Advice about Sodium depleting

[bigbird]

Hiya,

I have never competed and hope to make my debut in Wanganui in October.

In the weekend my posing coach mentioned something about sodium depleting and that I should try and get hold of some K tablets for the last 3 days before comp, she also mentioned that they can be very hard to get from the chemist.

So I went to the health shop and the lady had some potassium pills at 99mg.

Is this strong enough? Or should I even use these pills, is it necessary?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Grego]

Span-K is what you are after (used to be called Slow K) they are 600mg. Slow release. I don't have a problem with getting them from a pharmacy. 24 for around $12ish.

From my personal experience (all 15 shows of it :wink: ), I would suggest using a good quality herbal diuretic like NFS Herbal fluid optimiser rather than playing round with potassium first time out. Sure, to dehydrate you need to deplete the salt, but potassium can be dangerous if you get carried away. The body doesn't get rid of extra potassium and it can affect the heart in large doses. Sure if you kept it to the does recommended by your coach I'm sure you'd be ok, but I still reckon the diuretics would be the way to go. They have potassium in them anyway in a nice level of dose (also 99mg, but with the rest of the ingredients, works well.) There are several ways of doing the diuretics, but if you follow the directions with a salt deplete, they will do well for you.

The 99mg Potassium’s will just be junk. It's not so much about the amount, more just the way it releases it. Quickly and from my experience it hit me like a ton of bricks rather than the slow release and efficiency of the Span-K's.

when you mess about with the science there are always different perspectives and what works for one person, may not work for someone else. This isn't far off what I do myself. Whatever you choose, good luck

Cheers

Grego

[bigbird]

thanks for that, perhaps I will give the potassium a miss.

What is a good diaretic to purchase and when do you start to take it, how far out from competition?

[Matrix]

Or you can deplete naturally and see how you go, if you have got all the fat off, this will turn a lean physique into a ripped physique.

No point in using them if your not lean enough however as they aren't magic pills and can back fire on you.

[Grego]

What is a good diaretic to purchase and when do you start to take it, how far out from competition?

Talk to your trainer about this. As per last post by me NFS Herbal Fluid Optimiser is good, reputable New Zealand based company, or do what Matrix suggested and with that, you could taper the water off after a load and stop sodiud and try some lemon juice the night before. Apparently that works, but I haven't tried that.

I am not a personal trainer so I would seek advice from one on everything mentioned here. Don't bother asking a medical professional as they are likey to ask why you would want to dehydrate! :pfft:

[groovy]

Just a very noob question. Just wondering lot/all of them who go on stage to perform, do the water depletion, sodium depletion and so on.

Just wondering why is this? Is it to get a hard look of the body? I guess if the body is full of water, u look puffy?

Thanks. or some links for me to read. Just for GK.

[Grego]

Just a very noob question. Just wondering lot/all of them who go on stage to perform, do the water depletion, sodium depletion and so on.

Just wondering why is this? Is it to get a hard look of the body? I guess if the body is full of water, u look puffy?

Thanks. or some links for me to read. Just for GK.

Everyone does this differently and I know of some athletes who don't do it at all. Basically it attempts to remove the water from underneath the skin and into the muscle which is meant to get the skin closer to the muscle which in turn brings out the veins. Someone may have a more scientific response, but I think that kind of covers it. Best if you are lean obviously.

Cheers

Grego

[groovy]

Thanks Grego.

[Grego]

Thanks Grego.

All good mate! oh and I posted earlier I have done 15 shows, re calculated, it's actually 16 \:D/ :pfft:

And I am still a newbie myself!

[groovy]

Thanks Grego.

All good mate! oh and I posted earlier I have done 15 shows, re calculated, it's actually 16 \:D/ :pfft:

And I am still a newbie myself!

Wow..16 shows. So you must now be a Pro-newbie. :pfft: :pfft:

[1day]

I posted earlier I have done 15 shows, re calculated, it's actually 16 \:D/ :pfft:

within wot time frame, and how much has ur physique changed (mass ,leaness etc)from first show to ur latest?

