Contest prep nutrition for bodybuilding

Contest prep nutrition in bodybuilding is where elegant theory meets a very honest mirror. When your weight, body fat percentage, training load and calories are all written down, you can get into shape calmly, without panic. This article outlines how to start your diet, manage it and adjust it in the final weeks.

Compiled by Silvar and Janar Rückenberg

Why does contest prep nutrition need a plan?

A contest prep diet does not start with cutting out carbohydrates overnight and hoping for the best. A sensible diet requires an understanding of nutrition and an honest assessment of where you stand. You need to know your body weight, body fat percentage, daily calorie intake during your bulking phase, current calorie intake as you begin your diet and how much weight you want to lose.

The transition to a contest prep diet should be gradual, smooth and carefully planned. Without this information, getting into competition condition becomes very difficult. In some cases, almost impossible. Your body does not respond on command; it responds to changes in energy intake, training and recovery over time.

Take a bodybuilder who weighs 105 kg, for example. He has a mesomorphic body type and a body fat percentage of 13%. If we take 3 – 4% as the target for ideal competition condition, he needs to burn off about 10% fat. This amounts to 13.65 kg of his 105 kg body weight, giving him an estimated competition weight of 91 kg.

Practical experience and many scientific studies advise against losing more than 0.5 – 1 kg per week. Losing weight too quickly may look good on paper, but when it comes to stage condition, it can mean losing muscle mass, looking flat and feeling unwell.

Contest prep nutrition starts with the baseline figures

The first step is to calculate your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. This is the number of calories your body uses each day even if you simply lie in bed for 24 hours. It is a starting point, not yet your calorie target for the diet.

Formula for calculating basal metabolic rate:
BMR = 66 + (13.7 X body weight in kg) + (5 X height in cm) – (6.8 X age in years)

For a man who weighs 105 kg, is 25 years old and stands 187 cm tall, the calculation is: BMR = 66 + (13.7 x 105) + (5 x 187) – (6.8 x 25) = 2263 Kcal.

Next, assess your physical activity. Consider how much you move in general, the nature of your work, the number of workouts you do each week and how demanding those workouts actually are. An activity factor helps you calculate the calorie intake needed to maintain your body weight.

• Sedentary lifestyle, very little physical activity and a mostly seated job = 1.2.
• Light physical activity, light workouts 1 – 3 times a week = 1.375.
• Moderate physical activity, 3 – 5 workouts a week = 1.55.
• Very active lifestyle, demanding workouts 6 – 7 times a week = 1.725.
• Extremely active lifestyle, heavy physical work, daily workouts, training 2x a day, marathons and other demanding competitions = 1.9.

For a bodybuilder training during a bulking phase, an activity factor of 1.5 – 1.6 is often appropriate, for example with 5 – 6 workouts a week. Multiplying BMR by a factor of 1.6 gives an approximate energy intake for maintaining body weight.

In our example of a 105 kg man, BMR = 2263 Kcal. The calculation 1.6 x 2263 = 3621 Kcal gives the calorie intake needed to maintain body weight. To gain mass, the recommendation is to add 300 – 500 extra calories. At a body weight of 105 kg, calorie intake for bulking could therefore be around 3621 Kcal + 500 Kcal = 4000 – 4200 Kcal. The example calorie intake for gaining mass is 4121 Kcal.

The recommendation is to start your diet with a calorie deficit of 15 – 20%, calculated from your maintenance calorie intake. Subtracting 20% from 3621 gives a starting intake of around 2900 Kcal. A suitable starting point for a bodybuilder weighing 105 kg would therefore be approximately 2900 – 3000 Kcal.

How should you adjust calories from week to week?

Your starting calorie intake is only part of the picture. How that intake changes over time is just as important. The aim is to lose fat while preserving quality muscle. To achieve this, you need to reduce calories gradually.

Example of calorie adjustments from week to week:

1. Week 1. 3000 Kcal 30/50/20
2. Week 2. 2800 Kcal 30/50/20
3. Week 3. 2600 kcal 35/45/20
4. Week 4. 2400 Kcal 35/45/20
5. Week 5. 2200 Kcal 35/45/20
6. Week 6. 2200 Kcal 40/40/20
7. Week 7. 2100 Kcal 45/35/20
8. Week 8. 2000 Kcal 45/35/20
9. Week 9. 2200 Kcal 45/35/20
10. Week 10, the week before the competition: day by day, 2000 – 1000 Kcal, 50/30/20

This is not the only valid approach. It is simply an example of how calorie intake can change. Bodybuilders follow different plans because their metabolism, body type, body fat percentage, target competition category and rate of weight loss are never exactly the same.

