With all you read about bodybuilding off-seasons, pre-contests, and ‘down time’, you might not be able to visualize or conceptualize exactly how it all fits together for the bodybuilder when it comes to the calendar. Here is a sample breakdown of what a bodybuilder would do each month of the year in order to peak in time for a June 1 contest date.

March, April, & May

This is the pre-contest phase. Anabolic use will be cut back considerably during this period. Ephedrine, Caffeine and aspirin deliver a nice ECA stack which works to help burn body fat in conjunction with reduced overall caloric intake and additional cardio training. Clenbuterol may be introduced as an alternative as the show nears and you don’t respond to the ECA as much as needed. Testosterone use will continue up to the week of the show. Continued reduction of calories followed by a carbohydrate ramp-up as the show date arrives will leave you peaking on the show date.

June 1 – the show

You’ve trained and dieted all year for this. Leave it all on the stage. Enjoy your moment, and don’t let any perceived shortcomings spoil the day. You have another year to fix things up. Take lots of pictures in the week following the show, where you’ll fill out even more while remaining dry at a low body fat. This is the best you will look all year. Use as few supplements as possible during this time as well, as your internal organs will need a break from the last 10 months of cyclical AAS usage.

June / July

It’s time to cruise and enjoy our summer! You’ll be in great shape, so even without much training you’ll still have the best body at the beach. Enjoy your summer with a nice internship, on a trip with friends, or just relaxing and giving your body a much deserved break. Don’t immediately jump back into training. Your joints, tendons, muscles, and central nervous system do need a break following what you have put them through. You will be using PCT (post-cycle therapy) during this time, but no other anabolics. Watch for sudden weight gains if you have been using thyroid altering medicine such as Cytomel.

August through February

This seven month stretch would be considered your off-season. This is the period where you would be working to add as much muscle mass to your frame as possible. Coincidentally, this time includes the holidays, which means it is okay to pig out on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Your off-season stack will always include testosterone and usually a choice like Deca. If you have the resources, this is the time to use growth hormone.

You can adjust the dates in order to fit when your actually bodybuilding contest or targeted date to be “in shape” would be. Some bodybuilders try to peak more than once a year, which is possible for experienced athletes who already possess a decent foundation of muscle. For those who are still 160 pounds or below, a single show each year, with a dedicated 6 or 7 months toward building new muscle might be preferable.

If you like this article, click here to share: