Should you cut water?

[FitnessModel45]

Hey Prae,

Lately I have been hearing a lot of people advocating against cutting water the night before a contest. I know that traditionally bodybuilders practice cutting water, but more recently there has been talk that you shouldn't cut water. What do you think P? Have you tried both methods? Thank you in advance.

[Praetorian]

You will never be completely dry if you dont cut water to some degree. It varies how much on the individual and if they are enhanced or not. Plus many people cut way too much and pull water from the muscle as well as sub q which flattens them out. It needs to be done correctly and its a fine tuning type thing not a break the dam and let the flood happen.
P

[TT Eric]

I use to cut water/liquid 3 days before the contest... frack it was hard, but that's the way we use to do it. Not good for the heart I guess, especially hard when trying to pump some muscle before the stage, the feeling was like if it was pumping mud instead of liquid.

Eric

[Praetorian]

I use to cut water/liquid 3 days before the contest... frack it was hard, but that's the way we use to do it. Not good for the heart I guess, especially hard when trying to pump some muscle before the stage, the feeling was like if it was pumping mud instead of liquid.

Eric

Huge mistake...cutting water that early will make you very flat and drop your blood pressure giving you the inability to achieve a pump not to mention it is extremely hard on the body.
P

[FitnessModel45]

You will never be completely dry if you dont cut water to some degree. It varies how much on the individual and if they are enhanced or not. Plus many people cut way too much and pull water from the muscle as well as sub q which flattens them out. It needs to be done correctly and its a fine tuning type thing not a break the dam and let the flood happen.
P

When you say it varies from individual to individual, depending on whether enhanced or not, so say for someone like myself (lifetime natural), if I were to cut water on Friday evening, how is it that my body is smart enough to draw water out of the subcutaneous of the skin, and NOT draw any water out from the muscles?

I asked this question on bodybuilding.com forums and one of the guys said this to me:
"Percentage of water making up tissues, organs, fluids and bone in the human body: Brain 75%, Heart 75%, Lungs 86%, MUSCLE 75%, Liver 85%, Kidney 83%, Bone 22%, BLOOD 83%, Saliva 95%, Perspiration 95%.......There is your "actual scientific evidence".....Cut water if you want to lose muscle fullness and vascularity. I don't think the percentages listed are "bro-science"....how many times have you heard a BBer say how "great" he looked on Sunday morning after a contest-vascular, full, hard, and dry. It is not the carbs from the after show food fest that does this....it is the fluid intake and the re-introduction of sodium."

[TT Eric]

Huge mistake...cutting water that early will make you very flat and drop your blood pressure giving you the inability to achieve a pump not to mention it is extremely hard on the body.
P

Totally agreed! We didn't knew better in those time. I had no trainer in that time. One local trainer was sending all his boys like that, so we did that me and the guy we were training. I saw how shitty it was, next competition I was more hydrated. In fact, I was drinking right after the morning judgement and other competitors were like WTF are you doing!!?? I showed up pretty much better.

Eric

[steve_d]

I like this part:

"how many times have you heard a BBer say how "great" he looked on Sunday morning after a contest-vascular, full, hard, and dry. It is not the carbs from the after show food fest that does this....it is the fluid intake and the re-introduction of sodium."

...my reply:

I've heard it many times, how many times do I believe they actually looked better the day after for an stage appearance? Never...perhaps for a photoshoot.

Veins don't win shows. Cuts do. Those nicely etched cuts disappear the day after the show.. The larger ones are still there and look pleasing. but the bone dry, scary look that wins shows are not achieved by someone pigging out and drinking water! That said, if you're lean enough, usually you don't need to cut until late friday. at that point, the water should just flow out pretty quickly. Natural or not IMO.

[Praetorian]

I like this part:

"how many times have you heard a BBer say how "great" he looked on Sunday morning after a contest-vascular, full, hard, and dry. It is not the carbs from the after show food fest that does this....it is the fluid intake and the re-introduction of sodium."

...my reply:

I've heard it many times, how many times do I believe they actually looked better the day after for an stage appearance? Never...perhaps for a photoshoot.

Veins don't win shows. Cuts do. Those nicely etched cuts disappear the day after the show.. The larger ones are still there and look pleasing. but the bone dry, scary look that wins shows are not achieved by someone pigging out and drinking water! That said, if you're lean enough, usually you don't need to cut until late friday. at that point, the water should just flow out pretty quickly. Natural or not IMO.