A diet usually starts with a calorie deficit of 15 – 20 %. This often means eating 500 – 600 Kcal below maintenance. Further reductions depend on the individual. Calories can be reduced from week to week, but some bodybuilders use a so-called 100-day plan, in which calorie intake drops every ten days, for example.

In the sample plan, daily calorie intake drops by 200 Kcal each week. A typical reduction is 200 – 300 Kcal. For many bodybuilders, the lower limit is 2000 kcal, which they might reach around 4 weeks before the competition. They then begin incorporating refeeds, or depletion/loading cycles.

A simple example of a refeed cycle is: day 1, 2000 Kcal; day 2, 1900 Kcal; day 3, 1800 Kcal; and day 4, 2000 – 2200 Kcal. Carbohydrate intake is the main variable. Protein and fat intake may also change slightly, but the key factor is the amount of carbohydrate.

As calorie intake falls, carbohydrates are reduced, while the proportion of protein increases to protect muscle mass. Fat intake is generally kept low, for example at 0.5 – 1 g per kg of body weight, but there is no need to be overly rigid. Flaxseed oil, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, cod liver oil, borage oil, evening primrose oil, olive oil, nuts and egg yolks can all have a place in the diet.

Contest prep nutrition and macronutrient ratios

A common macronutrient split during a bulking phase is 30/50/20: 30% protein, 50% carbohydrates and 20% fat. During a diet, the proportion of carbohydrates usually decreases while the proportion of protein increases. Below is an example for a 105 kg bodybuilder whose calorie intake at the start of the diet is 3000 Kcal.

• Week 1, 3000 Kcal, 30/50/20: protein 900 Kcal = 225 g, carbohydrates 1500 Kcal = 375 g, fat 600 Kcal = 66 – 67 g.
• Week 2, 2800 Kcal, 30/50/20: protein 840 Kcal = 210 g, carbohydrates 1400 Kcal = 350 g, fat 560 Kcal = 62 g.
• Week 3, 2600 kcal, 35/45/20: protein 910 Kcal = 227.5 g, carbohydrates 1170 Kcal = 292.5 g, fat 520 Kcal = 57 – 58 g.
• Week 4, 2400 Kcal, 35/45/20: protein 840 Kcal = 210 g, carbohydrates 1080 Kcal = 270 g, fat 480 Kcal = 53 g.
• Week 5, 2200 Kcal, 35/45/20: protein 770 Kcal = 192.5 g, carbohydrates 990 Kcal = 247.5 g, fat 440 Kcal = 48 – 49 g.
• Week 6, 2200 Kcal, 40/40/20: protein 880 Kcal = 220 g, carbohydrates 880 Kcal = 220 g, fat 440 Kcal = 49 g.
• Week 7, 2100 Kcal, 45/35/20: protein 945 Kcal = 236 g, carbohydrates 735 Kcal = 184 g, fat 420 Kcal = 46 – 47 g.
• Week 8, 2000 Kcal, 45/35/20: protein 900 Kcal = 225 g, carbohydrates 700 Kcal = 175 g, fat 400 Kcal = 44 g.
• Week 9, 2200 Kcal, 45/35/20: protein 990 Kcal = 247.5 g, carbohydrates 770 Kcal = 192.5 g, fat 440 Kcal = 49 g.
• Week 10, the week before the competition, 2000 – 1000 Kcal and 50/30/20: first depletion day 2000 Kcal, protein 1000 Kcal = 250 g, carbohydrates 600 Kcal = 150 g, fat 400 Kcal = 44 g. Final depletion day 1000 Kcal, protein 500 Kcal = 125 g, carbohydrates 300 Kcal = 75 g, fat 200 Kcal = 22 g.

This excerpt from J. Rückeneberg’s training diary shows one possible progression. You certainly do not have to drop to 1000 Kcal on the final day. In some cases, 1500 Kcal is enough. Nor do your macronutrient ratios have to follow this exact pattern. You can also adjust the proportion of fat if needed.

During the final 10 days, it is recommended that you do not let carbohydrate intake fall below 50 – 80 g per day. Protein intake should be 2.2 – 2.5 g per kg of body weight. Mesomorphs and endomorphs should devote a larger proportion of their training to aerobic exercise than ectomorphs, as their rates of fat burning and recovery differ.

Tom Venuto, a bodybuilder and sports scientist, also emphasizes increasing the proportion of protein during a diet. There are two reasons for this. First, protein is harder to digest and may boost metabolism. Second, a higher protein intake helps preserve muscle mass in an energy deficit.

• Mesomorph: 2.64 g – 2.86 g per 1 kg of body weight.
• Ectomorph: 3.08 g – 3.52 g per 1 kg of body weight.
• Endomorph: 3.08 g – 3.3 g per 1 kg of body weight.

