I propose a topic I wrote on it.sport.palestra after some debate about how a natural athlete can achieve the BBuilder aspect, which often makes one think about chemical integrations, when in fact these are “optical illusions” prepared by table to fool the eye. I would like to clarify that this does not detract from the fact that all the best natural substances at the national level have gained many years of experience before using these measures in order to give an additional touch to the aesthetic side and, possibly, get a position. Work is always the foundation of everything.
Many people outside the world of bodybuilding competition often look at photographs of participants with some disbelief in the apparent level of mass and clarity achieved. The difference between a certain weight / fat athlete and a bodybuilder on stage is often huge, especially because of the “quartering” effect that BodyBuilder often gets. For almost everyone, the first thought that comes to mind is the result of steroid and diuretic use, but this is not always the case. There are some techniques that are familiar to natural bodybuilders that can enhance the apparent effect of definition, giving the impression that the whole body is definitely larger. We know that a 40cm arm will be bulkier than a 48cm arm, and competition is often based on appearance.
The photos on the site that depict me at the Italian Natural Science Championships in Asti look like photos of a bodybuilder whose level is much higher than what was actually taken, and this is only for definition and vascularization. The weight was actually 82.5 kg with a height of 178 cm and therefore there is nothing to shout about a miracle … or rounded. However, many point out that the difference between my photographs and their results can only be due to the use of bombs. Wrong. Below, I will list in no particular order a number of tricks that bodybuilders use to achieve this “fourth” effect, which increases the overall visual impact.
1. First of all, in the photographs the athlete will appear more and more simply because the photographer is at least one and a half meters below the stage level, if he were above the athlete’s head, the opposite effect would have been obtained.
2. Husk For the uninitiated, this is a dark paste that spreads all over the body to prevent powerful light sources from giving the skin a milky or greenish-white appearance. With the same physical figure, the dark one will appear more and more defined and therefore larger.
3. Discharge and charge. 6 days before the competition, the athlete follows a completely carbohydrate-free diet (3 days), which is combined with training to remove all possible glycogen from the muscles. Very high serial number, 10-12 reps and little attention to stress. The goal at this stage is not to get the training effect (6 days from the race, what is done, done in terms of mass), but to completely unload the muscles.
If the race is Saturday, the discharge usually takes place on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday. The last day of discharge also corresponds to the last day In training and on Thursday, replenishment (rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) can begin. Each gram of glycogen stored in muscle stores an amount of water equal to about 2.5 g, and as the supply is replenished, muscles gain volume again and weight begins to increase. The theory is that when recharging, the body must retain more glycogen (and water) than the original amount.
Example:
Weight before unloading: 90 kg.
Weight after unloading 87 kg.
Weight on race day: 92 kg.
The excess water retained in the muscles is not final, but lasts race time. If replenishment is successful and the level of definition in terms of fat is already good, the result will be very pronounced vascularization and fuller and denser muscles. However, this is not always the case, and it often happens that the maximum level of recharge occurs one or two days after the race, which gives the athlete a significant disadvantage during the stage.
4. Salt. Each gram of sodium holds about 180 g of water, especially under the skin. Approximately 48 hours before the race, it is vital to completely remove the salt and choose natural, sodium-free products. Based on normal human water retention, salt elimination can have variable results. I personally notice a huge difference: HOWEVER, the body can only be fooled for a short time. Those who think they always eat like this are thinking badly. After a period of 48-72 hours in sodium deprivation, the body develops alternative methods of fluid retention that are critical to survival. For this reason, it is best not to anticipate excessive sodium excretion, as this can backfire.
5. Water. As I explained, recharging happens because the muscles are first emptied and then recharged with glycogen and water. Those who don’t drink, don’t recharge, it’s very simple. In addition, without drinking, the body removes the water it needs to survive from the muscles, canceling vascularization and giving a flat and empty look.
On the days before a race, you drink a lot, a lot. The idea is to gradually increase urine output and recharge the muscles. However, on the day of the race, there is “almost a stop”. This is because urine output will remain high for several hours – even if you stop drinking, almost completely eliminating water retention. However, a glass or two should be drunk to supplement the fluids lost through sweating.
6. Grappa Who saw The Return of Schwarzenegger? Arnold was seen drinking a glass of Jim Beam. Why? Alcohol is a wonderful vessel for expansion. In practice, it dilates the volume of veins and capillaries at rest. It is recommended to have a small glass (not drunk) of any alcohol approximately 15 minutes before going on stage. As I said, the effect is great. In my photo of double front biceps, you can see veins in the right spine that were not there half an hour ago. Miracle? No, dilated veins. The overall effect is that of a much more defined and therefore larger physique, even if nothing really has changed.
7. Internal Pressure The trick I use to further dramatically increase vascularization during a pose is to remove half of the air from the lungs and “push” the air out without removing it. In practice, for example, when we sit on the toilet …
The effect is to increase the pressure, which in turn increases the volume of the veins. This works great for me, capillaries that were previously invisible appear on my shoulders.
This is not a simple procedure, as it requires the athlete not to breathe and maintain one position after another, breathing for only a few seconds. This ability makes the difference between men and boys. The ability to complete the comparison without trembling and without the face of the person undergoing surgery without anesthesia requires preparation. Many people skip this aspect and start shaking after a few minutes, and the lack of posing training means the athlete needs a break after a few minutes. This is very annoying for the judges.
Maybe I missed something, but in general there is everything. That being said, I certainly didn’t want to “minimize” anyone’s results, but many ignore the fact that many of these tricks can completely change physique. Obviously, all this only works if thorough and in many respects extreme preparation has been done on the basis, even at a natural level.
