Peak Week - at 2 days out!
2 days out now.... half way through "peak week" and below is my approach to the final week of prep.
1) Deload training - this week is all about recovery & dropping fatigue & any inflammation. I like to complete all 3 training sessions at the start of the week, leaving me more recovered for the show at Saturday. I use 70-80% intensity/weights & volume, simply ticking over and the only time i really let my foot off the gas. Here's how the Deload training looked.
Monday 11th Oct (6 days out)
Legs/Abs
squats 3X8 140kg
Leg press 3X8-12 300kg
leg extension 60kg 3X10-15
seated leg curl 90kg 3X8-12
standing calf raise 120kg 3X10-15
hanging leg raises 5kg 3X10-15
barely broke a sweat & felt much easier than normal, no sets approaching failure, done within 1 hour.
Tuesday 12th Oct (5 days out)
chest/shoulders/triceps
bench press 3X8 100kg
incline hammer strength press 80kg 3X8-12
machine flye - 50kg 3X10-15
high incline smith - 80kg 3X8
1 arm cable lateral 10kg 3X10-15
tricep extension machine - stack 3X10-15
dips +40kg 3X8-10
- pictures above after this session, felt fairly cold and unpumped, but to be expected as at this point, still no increase in food, managed to keep steps around 15k this day.
Wednesday 13th October
Back/Biceps
3X8 Weighted pullups +20kg
3X8-12 seated row 100kg
3X8-12 pulldown 95kg
3X8-12 machine curls - 30kg
3X10-15 bent over laterals - 40kg
an easy end to deload training for the week, no deadlifts. keeping the stress low, and focus for me is to keep the legs fresh for the show.
I will be going in the day before the show to shuttle some of the extra carbs, with a very light upper body "pump" session. This will be tomorrow (friday 15th at 1 day out) its very important not to "train" at this point and simply go through a pump circuit causing no muscle damage or stress. The last thing you want is DOMS before stepping on stage.
2. Activity/cardio the week of the show -
with work all wrapped up by Wednesday evening, my steps have been 15-20k mon-tue-wed, now my priority is to keep my legs recovering and feeling fresh for the show, as this is where i lose fullness & hold onto water/inflammation from being on my feet all day. From Thursday until the show, I will simply keep my steps no higher than 10k per day, resting much more than normal. Show day itself will likely see no more than 5k steps before stepping onstage, lets hope the kids are well behaved at the venue and doesn't turn into a wild goose chase.
3. nutrition the week of the show
In conjunction with a lower step count the last few days leading into the show, I like to make sure im eating enough to fill muscle glycogen too, this for me is quite modest as I dont need to drop food too low going into the final week of the show, this with lowering my step count, means only 400kcals or so extra is plenty to get the job done. This is ALWAYS done with the same foods you've been dieting on and no fancy tricks. I am simply increasing serving sizes of oats/rice that I have been eating anyway. Meals are simply slightly bigger. Water/Sodium/caffeine/supplements etc are all the same, keeping this process very stress free.
Show day itself is breakfast as normal, and small servings of chicken and rice to hold the look, sipping water throughout to stay hydrated. I typically keep vegetables out, just to keep food volume down and feel my stomach is fairly "sucked in" making posing easier. Also chicken servings can be slightly smaller for the same reason & the goal is really to keep dripping carbohydrates in. Ill be onstage 6-7pm meaning ill likely have 5 meals from wake until stage. A typical day of eating really & ill fuel it like a gym session.
I will have a pre workout supplement 20-30mins before pumping up, to help get warm & pumped.
That is it! no crazy protocols, no last minute tricks. Just stress free.
If you've followed along, I want to thankyou for sharing this journey, whatever the outcome in 2 days time, I am happy I have brought my best package. THAT is what this is all about.