Thread: Precontest slowing metabolism

A little tiny bit of T3 would help if you can get your hands on some. We're talking 5-10 mcg here, not much.

If you're talking "legal", there's not a ton you can do other than just fight cortisol.

What is your diet and training like, outside of your refeed?

diet and training are dialed in. I am a victim of this every year-it's pissing me off because I look the best I have ever looked in precontest condition so early out.
I cant use t3, drug tested.
Any ideas for supps to fight cortisol? Cissus? 11oxo? 6 oxo?

Vitamin C comes to mind.
Kindly describe your diet and your training?

I'm carb cycling...diet will be posted later.
Training:

QUADS AND CALVES

Squat 6 sets (12,12,8,6,6,6) Leg Press
Leg Ext 3 sets (10,8,8) Front Squat
Hack Squat 3 sets (12,10,10) Db sumo squat
Step Lunge 2 sets (10,10) walk lunge
Calf 4 sets (12,10,8,8) Calf


CHEST AND TRICEPS
Reps

In Db 6 sets (12,12,8,6,6,6) Flat Db Press
Mid Bar Press 4 sets (10,8,8,8) Mid Bar Press
Chest Dips 3 sets (10,10,10) Inc Fly
Rope Press 4 sets (12,10,8,8) Tri Press
Tri Bar Ext 3 (10,10,10) Tricep Dips



BACK AND HAMS

Bent over row 6 sets (12, 12,8,6,6,6) Lat pull palms facing
Lat Over 4 sets (10, 8, 8, 8) Deads (you pick)
1 arm Row 3 sets (10,10,10) T bar row
Leg Curl ` 4 sets (12,10,8,8) Leg Curl
Stiff Leg Db 3 sets (10,10,10) High Leg Press-single


SHOUDLERS AND BICEPS

Db press 6 sets (12,12,8,6,6,6) Side lateral
Shrug 4 sets (10,8,8,8) Push Press
Side lateral 3 sets (10,10,10) Front Raise
Barbell Curl 4 sets (12,10,8,8) In Db Curl
Seated Db 3 sets (10,8,8) Cable Curl

QUADS AND CALVES

Leg Ext 6 sets (12,12,8,6,6,6)
Leg Press 3 sets (10,8,8)
Front Squat 3 sets (12,10,10)
Duck Walk 2 sets (10,10)
Calf 4 sets (12,10,8,8)


CHEST AND TRICEPS
Reps

Flat Db 6 sets (12,12,8,6,6,6)
Convr Inc Press 4 sets (10,8,8,8)
Push Up (Alt) 3 sets (10,10,10)
French Press 4 sets (10,8,8)
Bench Dips w/weight 3 sets (10,10,10)



BACK AND HAMS

Wide Grip Chins 6 sets (12,12,8,6,6,6)
Pullover 4 sets (10,8,8,8)
1 arm Row 3 sets (10,10,10)
High Leg Press ` 4 sets (12,10,8,8)
Stiff Leg Db 3 sets (10,10,10)


SHOUDLERS AND BICEPS

Reverse Smith press 6 sets (12,12,8,6,6,6)
Shoulder Press on incline 3 sets (10,10,10)
Lateral Raise 4 sets (10,8,8,8)
Preacher Curl 4 sets (12,10,8,8)
AltDB Curl 3 sets (10,8,8)
21s 2 sets


I realize this looks kind of confusing, but I have made great gains on this. I do a rotation three times, changing it up after the third rotation.

Designer Supps. Lean Extreme is meant to help with Cortisol

day 1
Immediately upon waking BCAAs.

Meal 2
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
2 eggs
1 tsp psyllium husk powder
5g fish oil


HIIT
pwo drink-1 scoop whey, BCAAs

Meal 3
chicken breast and gigantic salad with romaine, tomatoes, cukes and olive oil and vinegar

meal 4
skirt steak with salad see above
5g fish oil
meal 5
serving of meat/fish with grilled vegs
1 tsp psyllium husk powder

meal 6
casein, 3 tbsp peanut butter, and cottage cheese mixed in drink with sugar free chocolate sauce

bed-ZMA

I drink 1.5 gallons a day of water

My diet doesnt really change, just the carb ratio (protein remains a constant 220-250g):

It follows this:

40g off training day, 50g on smaller bodypart days, 90g leg day, every five days I take in 190g healthy carb refeed.

This is my trainers' advice. He's never been wrong about this stuff, and he tells me not to worry, as more carbs will be introduced every monday at a rate of 10g weekly. I take his word as gospel when it comes to this.

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Designer Supps. Lean Extreme is meant to help with Cortisol

need to see if it is accepted in the federation; they allow 60x0, so I would assume they accept this too

That's ridiculously high reps for this close to contest, especially for a natty. Have you competed before?

Also, what macros does your diet turn into - grams of protein, carb and fat, total calories?

Originally Posted by Built

That's ridiculously high reps for this close to contest, especially for a natty. Have you competed before?

Also, what macros does your diet turn into - grams of protein, carb and fat, total calories?

i was thinking the same thing.. WAY too much work this close to contest. You'll end up smoking your entire structure out instead of that bit of fat you need. Maybe you're holding a little more water than you think?

Originally Posted by Built

That's ridiculously high reps for this close to contest, especially for a natty. Have you competed before?

Also, what macros does your diet turn into - grams of protein, carb and fat, total calories?

I've always trained this way, with varying reps and exercises. It works.

Ive competed several times before and came in third in my last two shows. I made a huge leap this year in what I look like and I feel like I could really beat what I did last time quite easily.

I dont understand your question about my macros-I thought I posted them.

Your total calories, and grams of protein, carb and fat.

Originally Posted by juggernaut

I've always trained this way, with varying reps and exercises. It works.

Ive competed several times before and came in third in my last two shows. I made a huge leap this year in what I look like and I feel like I could really beat what I did last time quite easily.

I dont understand your question about my macros-I thought I posted them.

You are four weeks out from a bodybuilding contest, you are lean as hell and you're training - on reduced carbs - with a high rep range bodypart split.

You say it works - but you're weak and your metabolism is tanking.

Is that what you think of as "it works"?

Assisted bodybuilders cut like this.

They CAN!

They're injecting their endocrine system. They're the ones who typically do two hours of cardio a day at the same time. I hope to GOD you aren't doing this part too...

You will come in hard and dense if you switch over to low-rep heavy work and HIIT. "High reps for cutting" may work for some, but it hardly means it's optimal. Genetic freaks and assisted athletes can get away with a LOT of sub-optimal training. The rest of the humans need strategy.

Read this, it might help:
TESTOSTERONE NATION

Originally Posted by Built

You are four weeks out from a bodybuilding contest, you are lean as hell and you're training - on reduced carbs - with a high rep range bodypart split.

You say it works - but you're weak and your metabolism is tanking.

Is that what you think of as "it works"?

Assisted bodybuilders cut like this.

They CAN!

They're injecting their endocrine system. They're the ones who typically do two hours of cardio a day at the same time. I hope to GOD you aren't doing this part too...

You will come in hard and dense if you switch over to low-rep heavy work and HIIT. "High reps for cutting" may work for some, but it hardly means it's optimal. Genetic freaks and assisted athletes can get away with a LOT of sub-optimal training. The rest of the humans need strategy.

Read this, it might help:
TESTOSTERONE NATION

Here's an update:
I talked to my trainer yesterday, and he made some mods. Lower rep work as you prescribed, my diet stays the same and I get an additional day of rest. WOOHOO!!!
Cardio is three days HIIT (I'm a huge fan of HIIIT), 3 days of 25 min steady state at 60% HR.
Hopefully, this will get me out of the funk.

As for supplementation, any recommendations?

Also, I always watched my carbs, I work well with it I never really go over 200g a day on my off season.

Love to see some pics!

will do at the end of my contest. I have a wife that is a professional photographer.

hey dg-

that sig, still think old Ronnie knew what was in store?

