Peak week is the final week before your big competition day! It’s the time when you work much harder on your body than ever before to bring your A-game to the stage! 

For some it’s a crazy stressful week, trying to figure out the perfect plan for your bikini bodybuilding competition day and adjust different things. But, in my experience, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Peak week can help improve your look a bit, but it can also go wrong if you’re not careful.

Navigating Bikini Bodybuilding and Peak Week Strategies

First of all, every peak week is different, and the plan for it needs to be custom-made for you. You can use many strategies, but not all of them will work for everyone. You will need to do things differently depending on how your body looks and how it reacts to different factors.

Now, let’s talk about some things you can adjust:

• Diet – mainly focusing on carbohydrates.
• Water intake.
• Sodium levels.
• Training and cardio routines.

Diet 

When it comes to your diet during peak week, we suggest not to make any sudden or big changes. It’s risky to switch to completely different foods that your body isn’t used to. Stick with what you’ve been eating throughout your competition prep journey. Why? Because changing things drastically might shock your body and cause bloating or water retention, which can stress you out and lead to holding onto more water. Instead, focus on adjusting the amounts of food you eat.

Now, let’s talk about depletion and carb-loading:

This is a tricky topic, especially for bikini competitors. There are many different methods, and the best one for you depends on how your body reacts to carbs and how you look during the process. I wish I could give you the perfect plan, but it needs to be customized based on your plan.

Carb-loading and manipulating water will only be effective if you’re already lean enough! If you’re not, it’s best to stick with your routine throughout the week.

First things first, focus on getting really lean before you start worrying about carb-loading!

Now, when it comes to carb-loading, there are two main methods: front-loading and backloading.

• Front loading means reintroducing or increasing carbs at the beginning of the week and then reducing them leading up to your show. This gives you time to adjust if something goes wrong.

• Backloading involves depleting carbs at the beginning of the week and gradually reintroducing them a few days before the show.

We know athletes who have tried both methods, and both can work during different peak weeks. The choice between them depends on your body and how you look at the time. If you are confused, get help from a coach. 

Okay, now let’s talk about manipulating water intake.

You can adjust how much water you drink too. At the start of the week, gradually increase your water intake. For example, add about half a liter more each day until two days before the show. Some people might end up drinking around 7 liters a day, while others might stick to just 5 liters. It all depends on how much water you usually drink.

The goal of this “water-loading process” is to get your body used to having more water. As a result, your body will start getting rid of excess water more efficiently (which means you’ll be running to the bathroom a lot!). The trick is that even when you decrease your water intake suddenly, your body will keep flushing out the excess water, even though you’re not drinking as much anymore. 

You can also use natural diuretics like vitamin C and caffeine to help “dry you out” during peak week. A lot of bikini bodybuilding athletes have these on hand before peak week arrives.

As for sodium, we don’t think it’s necessary to mess with it. Sodium is important for muscle contractions.

If you decrease your sodium intake, you might get muscle cramps (definitely not what you want on stage), and getting a good pump will be quite difficult. Just stick to the same amount of sodium you’ve been using during your entire preparation, and you’ll be fine.

Competition Day Training Plan

When it comes to training during peak week, remember it’s the final stretch, so you’re not trying to build muscle. Don’t try to hit too many PBs because you could risk getting injured. Stick to your regular plan, keep it intense but not to the extreme. Aim for about 75-85% intensity to prevent excessive muscle damage, fatigue, and soreness.

It’s a good idea to do your last leg day about 5-7 days before the competition. Working out legs too close to the show can make them sore, retain water, and look swollen. Some people switch to full upper-body workouts for the rest of the week, while others follow a push/pull split routine.

To train perfectly, you need to train your stage walk also. This is why you need to own a good micro bikini competition suit. This will be custom-made to your size and it’ll show your hard-earned muscles perfectly. 

The last few days before the bikini bodybuilding competition are very important, but the most important thing is to stop stressing! Your hard work is done; now it’s about making small adjustments. Focus on getting ready: practice your posing in your micro bikini competition suit, visit the hairdresser, and get your nails done. 

Treat yourself because you deserve it after this long journey. Put aside any worries and doubts, and enjoy every moment!

Remember to relax and recover. It’s SHOWTIME!