According to Norton 2005, fat should account for 17% – 23% of calorie intake for mesomorphs, 24%-28% for ectomorphs and 23%-28% for endomorphs. Endomorphs have a higher proportion of fat and a lower proportion of carbohydrates in their diet than ectomorphs and mesomorphs. If carbohydrates make up 30 % of calorie intake, then at 3000 Kcal, carbohydrates account for 905 Kcal, or 226 grams per day, which works out to 2.1 g per 1 kg of body weight.

Refeeds, meal timing and training days

Refeeds become especially important in the final phase of a diet, around 4-5 weeks before a competition. When you are already lean and your body fat percentage is low, staying in a deficit for too long can slow further fat burning and leave your workouts feeling flat.

The purpose of a refeed is to temporarily give your body more energy, mainly from carbohydrates. Leptin levels fall during a diet as your body tries to conserve its fat stores. Periodic refeeds may support leptin secretion and help your body continue using fat for fuel.

If your body fat percentage is below 10, you could include 1-2 refeeds per week. At 10-15 % body fat, 1 refeed every 6-12 days often works well. If your body fat percentage is above 15, you can increase your calorie intake once every 7-14 days.

On a refeed day, protein intake is usually reduced to 2-2.2 g per kg of body weight, while fat intake is kept low. Carbohydrate intake is increased by 50-100 % of your usual carbohydrate allowance on the diet. Endomorphs should stay around 50%, while ectomorphs can move toward 100%.

Meal timing depends on your body type. Mesomorphs often eat every 2.5 – 3.5 hours, ectomorphs every 2 – 3 hours and endomorphs every 3.5 – 5 hours. The aim is to keep energy and blood sugar stable, rather than constantly responding to fluctuations throughout the day.

Carbohydrates are especially worth including around training during a diet. Around 35% of your daily carbohydrate allowance should be consumed 1.5 – 2 hours before your workout. During your workout, you can consume 30-40 g of protein and around 20% of your daily carbohydrate allowance to prevent catabolic processes. Your post-workout meal should provide approximately 25% of your daily carbohydrates.

The fourth substantial serving of carbohydrates fits well at breakfast. During a diet, breakfast should provide approximately 15% of your daily carbohydrate allowance and include carbohydrates with a moderate or low glycemic index. Your daily distribution could be: breakfast – 15%, before training – 35%, during training – 20%, after training – 25%. The remaining 5% is spread throughout the day, mainly from vegetables.

Practical food choices during a diet

Food does not have to be boring when you are dieting, but you do need to be able to measure it. Protein should be spread fairly evenly throughout the day. Higher-fat meals work better when carbohydrate intake is lower. Meals rich in carbohydrates should be low in fat.

Protein sources: fish fillets, tuna, silver hake, cottage cheese, quark, eggs, egg whites, chicken breast, chicken fillet, turkey breast, turkey fillet, beef fillet, low-fat or fat-free cheese, milk protein, whey protein and soy protein.

Carbohydrate sources: new potatoes, rolled oats, oat bran, wheat bran, brown rice, wheat bread in smaller quantities, beans, fruit in limited quantities and vegetables.

Fat sources: flaxseed oil, cod liver oil, borage oil, evening primrose oil, olive oil, nuts and egg yolks. You do not always need to worry about your fat allowance separately, since some fat is already present in your protein and carbohydrate sources.

Honestly, the hardest part of a contest prep diet is often consistent monitoring rather than the calculations. Your weight, what you see in the mirror, workout quality, sleep and hunger all provide clues each week. If your condition is improving, there is no need to overhaul everything every couple of days.

FAQ: contest prep nutrition

How quickly should you lose weight on a contest prep diet?

A good starting point is no more than 0.5 – 1 kg per week. Faster weight loss may be appropriate for brief periods, but sustaining it for longer increases the risk of losing muscle mass.

Do you need to cut carbohydrates to zero on a contest prep diet?

No. The original recommendation was to keep carbohydrate intake from dropping below 50 – 80 g per day during the final 10 days. Carbohydrates consumed around training play a clear role in supporting performance and preserving muscle.

When do you need a refeed?

Refeeds are especially useful when you are already close to contest condition. If your body fat percentage is below 10, 1-2 refeeds per week may be appropriate; at 10-15 %, every 6-12 days; and above 15, every 7-14 days.

References

Norton 2005; Tom Venuto’s views on bodybuilders’ diets; an excerpt from J. Rückeneberg’s training diary.

Author: The finer details and aspects of a contest prep diet: starting the diet, its progression and managing it according to your condition

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