Dieting down for a show is probably the toughest task a competitive bodybuilder will ever endure. The off-season is tough, because you are completing a lot of sets and using heavy weight. However, you are able to consume a lot of food, and you get a lot of rest. You are growing, and your body is enjoying an overflow of resources. Another common strenuous task includes posing, which can become easier with experience and training. There are others, but the fact of the matter is, only one task involves 3 to 4 months of deprivation and physical demand – pre-contest dieting. Dieting can be made easy if you ask yourself a series of questions, and you are able to find the right answers. Let’s get started!

Are you consuming enough grams of protein?

Many pre-contest diets are won, or ruined, because the bodybuilder restricts caloric intake by reducing his grams of protein. Many bodybuilders forget that they needed all of this protein to build the muscles originally, and therefore they are going to need the same amount of protein to keep this muscle. If you want to reduce your overall caloric intake, lower your carbohydrates then fat intake.

Are you living by the scale?

If so, take out the batteries for the next two weeks. The weight of the human body fluctuates several times per day based upon the amount of water in our bodies and the food we have consumed. Freaking out every time you gain a quarter pound, or rejoicing every time you register a loss of a pound, will only spike your stress (and resulting cortisol levels) which will cost you hard-earned muscle. Gauge your progress on what you see in the mirror, not what you see on the scale.

Are you using ECA?

A combination of 25 mg ephedrine (available as Bronkaid at any pharmacy), 200 mg caffeine (available at any grocery store) and 250 mg aspirin will work wonders in helping you to burn body fat. It’s the most popular combination of fat burners used by bodybuilders and fitness/figure competitors for this reason.

When are you completing your cardio?

Many bodybuilders make the mistake of completing their cardio following a big meal, with the rationalization that they are burning up the calories they just consumed. This is true to a point, but it does defeat the goal of the cardio in the first place, which is to burn up stored body fat. When you complete cardio after a meal, you are going to burn the food in the digestive system for energy. However, if you place your cardio first thing in the morning – before consuming a single calorie – then the workout will be fueled by the body fat you have stored. After all, there will be no caloric or sugar stores on hand – you haven’t eaten any! If you find morning cardio doesn’t fit your schedule or if it makes you nauseous, you can complete it later in the day immediately following your weight training session, when your carb stores should be very low as well.

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