break down peak week for bikini and figure competitors. This blueprint will ensure that you walk on stage looking fit and curvy with peak conditioning. Let’s dive in and take a look!
Rule Number 1: Peak Week Workouts
You have been dieting and training hard for at least the last 12 weeks. Now its time to put it all together during the final week. For both bikini and figure competitors it is essential that you keep your workouts intense for the first half of peak weak. This will ensure that you step on stage with adequate conditioning and your physique doesn’t go flat during peak week.
For the last few days leading up to your figure or bikini competition I recommend that you cut back the workout intensity to about 50 percent. This will ensure that your muscles are not sore and recovering while you step on stage and can also help to prevent water retention. Remember highly intense workouts can cause dehydration, which is not good for bringing out your best physique the day of competition!
Rule Number 2: Peak Week Diet
For bikini competitors it is very important to maintain your pre contest diet during peak weak. Since your goal is to stay lean and represent the ideal “bikini physique” there is no need to do anything drastic with your diet but it is crucial that you also eliminate any gas or bloat causing foods during the final week.
The list of foods that both bikini and figure competitors should avoid are beans, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, whole grains, milk, cheese, ice cream, lactose, and foods that contain artificial ingredients and sweeteners. These can all cause gastric upsetting and will prevent you from looking and feeling your best on stage.
Figure competitors will want to cut back the protein intake a bit during peak week and increase the carbohydrate intake for the first 3-4 days. This will give you that curvy figure competitor look by filling out your muscle glycogen.
A good rule is to consume about twice your contest diet carbohydrate intake for the first 3-4 days of peak week. You should make sure to consume muscle glycogen filling carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice and post workout dextrose.
You should then cut back to your normal carbohydrate intake for the last few days of peak week. Your glycogen levels should be fairly full by now and your goal should be to maintain these up to the contest without any spill over.
Rule Number 3: Water and Sodium
As a bikini or figure competitor you have to understand you are not a bodybuilder! This means that you do not need to do anything drastic with your water and sodium intake.
Remember that your water is mostly stored in your muscles and if you drastically cut out water 1 day before competition you may retain more water outside the muscles, which will give you a bloated look.
The same rules that apply to the huge 260 lb bodybuilders do not apply to you! Keep your water intake normal and do not dehydrate yourself. This will cause more harm than good!
You should also keep your sodium levels at moderate intake during peak week. No need to cut out 100 percent of your sodium the week before competition. Something drastic like cutting out sodium intake completely could cause you to retain more water and give you a bloated look.
Conclusion:
In conclusion peak week for a bikini or figure competitor is a lot simpler than a hardcore bodybuilding or physique competition. The main rule to remember is “less is more.”
No need to go through extreme measures during peak week to ensure you look your best on stage. It’s more about doing what has already worked for the last 12 weeks. Stick with these 3 simple rules during peak week and you will have tremendous success as a bikini or figure competitor.
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