мероприятия. But затем, в общем-то, случайно, я открыл для себя правильный способ подготовки.

В one970 году, на конкурсе "Мистер Вселенная" в Лондоне, я опять немного промахнулся — я был слишком «гладким» и мне недоставало рельефности, но моя мускулатура в тот раз была лучшей, поэтому я победил. The next day I went to Columbus for the Mr. World contest. A year ago, I lost to Sergio at Olimpia and now I was determined to take revenge for that defeat.

When I arrived in Columbus, just a day after the competition in London, my muscles were tight and defined like never before. Why did it happen? I soon remembered that I had posed for photographs for quite some time after the competition, and that extra effort obviously put me in better shape. In other words, one The competition was a great preparation for the next one!

I beat Sergio Oliva in Columbus and started preparing for the main Mr. Olympia competition next week. My own body seemed too light and exhausted after two consecutive competitions, exhausting hours of posing and a long diet, so I ate four to five times a day, included raw carrots in my diet and exercised a little less than usual. By the beginning of Olympia, I found that I had retained the size of the muscles that I had in London, and the relief that I had in Columbus!

So I made an important discovery. If I was able to get into such great shape the week after the competition, why not aim for that shape the week before the competition?

So, on Saturday (the week before the competition) I pose like crazy, like I'm performing on stage in front of the judges, then on Sunday I spend the whole day in the photo studio, which means another day of intense posing, and from Monday to Wednesday I train intensively: at least one5 серий на каждую часть тела. I eat normally, but without frills. On Thursday and Friday I rest, except for short posing sessions.

Эти снимки "до и после" были сделаны с перерывом oneeight дней, за два-три месяца до соревнований. I made notes on earlier photos, pointing out weak areas that needed improvement. Biceps to...

...and after.

Thigh to...

...and after.

Triceps to...

...and after.

Most young bodybuilders prepare in a very different way. They are on a strict diet until the day before the competition, and just before they go on stage, they are pumped up with carbohydrates. I know from experience that this doesn't work. One explanation is that muscle size depends not only on the amount of muscle tissue, but also on the carbohydrate energy stored in the muscles as glycogen (see the Competition Diet Strategies section). When glycogen stores are depleted, muscles become flat. It takes your body at least three days to replenish its glycogen stores after being depleted (or even more, depending on body type). A strict diet before a competition leaves you too little time to replenish glycogen stores, and excessive consuming carbohydrates simply raises blood sugar levels and leads to excess water retention in the body. How many times have you heard bodybuilders complain that before a competition they become both "flat" and heavy? This is another argument in favor of my impromptu method of preparing for competitions.

Any belated experiments before an important competition can turn into a disaster. The day before you hit the stage, after months of discipline and training, what you need most is patience, which unfortunately many bodybuilders lack. They try to do "something else" and end up with nothing. This can happen even to experienced athletes. На «Олимпии» one9eightone года один участник попробовал специальный "жидкий стабилизатор" для быстрого загара, а в результате его кожа обгорела и начала слезать клочьями. Another bodybuilder who had competed for fifteen years suddenly decided to try a diuretic he had never used before, and during the preliminary evaluation, he had terrible cramps.

I think the basic principles should be followed. The more special requirements you put forward, the more likely it is that some little thing will let you down. Sergio Oliva came to the competition in swimming trunks for posing under clothes. He simply undressed, oiled his body and was ready to go on stage. The only extra item he wore was a long white robe, which he wore backstage between rounds of posing.

Other bodybuilders prefer a more thorough approach. Frank Zane, к примеру, всегда уделял пристальное внимание любой мелочи. He checked his dressing room, wanting to make sure it was comfortable and spacious enough. He always had everything he needed at hand, including a partner to help apply oil and build muscle before going on stage. Often this partner was his wife Christina, who provided Frank with great support throughout his career. В one979 году Зейн даже приехал на «Олимпию» в собственном трейлере и поставил его неподалеку от зрительного зала. Thus, he could prepare for the competition in complete privacy, eliminating any interference. In similar circumstances, I usually kept a set dumbbells in a separate room so that no one interferes with me during the pumping before going on stage.

WATER

Another cause of concern for bodybuilders is fluid retention, that is, the retention of a significant amount of water in the subcutaneous layer, which “smooths out” muscle relief and destroys their isolation. To avoid this, some competitors begin severely restricting fluid intake in the days (or even weeks) leading up to the competition. They avoid sodium and consume significant amounts of potassium. In addition, many use diuretics (diuretics).

The problem is that muscles are 75% water, so dehydration only flattens them and makes you "smooth". The best way to increase your body's moisture content is through dehydration, because when the body feels dehydrated, it clings to what it has left. Excess sodium is usually flushed out of the body in urine and sweat; when you restrict this natural cycle, it means that sodium is not excreted from your body in sufficient quantities and continues to bind water. On the other hand, if you don't take in enough sodium, you run the risk of disturbing the body's electrolyte balance, leading to muscle cramps. High amounts of potassium, especially when low in sodium, lead to problems like indigestion or worse. And diuretics, which intensively remove water from the body, dehydrate it even more.

What should be done? First, the body must receive enough sodium. Don't salt your food, but don't avoid the natural salts found in food. Drink plenty of water until Friday evening if the competition starts on Saturday. Excess water will still leave your body and carry excess sodium with it. On Friday night, cut your water intake by half. It will take some time before the body feels that the water supply has decreased, and you will continue to lose water at the same rate as before. The next morning, shortly before your preview, drink some water to stay hydrated.

Are you afraid to try? Think about what is happening in modern bodybuilding competitions? During the preview, the pedlars stand behind the stage with bottles of water, while athletes often go out there and drink liters of it. Maybe they think that there is some program in the body that knows that the preview has already begun, and therefore will process water differently? If not, why not have a drink of water before going on stage, rather than waiting for the performance to begin? Control the content of subcutaneous moisture, instead of dehydrating the body. Your muscles will be much denser, more prominent and less prone to cramps.

While it is acceptable to drink low sodium water, the same cannot be said for distilled water. Distilled water is good for batteries, but the lack of essential minerals does not bode well for the body, especially one that has to endure the stress of bodybuilding competitions.

COMPETITION DAY

You don't need any surprises on race day. Every little thing counts. For example, how are the stage lights installed? As a producer, I know that there are areas of strong and weak lighting on stage. Therefore, it is worth checking the stage lighting in advance and choosing the most favorable place for posing. The angle of incidence of light is also important. If the angle is steep, you need to be very careful not to lean forward while posing, otherwise you will be casting a huge shadow. Also, while posing, watch out for unlit areas of the stage. I saw bodybuilders jump off the platform during the performance and come to the very edge of the stage where there was virtually no light. As a result судьи теряли их из виду, а фотографы не могли делать снимки.

Pulling a towel to warm up the lateral muscles.

Find out what you can about the members of the judging panel. By taking part in several competitions, you will begin to understand what different judges prefer. Some favor muscle size, while others give more points for definition or symmetry. You can't change your physique, but you can adjust your posing routine if you know what the judges like.

It's also a good idea to contact the steward or host of the competition to make sure they have enough information to properly introduce you before going on stage. I myself have acted as a host in several competitions in bodybuilding and was always ready to cooperate when some bodybuilder asked me to say something specific about him during the presentation. This can have a positive impact on both judges and spectators.

You must know exactly your daily routine. On the morning of the competition, I usually have a big breakfast - eggs, potatoes, goat cheese, orange juice - but in such a way that I