[Grego]

I posted earlier I have done 15 shows, re calculated, it's actually 16 \:D/ :pfft:

within wot time frame, and how much has ur physique changed (mass ,leaness etc)from first show to ur latest?

3 seasons in total, better every year. I am athletic class so I try to bring out the little things rather than outright mass (not the Athletic game) I Don't have to worry about weighing in anymore as with the other two seasons as I have been quite consistently lean this year. It was a worry previous years. I have a couple of titles this year against good competition so that's a gauge and I have reseived good feedback from people and judges when I asked. I haven't been big on pinch tests. I have had two, 4.25% first time I had it done before a comp around 3 months ago. Got one done end of last week which was around 6% still had a bit of water retention after Pro-Am so that's relative.

Grego

[groovy]

Wow....must be really hard to keep so lean all year around. Good on you. :clap: :clap:

[Grego]

Wow....must be really hard to keep so lean all year around. Good on you. :clap: :clap:

Simple science to staying Lean all round; check out my formula below....

Lean all year round = No mrs and no life! :pfft: :shock:

First year staying this lean though, the other years I "bulked up" I compete at <86.5 with NABBA Ahtletic formula and last year I got up to 103kg. I don't want to be over 92 for the rest of the year. Hoping to stay lean for summer, ergh, what's the deal with it being the off season!!!! ARRGGHH! - Bloody Northern Hemisphere b'stards! :pfft:

Cheers

Grego

[musclenz]

thanks for that, perhaps I will give the potassium a miss.

What is a good diaretic to purchase and when do you start to take it, how far out from competition?

Potassium Supplementation is more critical when using prescription diuretics like Lasix. Go the natural way ( dandelion, green tea etc) unless you are a very experienced competitor. These drugs can be deadly if not used with great caution. Here is a good article that highlights the dangers of using these drugs but also talks about water retention - http://www.musculardevelopment.com/cont ... w/590/116/

[Grego]

thanks for that, perhaps I will give the potassium a miss.

What is a good diaretic to purchase and when do you start to take it, how far out from competition?

Go the natural way ( dandelion, green tea etc) unless you are a very experienced competitor.

The NFS one's I suggested has those ingredients, good stuff.

http://www.creativeenergy.co.nz/weight_ ... nition.asp

Grego

[Darwinstef]

And do you drink the amount as per instructions?

[Grego]

And do you drink the amount as per instructions?

We are bodybuilders.... do we ever? :pfft:

Na man, following the directions I would be drinking heaps of water prior to the comp. I add them to my existing way of depleting.

But I have experimented and kept the water up until the night before as per instructions. Geez did I have energy to burn with water in me! Not dry enough though and flattened at night and legs were not as cut as they can be.

[Darwinstef]

Yeah it looked like a lot of water to be drinking! :pfft:

[Optimass]

And do you drink the amount as per instructions?

We are bodybuilders.... do we ever? :pfft:

Na man, following the directions I would be drinking heaps of water prior to the comp. I add them to my existing way of depleting.

But I have experimented and kept the water up until the night before as per instructions. Geez did I have energy to burn with water in me! Not dry enough though and flattened at night and legs were not as cut as they can be.

bet you were nice and full though ... hard trade off /// cuts for size

[Grego]

And do you drink the amount as per instructions?

We are bodybuilders.... do we ever? :pfft:

Na man, following the directions I would be drinking heaps of water prior to the comp. I add them to my existing way of depleting.

But I have experimented and kept the water up until the night before as per instructions. Geez did I have energy to burn with water in me! Not dry enough though and flattened at night and legs were not as cut as they can be.

bet you were nice and full though ... hard trade off /// cuts for size

Too true man, too true, she's a hard out science....

If you don't mind Optimass, I'd like some feedback; You could check with My Auckland Champs pic (1st Open Athletic) and Counties overall. Just on Keith's website muscleimaging.com, NABBA. Water "experiment" at Counties. (Greg Mawson by the way...)

