8-10 Week Shred

[Hyde]

Alright, Last picture day is coming up. Any suggestions for peaking on picture day 8/30? I am not supposed to flex in the photos but I usually fast the day before and of and try to get a good pump beforehand then tighten the abs a bit. I read about water loading but not sure I can do it successfully. Just trying to make abs pop in the final photo as much as possible. I will shave my chest fully and was considering doing a spray tan but thats all I have so far.

That’s all you can do besides manipulate water, electrolytes, and glycogen. And if you don’t feel comfortable manipulating water, you definitely shouldn’t mess with electrolytes much.

Eating some carbs the evening prior that do not bloat your gut can help keep muscles more full, but you generally want absolutely minimal water and no salt (because it will retain any water). Dates or dried apricots are fairly concentrated sugar that have a high amount of potassium (which will help shed water, while sodium helps retain it).

So fasting the day prior besides some of those dried fruits and maybe 20-32oz water total could produce a bit better look. But this is really trivial, and most important that your stomach isn’t all bloated and you didn’t consume sodium. If you need more water because you can’t tolerate the dry fast, that’s okay - don’t harm your health for a tiny aesthetic tweak. The wife and I do dry fast for watercuts for lifting competition weighins; you can feel really bad, high pulse, blood gets thick, headaches, obviously no energy. Keeping just water in normally will prevent a lot of that while still letting your stomach flatten out. Distilled water will flush more electrolytes out.

 

[Dustin07]

I personally wouldn't do situps, when I was maintaining that 10% or less bf, a big core workout day would make my abs look washed and bloated/fat for a couple days lol. @MrKleen73 has done a lot of stage prep he might have good advice.

 

[Dustin07]

Eating some carbs the evening prior that do not bloat your gut can help keep muscles more full, but you generally want absolutely minimal water and no salt (because it will retain any water). Dates or dried apricots are fairly concentrated sugar that have a high amount of potassium (which will help shed water, while sodium helps retain it).

thats what I was thinking, but I've never needed to time it so wasn't sure how I would to be honest. I just know a day or two of carbs after being fully leaned out looks awesome. for about a day or two until you start to spill over lol

 

[Hyde]

thats what I was thinking, but I've never needed to time it so wasn't sure how I would to be honest. I just know a day or two of carbs after being fully leaned out looks awesome. for about a day or two until you start to spill over lol

Yeah that’s why I said basically the only thing he eats. Need to keep food volume low and make sure it doesn’t bloat you. So if he doesn’t have time to see his personal response prior it is risky.

The one guarantee is to avoid food, salt, and lower water intake.

 

[jtgoshaff]

Yeah that’s why I said basically the only thing he eats. Need to keep food volume low and make sure it doesn’t bloat you. So if he doesn’t have time to see his personal response prior it is risky.

The one guarantee is to avoid food, salt, and lower water intake.

I can avoid food, salt and lower water. I have done up to 4-day water fasts but never limited water intake during fasting.

I think I am going to try to do a test run this weekend. So tomorrow start fast and limit water intake to 32oz, Saturday no food and maybe just one bottle of water if needed, then eat some dried apricots that evening and then take photos in the morning.

Does that sound like a reasonable plan?

 

[Dustin07]

I'm not experienced in dry fasts or cutting water so I'd defer to Hyde again on that. When I am trying to flush sodium/puffiness I tend to double my water intake, get some cardio in, a sauna sweat session etc and it will flush a few lbs. 30-36hrs of fasting for me is far more impactful than 20. When I do big fasts (like 60hrs+) I sometimes might feel actually like my skin is a little looser for a day but it tightens up fast. so I think you experiementing tomorrow, 10 days out, gives you a good chance to play with it and see if it has a benefit for your goal.

 

[Hyde]

I can avoid food, salt and lower water. I have done up to 4-day water fasts but never limited water intake during fasting.

I think I am going to try to do a test run this weekend. So tomorrow start fast and limit water intake to 32oz, Saturday no food and maybe just one bottle of water if needed, then eat some dried apricots that evening and then take photos in the morning.

Does that sound like a reasonable plan?

NO

Do not limit water very low like that for 2 days in a row.

That is more extreme than a dry fast for one day - the longer you are dehydrated, the more you are stressing the body. Organs working harder, cortisol increasing, etc. You will just come out looking flat too.

One day, either just a pint or two of water (ideally distilled) or also with some dried apricots. Keep it simple and brief.

Another thing to consider is the idea of a test run - if you do this, the body will retain more water the next time you cut out water for about a month. Watercuts done too close never dry out as well the second time. The body remembers and tries to offset to prevent dehydration.

 

[jtgoshaff]

NO

Do not limit water very low like that for 2 days in a row.

That is more extreme than a dry fast for one day - the longer you are dehydrated, the more you are stressing the body. Organs working harder, cortisol increasing, etc. You will just come out looking flat too.

One day, either just a pint or two of water (ideally distilled) or also with some dried apricots. Keep it simple and brief.

Another thing to consider is the idea of a test run - if you do this, the body will retain more water the next time you cut out water for about a month. Watercuts done too close never dry out as well the second time. The body remembers and tries to offset to prevent dehydration.

OK, perhaps I skip the test run and just stick to the plan on limiting carbs and calories before next week. I will follow through with your plan of limiting water the day prior to pictures. I will also try out the distilled water since that would help as well. Appreciate the help and recommendations guys.

 

[MrKleen73]

Alright, Last picture day is coming up. Any suggestions for peaking on picture day 8/30? I am not supposed to flex in the photos but I usually fast the day before and of and try to get a good pump beforehand then tighten the abs a bit. I read about water loading but not sure I can do it successfully. Just trying to make abs pop in the final photo as much as possible. I will shave my chest fully and was considering doing a spray tan but thats all I have so far.

Outside of depleting yourself and drinking more water the week of, then cutting water the afternoon before and consuming 150-200g of easily digested carbs the night before, I wouldn't risk it much. That could make you pee out a decent bit of water, the muscles will get flatter, but you refill them the night before after cutting water mid-day / afternoon which will pull some more of the subcutaneous water into the muscles and fill them up. Since you don't really have time to test how you fill up, I wouldn't push more than 200g carbs though to be safe. Other than that, tan or apply a fake tan, shave, the usual tricks. Practice controlling you lower abs by pulling the belly button back closer to the spine, cinching in your abdominal wall without flexing the abs. The muscle that acts as the girdle for your waist is inside behind your abs. Controlling it will allow you to really get the waist to look smaller while not looking like you are flexing.

 

[MrKleen73]

Oh I hadn't even read @Hyde's response, pretty close in results probably either way. The premise is basically the same just a varying method. A more aggressive approach would be the depletion I suggested alongside the whole day dry fast, would likely get you even more dry.