54 FLEX| JUNE 2016
1 START EARLY
Better to be ahead of schedule than behind
and risk drastic measures, such as going
extremely low on carbs or doing hours of
cardio. Leave it late and you’ll probably end
up looking lat, drained, and tired. I usually
start 20 weeks out. Don’t be afraid of being
ready too early. It’s far easier to pull back
and cruise in than play catch up.
2 PREPARE FOOD IN ADVANCE
This is the single most important factor—
and the simplest—that will determine
whether you get in shape, yet surprisingly
few guys do it. Weigh and cook your food
the night before, or prep a few days of
food and freeze it. Never risk leaving meal
prep to the morning of the day ahead. You
will get in a rush and it won’t happen. You
cannot aford bad days.
3 SET SMALL GOALS
I usually set a weight loss goal of 2 lbs per
week. If you lose 3-4 lbs a week, your
calories are probably too low and you risk
losing muscle. Expect a larger drop in the
irst week of dieting. This is just water
weight. It’s not uncommon for me to lose
6-7 lbs in the irst week. Adjust
accordingly: the scales aren’t everything,
but they ofer a good gauge.
4 TAKE WEEKLY
PROGRESS PICTURES
As mentioned, scales don’t tell everything.
This is where progress pictures come in
handy. Take photos of all your poses at the
same time each week, in the same lighting.
I prefer to do it irst thing in the morning
before having any food or water.
5 DO NOT LISTEN TO TOO
MANY PEOPLE’S ADVICE
This is a big problem in this day and age
when everyone and his dog has an opinion
on the internet. There are many diferent
methods, but listening to ive diferent ones
is a recipe for disaster. If you hire a coach,
an increasingly common thing these days,
stick to their methods. If they don’t work,
put it down to experience and maybe try
somebody else next time, but don’t juggle
three or four methods at once.
6 PRACTICE POSING
This frequently gets neglected. Don’t leave
it until the last few weeks when you are
10 GOLDEN RULES
OF CONTEST PREP
SUMMER IS COMING AND YOU WANT TO ENTER YOUR FIRST CONTEST. IT’S
TIME TO SHED SOME FAT AND SEE WHAT IS UNDERNEATH. HERE ARE 10
RULES TO GET YOU THERE
1ST SET ASK THE CHAMP By Anth Bailes, IFBB Pro and 2012 British Champion
CHRISTOPHER BAILEYtired and lack energy. Doing 10-20 minutes
every day will pay dividends. You can
always tell who practised.7 DON’T OVERTHINK IT
Bodybuilding is a visual and critical sport,
so it’s diicult to stay positive. Try not to
stress too much if the scales don’t say
what you want and avoid checking your
physique several times a day. It will drive
you crazy. Just focus on doing the right
things every day. Take weekly progress
photos and adjust as necessary.
Bodybuilding is simple when you break it
down: eat the right foods in correct
amounts, train as hard as you can and rest
as much as possible.8 KEEP TRAINING HEAVY
As the contest approaches, do not changeto lifting lighter weights and doing more
sets and reps in the belief this will cut you
up. It won’t. Keep training as hard and as
heavy as you can until at least a couple of
weeks out.9 GET CARDIO RIGHT
Some need lots; others don’t. Some prefer
high intensity; others prefer low intensity.
Whatever works for you, start early. I
prefer low intensity cardio for longer
durations. It seems to preserve muscle.10 MAKE SMALL
ADJUSTMENTS
If the scales or progress pictures don’t
change, make only minor adjustments. I
typically increase cardio by 15-minute
increments and reduce carbs in 30-gram
increments.The moment
that makes it
all worthwhile.
Anth on stage
in Toronto.