Define macro split it's over my head atleast that term is. If your talking about like how I do my workout/cardio it's 545 am lift and depending on when I get off work between 6-9pm then I do cardio
And I read that cutting your salt sodium and carbs is a pre-contest must? I guess I'm wrong
Macro split is the amount of macronutrients (protein, carbs and fat) you are trying to hit in your diet. For example, I'm eating 300/225/65 a day, which means 300g protein, 225g carbs, 65g fat. That's my 'macro split'. I strongly encourage you to figure out these numbers based on your diet URGENTLY, so then we can help you on where to adjust.
That's very outdated info mate, it's completely understandable because that is the norm in bodybuilding circles that aren't kept up to date. Think of it this way...sodium is essential for fluid balance, i.e the ratio of water that sits inside the muscle cell (intracellular) to outside the cell and underneath the skin (extracellular). Common logic would suggest that cutting sodium will skew this ratio...which it does, but not in our favour. The body has a mechanism called 'homeostasis' which essentially means 'in balance'. Our bodies will do EVERYTHING they can to maintain homeostasis. To give you an example... when you inject test, your body begins to shut down it's own natural testosterone production. This is because it senses levels of outside (exogenous) hormones, and decides "well, I've got plenty of testosterone floating around now, no need to produce any more". That's a very simple explanation.
In terms of carbs and water...for every 1g of glycogen (what your ingested carbs get turned in to once ingested), 4g of water is stored in the muscle. Take away the carbs, and you just have water floating around...hence the 'flat' look and feel. Periods of low carbs will make your body less 'full'. Take away the water, and you just have glycogen floating around. No point in having carbohydrates lying around if they have nothing to shuttle them in to the muscle cells. You need a balance of both to maintain a full look and feel.
Dieting down will require some form of carb restriction (usually), however the peaking process is delicate. You want to ingest enough carbs to fill your glycogen stores without 'spilling over', but also enough water so that these carbohydrates can actually be used to fill the muscle. I agree to some extent that carb depleting/load and a SLIGHT taper in water intake can help, though in reality it makes possibly a 1-2% difference. The best way to look diced on stage is to, well...GET DICED BEFORE HAND! When you think you're lean, get leaner.
As for sodium manipulation...don't mess with it. Your body will adjust to whatever level of sodium you are ingesting, so whatever you have been doing for the 3 months prior to your show...keep doing it. DO NOT change this in the last week or final days, it will mess up your aldosterone levels and you'll either end up constantly pissing, unable to get a pump, cramp like crazy, look flat as hell, or all the above.
Hope that helps mate.