Peak Week

For those of you unfamiliar with peak week, it is the week of a competition that is strategically designed to help an athlete peak their performance or their physique on competition day. If you are considering entering a fitness competition or are already preparing for one here is what you can expect.

1)Mentally this week is by far the hardest, take a deep breath and don’t psychic yourself out. You have already done all the dieting, work outs, and been preparing months for this. It is normal to question if you are going to be ready and thinking to yourself how an extra two weeks could have done wonders. The truth is no one ever feels fully ready. Don’t get in your head and sabotage yourself, everything will come together.

2) Physically you aren’t going to feel energized. You most likely won’t feel very strong or fast, but that’s okay. You can expect to look flat, and your muscles won’t look very defined at this stage. Remember, this too is temporary and by competition day your muscles will be filled out. A competition coach will strategically have you deplete muscle glycogen the week of your show. This week involves heavy cardio to burn up the last bit of fat.

3) You might get sick, after an aggressive phase of fat loss, your body is going to be depleted. Calories are low which can affect the immune system. The week of the show, make sure to stock up on vitamin C, zinc, and any other immune support. If you can, take a few days of before you show to give your body time to rest and recover.

4) You are going to pee….. a lot, peaking for a show requires a manipulation of carbs, water, and salt. Your coach will put you on a diuretic 10 days before your show. Water intake may also be increased and as you show gets closer sodium can be decreased or eliminated. With that being said, you will pee a lot, so make sure to plan accordingly. This is not the week to have a road trip or to limit bathroom breaks.

5)You can find yourself sleeping more than usual, there is no secret that if a person is not eating very much, they are going to feel more tired. If you have the ability to, take naps as needed. Sleep rules recovery and helps with stress management. When I am getting ready to compete I can sleep easy 10 hours a night leading up to a show. Know this is normal, once your body starts getting more fuel you will naturally feel more energized.

Remember to take your time on stage and enjoy every moment. You have worked hard for months to show case the body you have made 😊