regularly, preferably with skin fold calipers. Guidelines for measuring body composition on the
CKD appear below. Using the mirror only works for experienced competitors and it is
recommended that beginning bodybuilders use calipers. The mirror will tell trainees what they
want to see and it’s easy to put the fat blinders on during the off-season when strength and mass
are increasing.
Many lifters underestimate their body fat percentage, thinking they are leaner than they
really are. Despite the problems associated with calipers, they will give accurate measurements
as long as certain guidelines are kept in mind. By charting individual skinfold measurements,
athletes can track the changes occurring, either good or bad, during their diet. A skinfold reading
of 3-4 millimeters indicates maximal leanness. If a bodybuilder allows an individual skinfold to
approach 20 mm during the off season, they will have a problem when it is time to diet.
Rule #2: Do not change training radically before a contest.
A second mistake many bodybuilders make is switching to lighter weights and higher reps
to ‘cut up’ the muscle for a contest, an idea that most likely came from drug-assisted
bodybuilders. With steroids, lowering training weights doesn’t cause muscle loss and higher reps
will burn more calories, causing greater fat loss. For a natural bodybuilder, this will not maintain
muscle mass optimally.
Trainees should not confuse weights with aerobics or vice versa. If a bodybuilder has
acquired a certain level of muscle mass with heavy weights and low repetitions, they should
continue to perform heavy sets (as much as their depleted body will allow) to maintain that
mass. Fat loss will occur as a result of caloric deficit and aerobics. Genetics, as well as the
ability to eliminate subcutaneous water, will determine to a great degree what kind of striations
and cuts a competitor will have on contest day.
Obviously, expecting training weights to remain the same while dieting is a false hope.
However, trainees shouldn’t automatically start lowering their training weights until they
absolutely have to. Rather, trainees should attempt to keep training heavy until the last two
weeks before a contest. However, an extreme drop in training weights, or the number of reps
which can be performed with a given weight, can be indicative of muscle loss. Keeping records of
workouts is encouraged as another method of tracking progress during a diet.
Near the end of the pre-contest phase, many bodybuilders will have to switch to lighter
weights as they become more and more depleted. As body fat levels decrease, the body’s natural
joint lubrication decreases as well and heavy weights can cause injury. However, weights should
not be decreased until absolutely necessary to avoid muscle loss.
Rule #3: Start the diet early enough.
In addition to underestimating body fat levels, many bodybuilders start their diets too late
giving themselves 8 weeks or less to get into contest-ready shape. Getting into contest shape 2
weeks early is preferable to getting into contest shape 2 weeks late.
Assuming a starting body fat of 10-12% for men (13-15% for women), beginning contest