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Published on Saturday, 24 November 2012 19:08
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Written by Vic Tringali M.S. CSCS
The Final Week “Dry Out”-4 Simple Rules for the Physique Athlete
Rule #1
“Drying Out” is a misleading term. What you are really seeking is the correct water BALANCE to LOOK hard. The dry shredded look comes from having a minimal amount of water UNDER 
your skin. Having too little or too much water overall will create a smoother appearance. Holding too much water is also referred to as “spilling over” and having too little water is referred to as being “flat”. That said if you were to err in one direction; in my opinion, it is safer to hold too much water. In that case you would at least maintain muscle size and fullness, achieve a better pump, and likely feel better. With too little water or “flat” you’d also have a softer appearance but the muscles will appear less full and smaller. You will also be more likely to experience cramping. “Flat” can actually make it APPEAR that you are holding water. So it’s important to be able to recognize the difference.
Rule #2
Body fat must be gone. If you aren’t completely shredded of fat, no amount of water or carb manipulation is going to get you the dry grainy look that you’re seeking to achieve. I've seen many competitors say "I'm just holding this little bit of water and, when I get rid of that, I'll be ready" when, in fact, it's not water but fat. Isn’t it amazing how people in the best of shape rarely "hold water"? The message here is the leaner you are the less you should need to do during the last week to look great on the day of the show. A few minor adjustments should do the trick-which leads to rule #3
Rule #3
Don’t do any
thing extreme. Doing so will cause an extreme reaction. And it may not be the one you wanted-making you look 10% worse rather than 2% better. If during the weeks and days leading up to your show you were full and hard with your normal amount of water, carbs and sodium why would you want to ruin it by over-manipulating these three variables?
Rule #4
There is no one-way to approach the last week prior to competition. The last week of manipulation is dictated by too many variables to simply list a single formula for success. It is highly dependent on the specific amounts of macronutrients, water, and sodium as well as cardio and strength training leading up to this point. And most importantly, how you look and feel heading into the last week. Generally speaking, if you’re in shape, what you do in your last week should not be drastically different from what you’ve done during the weeks leading up to your show.
Train Smart and Good Luck
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