Cheers man

Greg

[Optimass]

what was the weight diff ... and what did you use to carb up on? Diff both shows?

definate improve - the counties show > fuller / harder in the legs. I think the lighting is more forgiving too at the counties.

Standing next to Tom at the Aucks / his muscle is more mature .. stringy. respect to Tom - his conditioning must have been very impressive to score higher than you with his right tricep and bi the shape it was. (Asthetically yours is more appealing - but I'm not sure exactly how the judges do whhat they do)

you used water all the way through for counties :nod: ... carbs timed pretty well too by the look ...

Areas I'd focus would be lats / us tall fellas need a bit more meat under there to fend off the rest of the hobbits on stage.

Hamstrings challenging areas for a tall competitors. Easy to get the seperation but hard to make it look like a good size. My old training partner used to get me on the adductor and abductor once per week full stack - doing rest pauses etc / plates on side even :nod: Lunges and deep leg press are my other preferences.

Your core is your strength (without any back shots to view) - thin waist ... good balance in your arms - perhaps some more delt but its pretty good.

..............

I fumbled my plan the first time i did a w/load - nice and big but wasn't lean enough for first place. Was a good learning experience though.

[Grego]

what was the weight diff ... and what did you use to carb up on? Diff both shows?

Yeah, with Counties, regular diet right up until Friday, then mainly protein (in the slight form of a deplete until around 3pm that day (20g carbs for two meals then Fish and chips (Kumara) that night, Kumara in the morning (obviously no salt at that point) Also, both photo's were the final rounds, so that would include lunch (much the same, burger fuel both times with Kumara) Bread - it either works or flattens!....

so you used water all the way through for counties :nod: ... carbs timed pretty well too by the look ...

Yep, with Counties, just drank when I wanted too, right through until bed, then in the morning, gave myself around 300ml to sip on through till after the junging rounds. I even had the "energy" to do some cardio in the morning and between shows! That'll have filled out the legs a little too = ditching some cuts.

LOL, the things we do!...

Cheers for that dude

[Optimass]

not sure if you used glycerol at all but I thought I would post this up for everyone to read also .. make their own assumtions.

When I switch to load carbs I take a 200ml shot of glycerol - I got through the last few days of my prep easy as ...

http://www.sportsci.org/traintech/glycerol/rar.htm

Must admit I had to ask the chemist if I was going to die as a result of drinking it ... and I'm sure she though I was nuts :crazy:

[Optimass]

HOW IT WORKS Another supplement that can rapidly increase lean body mass is called glycerol. Unlike creatine and glycogen, glycerol does not contribute to muscle, but goes to a third lean body compartment of blood vessels called plasma. Although bodybuilders are most interested in increasing muscle mass (rather than plasma mass), glycerol increases vascularization for superfreaky veins. For instance, judicious supplementation with glycerol at least 90 minutes before a contest can increase vascular appearance.

WHAT TO DO Bodybuilders take 10 g of glycerol with 30 g of water to produce more impressive and dramatic-looking muscles. Glycerol is widely considered to be safe as long as enough water is taken with it (the right amount is stored in the plasma without appearing as "bloat"). Because glycerol sucks water with it wherever it goes (into the bloodstream, in this case), it may even reduce water retention or bloat where it is most noticeable, just under the skin. Water under the skin (in what is called the interstitial space) looks like fat, and salt retention is the usual culprit, not glycerol or water per se.

HOT TIP Bodybuilders often use glycerol before competitions and for good reason, especially if their precontest sodium intake is extremely low. One study showed that a glycerol-and-water drink delays heat exhaustion in competitive cyclists (by improving hydration and preventing fatigue due to overheating and/or dehydration), so it may also prevent dehydration in bodybuilders onstage. Otherwise, precontest diets that are too restrictive in sodium can result in fainting or dizziness due to a resulting drop in blood volume and blood pressure.

not my words .. but cant be arsed typing :nod: