Behind the Scenes: The Road to the Stage
As a veteran coach in the world of competitive bodybuilding, I’ve seen firsthand that a successful show day is the culmination of months, sometimes years, of disciplined training and meticulous nutrition. It’s not just about what happens on stage, but the precise, often stressful, final days leading up to it. I recently traveled to Sacramento, California, with my friend and client, Pat, as he prepared to compete at the Natural Muscle Mayhem—the same show where I earned my pro card back in 2014.
This weekend was a whirlwind of activity, blending intense final preparations for Pat with my own personal commitments. I had just wrapped up filming a series of videos for my website, including a deep dive into rep ranges, an e-book program, and a myth-busting episode on water intake. It was a productive time, but now my focus was entirely on Pat.
The Final Countdown: Peak Week Preparations
The last few days before a bodybuilding show are a delicate dance of nutrition, rest, and strategic maneuvers to ensure the athlete looks their absolute best on stage.
The Polygraph Test: A Natural Bodybuilder’s Rite of Passage
One of the first crucial steps for Pat was the polygraph test, a requirement for many drug-tested natural federations. The polygraph isn’t about being foolproof, but rather serving as a deterrent. The test can be nerve-wracking, even for a natural athlete, because it’s an uncomfortable process and the human mind naturally worries about a false positive. However, it’s a critical component that helps maintain the integrity of natural bodybuilding and separates truly clean athletes from those who might try to game a simple urine test. It’s a testament to the commitment of the athlete and the organization to the sport’s core values.
The Nutrition: A Strategic Carb Load
For the past two weeks, Pat had been on a stringent, low-carb regimen, what’s often referred to as a protein-sparing modified fast (PSMF). His diet consisted of lean protein and non-starchy vegetables like asparagus and broccoli, with a single, small carb refeed. This approach is designed to get the athlete “bone dry shredded” by the final week. Now, as the show approached, it was time to reintroduce carbohydrates in a controlled manner to fill his muscles and give him a full, dense look on stage.
We began his carb load with breakfast, which included eggs and a delicious blueberry cream oatmeal. Pat was looking noticeably fuller just from a few meals, and we had to be cautious. The goal is to give the body just enough carbohydrates to draw water into the muscles without causing a “spillover,” where the body holds water under the skin, blurring definition. We aimed for about 400-500 grams of carbs for the day, and I would be checking his physique every few hours to make micro-adjustments. My goal was to push him as far as we could without risking his conditioning.
My Own Training: Strength and Hypertrophy
While Pat was focused on his final preparations, I kept up with my own training. I’m currently running a powerbuilding split, which blends heavy, strength-focused movements with traditional bodybuilding volume. My workout on this day was an upper-body session designed to hit both goals.
My Upper Body Workout:
- Bench Press (Heavy, Strength Focus): I worked up to 295 lbs for sets of six. I find that it takes a few sets to get into the groove with heavier benching, so I prioritize warming up properly and focusing on technique. My first set felt a bit heavy, but by the third, the movement was smooth and powerful.
- Dumbbell Flyes (Hypertrophy Focus): I followed my heavy bench press with two sets of dumbbell flyes for 10 reps each. The key here is a strong mind-muscle connection. I focused on getting a deep stretch at the bottom and bringing my elbows together at the top, not just moving the dumbbells.
- Machine Shoulder Press (Heavy, Strength Focus): Next was the machine shoulder press, where I could safely load up a good amount of weight. The focus was on controlled eccentrics (the lowering phase) to create tension and drive growth.
- T-Bar Rows with Bands (Back Thickness): For my back, I did chest-supported T-bar rows. Adding bands to this movement creates accommodating resistance, making the top part of the movement more challenging and forcing a stronger contraction.
- Lat Pulldowns (Vertical Pull): I followed with lat pulldowns, a classic vertical pulling movement to build back width. The focus was on overloading the muscle with heavy weight in the 5–8 rep range.
- Dumbbell Pullovers (Stretch Finisher): To finish my back workout, I did two sets of dumbbell pullovers, a great stretch-focused movement to hit the lats. I used a lighter weight and concentrated on a full range of motion, stretching the lats as much as possible at the bottom of each rep.
- EZ Bar Curls and Weighted Dips (Arms): I finished the workout with EZ bar curls for my biceps and weighted dips for my triceps. For the curls, I focused on a slight forward arc to maximize tension. For the dips, I started with a modest weight to ease back into the movement, which used to be a staple in my routine.
Post-Workout Refuel and Final Touches
After the gym, a post-workout meal is essential. We made a stop at a fast-food favorite, Chick-fil-A. It’s a bit of a special treat when I travel to the US. I tried a few of their sauces, ultimately concluding that their classic Chick-fil-A sauce is still the best.
Meanwhile, Pat was getting his spray tan, another crucial step in the final day. A good tan makes the muscles pop and highlights the definition that he’s worked so hard to achieve. When he returned, we checked his conditioning again. He was looking great, but I felt he could handle a few more carbs and some extra sodium to help with his vascularity. We picked up some high-calorie, sodium-rich foods to get him fully topped off before the big day.
The final few hours are a constant balancing act. It’s a time of constant observation, micro-adjustments, and managing the athlete’s mental state. All the hard work is done. Now, it’s just about fine-tuning. The stage is set, and we’re ready for the show day vlog, which will cover the day of the competitio