Bodybuilding Contest Diet & Prep
By Lee Hayward

This article will outline what I do to prepare for a bodybuilding contest. I hope that this information is of help to those of you who do compete or those who are thinking of competing in the future.

I start dieting for a contest at least 5 months in advance. I want to have plenty of time to prepare myself. For the first month I simply cut out all junk foods and eat nothing but clean foods. Such as beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, milk, protein shakes, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, vegetables, etc. I eat about 5-6 small meals each day. I drink plenty of water at least 1 gallon a day. I will also do 20 minutes of cardio exercise about 3 times each week, before breakfast. I continue my regular weight training workout.

The second month of preparation is pretty much like the first. I will still eat the same as mentioned above. But I will increase my cardio exercise to at least 30 minutes, 4 times per week, before breakfast.

The third month I get stricter with my diet. I will begin to cut back on my portions of starchy carbohydrates while keeping my protein intake high (between 250-300 grams of protein per day). I also eat more vegetables. My diet is now mainly foods such as very lean meat, poultry, fish, protein supplements, vegetables, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, etc. I will increase my cardio to about 30 minutes each morning before breakfast.

I start taking ephedrine, caffeine, and aspirin (ECA). I take 200 mg of caffeine, 25 mg of ephedrine, and 300 mg of aspirin 3-4 times per day on an empty stomach. I take ECA before aerobics and before my workouts because it helps give me an energy boost, curb my appetite, and raise my metabolism enabling me to burn more bodyfat. I also take a serving of GABA each night before going to bed. GABA releases natural growth hormone and aids in fat loss. I will also practice the mandatory poses for about 30 minutes 3 days per week.

The fourth month is pretty much like the third month with dieting. I increase my cardio to 30 minutes each morning before breakfast and 30 minutes after each weight training workout. I will practice posing for about 30 minutes 3-4 days per week. At this stage I am getting lean and can see the definition showing in my abs, legs, back, chest, etc...

The final month before the contest I get stricter with my diet. I will eat approx. 1 gram of carbohydrate and 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. I don't count fat grams, but they are kept low.