Originally Posted by juggernaut

Here's an update:
I talked to my trainer yesterday, and he made some mods. Lower rep work as you prescribed, my diet stays the same and I get an additional day of rest. WOOHOO!!!
Cardio is three days HIIT (I'm a huge fan of HIIIT), 3 days of 25 min steady state at 60% HR.
Hopefully, this will get me out of the funk.

As for supplementation, any recommendations?

Well that's WONDERFUL!

Okay. Supps.

Try 200mcg Selenium to support thyroid, and fish oil - I take 10g daily - for too many reasons to list. Iodine may help a bit, I don't know enough about orals but I'm fiddling with transdermal application at the moment, which strikes me as safer. Vitamin C will help fight cortisol.

You may also consider looking into something that will bind up SHBG. I'm looking at a supp made by nni's sponsor - Designer Supplements that claims to do just this.

This close to contest, your testosterone and T3 are tanking. If activate does what it purports to, it might help free up a little more of both of these hormones, since SHBG binds free testosterone, and free testosterone is required for the conversion of T4 to the active T3. Unbind some testosterone, and your T3 conversion might be slightly enhanced. Note that neither of these is likely to be profound but it should be legal within your Federation (check).

Good luck!

Originally Posted by juggernaut

hey dg-

that sig, still think old Ronnie knew what was in store?

I dunno, the world is a totally different place than it was 25 yrs ago. But I bet if he was alive, he would have a positive influence on it.

amen to that. I loved when he didnt take shit from Libya

Originally Posted by Built

Well that's WONDERFUL!

Okay. Supps.

Try 200mcg Selenium to support thyroid, and fish oil - I take 10g daily - for too many reasons to list. Iodine may help a bit, I don't know enough about orals but I'm fiddling with transdermal application at the moment, which strikes me as safer. Vitamin C will help fight cortisol.

You may also consider looking into something that will bind up SHBG. I'm looking at a supp made by nni's sponsor - Designer Supplements that claims to do just this.

This close to contest, your testosterone and T3 are tanking. If activate does what it purports to, it might help free up a little more of both of these hormones, since SHBG binds free testosterone, and free testosterone is required for the conversion of T4 to the active T3. Unbind some testosterone, and your T3 conversion might be slightly enhanced. Note that neither of these is likely to be profound but it should be legal within your Federation (check).

Good luck!

thanks Built.

I'm not going to follow that last part, although i do agree that my test is in the toilet. Going to think about getting more saturated fats. It just doesnt make sense for me to do that, especially since I worked my ass off this year.
Anyway, I cant wait until the day after, going to eat the house down.

kill em dude.

What doesn't make sense to do? I'm confused at your last post.

sorry it doesnt make sense to mess with my test if there's a slight possibility that it may look like i did something "illegal".

Originally Posted by FishOrCutBait

kill em dude.

I'm a wrecking ball going to town bitch!!!

Dude,

welcome to bodybuilding, you ain't gonna poop like you usually do. Your on limited calories, your body going into a catabolic state. Relax, i would add some more fiberous carbs (dark green stemmed veggies only) and see what happens.

Your energy is going to tank, thats what makes bodybuilding so ironic, you look awesome but you can't lift shit, sounds like your doing it right to me. Add some ephederine and caffeine and youll be fine bro !

Originally Posted by juggernaut

I'm a wrecking ball going to town bitch!!!

What, big, round,un-co-ordinated and on a leash?

Originally Posted by musclemilk40

Dude,

welcome to bodybuilding, you ain't gonna poop like you usually do. Your on limited calories, your body going into a catabolic state. Relax, i would add some more fiberous carbs (dark green stemmed veggies only) and see what happens.

Your energy is going to tank, thats what makes bodybuilding so ironic, you look awesome but you can't lift shit, sounds like your doing it right to me. Add some ephederine and caffeine and youll be fine bro !

I know-Its my fourth contest, I always slow down but this year I cant believe how good I look. I dont want to fuck up.

I cant do an ECA stack because they test for that too.



I will say after the adjustments, things are back to normal, I'm ahem...regular and the pysllium husk is working.