BINGO 100% fact! Many think they look better the day after but in reality they feel much more full but if they stepped on stage they would appear less defined. Carbing up, cutting water, sodium etc is fine tuning its not making a drastic change. Some people are very dry naturally some are not...its individualistic...but i would say 99% look much better cutting water at some point.
P

[Praetorian]

When you say it varies from individual to individual, depending on whether enhanced or not, so say for someone like myself (lifetime natural), if I were to cut water on Friday evening, how is it that my body is smart enough to draw water out of the subcutaneous of the skin, and NOT draw any water out from the muscles?

I asked this question on bodybuilding.com forums and one of the guys said this to me:
"Percentage of water making up tissues, organs, fluids and bone in the human body: Brain 75%, Heart 75%, Lungs 86%, MUSCLE 75%, Liver 85%, Kidney 83%, Bone 22%, BLOOD 83%, Saliva 95%, Perspiration 95%.......There is your "actual scientific evidence".....Cut water if you want to lose muscle fullness and vascularity. I don't think the percentages listed are "bro-science"....how many times have you heard a BBer say how "great" he looked on Sunday morning after a contest-vascular, full, hard, and dry. It is not the carbs from the after show food fest that does this....it is the fluid intake and the re-introduction of sodium."


What the author fails to realize is water is defined by a hierarchy...or order of importance:

*The most important water store is in the blood and the vascular system. Without adequate water in the vascular system blood volume is compromised, and if severe enough, the result is death. So this rates a big number one in the water store hierarchy.

*The second on the big three list is muscle tissue. Water is required within all muscle tissues, both smooth and fibrous, to support life sustaining metabolic processes.

*The last area of importance for water storage is subcutaneous (under the skin) areas. This of course is the area that a bodybuilder wants to eliminate as much water from as possible the day of the show. The results a ‘make-it or break-it’ issue. Here’s how you do it:

Thus the least important are is where the body will let it go the easiest. Now pulling too much water will make you flat, drop blood pressure and lose vascularity so water manipulation should be looked at as fine tuning not drastic cuts. You also have to be aware of sodium which is directly related to blood pressure, aldosterone, and vascularity...sodium can be reduced 24hrs out but should be reintroduced the day of. Even is some water is pulled from the muscle the body will push it back if you have time due to the hierarchy rule.
P

[FitnessModel45]

Wow, the both of you made that much clearer to me. Thank you both so much! ;)

[natenator]

the biggest aspect I find with prep and especially water/sodium manipulation is to work WITH the body, not against it.

Understanding the roles and mechanisms of sodium and water in the body allows you to understand what, when and how to tweak.

If you're dropping more than 3-4lbs from Friday to Saturday you either ****ed up your diet or you're flat as a pancake because you sucked down too much. Its a delicate balance as P said.

[JonnyO]

I like this part:

"how many times have you heard a BBer say how "great" he looked on Sunday morning after a contest-vascular, full, hard, and dry. It is not the carbs from the after show food fest that does this....it is the fluid intake and the re-introduction of sodium."

...my reply:

I've heard it many times, how many times do I believe they actually looked better the day after for an stage appearance? Never...perhaps for a photoshoot.

Veins don't win shows. Cuts do. Those nicely etched cuts disappear the day after the show.. The larger ones are still there and look pleasing. but the bone dry, scary look that wins shows are not achieved by someone pigging out and drinking water! That said, if you're lean enough, usually you don't need to cut until late friday. at that point, the water should just flow out pretty quickly. Natural or not IMO.

Thank you! Lol, so many guys think because they are loaded back up on water and food, sodium they are bigger and fuller they look better...fact is for the contest it's not better. It's better to com in a tad flat rather than a bit too full. Those little cuts here and there pop and the dep cut in legs show so much better and pop better. If the guys that think as the quote above why don't they load as if. Shows Friday then start eating and drinking Friday night and Saturday as normal and see how they fare on stage Saturday night, lol. BUT, I have been beated onstage to guys that were def fuller than I was, but I was dry and peeled, depends on the judges that day too. Being a taller guy I need to find that happy medium of dryness and fullness, and it's a bitch to say the least, lol.