45 contest prep fatigue management

Managing Training Fatigue Strategy 1: Low set volume per session as needed to maintain performance Remove cardio heavy metabolic work super sets, high reps Remove set extenders rest pau

Contest Prep Fatigue Management

UNIVERSITY

Lesson Overview

• How to make the process enjoyment vs suffering

• What is REDs syndrome

• Making Nutrition effective

• Making cardio effective

• Making training effective

• Making lifestyle effective

• Managing REDs side effects

Enjoy the Process and Outcomes

• The focus on an outcome over the process is much less rewarding as you miss the value in self development

• Outcome focus also makes processes much less enjoyable and more

of a checklist

• Love what you do

• However, points of prep will be hard, and a level of suffering will happen

• You will reach a point when easy fat loss stops, and we must dig hard

to keep getting to show level leanness

• No secrets to getting stage lean it does come down to calories and calories out, which means low food and high cardio is realistic

• We must embrace being uncomfortable, no one changes being

comfortable

• When we get to these points of slowed fat loss and high fatigue, we have strategies in place to make variables just as effective but keep perception of “suffering” lower

• This suffering can be rooted around Relative Energy Deficiency-in Sport (RED-S)

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)

IOC statement of common adaptation to low energy availability (low body fat and low energy intake and/or high energy

expenditure) Mountjoy 2018

Barriers are Present Within Suffering

• Extreme dieting can cause a great drive for binge eating

• Bodybuilders typically display more binge eating patterns than non- competing counter parts

• Daily tracking of calories and body weight can exacerbate disordered eating and decrease mood

• These mental and physical challenges present barriers to being

”successful on stage”

• Lack of adherence can root from dieting too “hard” or too long

• Lack of preparation of not dieting long enough or hard enough

• Mentally this process can decrease confidence in small failures of the process which breaks people to quit

• Rigid non-flexible approaches can drive a lot of the difficulty in a successful prep

• This process will be hard, but we want to set up an athlete to be successful as possible and make the process as effective but “easier" when needed

Managing Training Fatigue

Contest prep is an inevitable rise in fatigue and decreased recovery ability

Autoregulate load/reps/volume just like in any other phase

This is no excuse to wuss out when times get tough

You will be fighting to uphold load and reps at some point on prep

Start of prep

training creates less protein synthesis response

Recovery is higher, less protein break down

End of prep

Training is harder to carry out to achieve the same stimulus

Recovery is diminished and protein degradation is higher

Throughout prep we must account for less recovery and need to uphold stimulus

Managing Training Fatigue

Strategy 1:

Low set volume per session as needed to maintain performance

Remove cardio heavy metabolic work (super sets, high reps)

Remove set extenders (rest pause, failure forced reps)

Strategy 2:

Split training session volume into more frequent sessions to shorten the session

Push Pull Off Legs OFF into Push Pull delt/arm legs off

Or

Push Pull legs Off into upper lower off

Strategy 3:

Switch exercises to fewer fatiguing movements that require less

stabilization

Start of Prep: Deadlift Mid Prep: Machine Good morning End Prep: back extension

Strategy 4:

Deload week can be utilized mid prep to take the foot off the gas and recharge

Cardio Fatigue Management

Between HIIT vs Moderate Intensity Steady State vs Low Intensity Steady State there is no superior option from a fat loss aspect Viana

2019

However, time efficiency is much greater with higher intensity, but these higher intensity can generate more fatigue

The higher intensity cardio done concurrently with resistance training can impeded lower body hypertrophy and strength gains Sabag 2018

Why even do cardio as a competitor? This is purely to create an energy deficit and offset metabolic changes and decreases in NEAT as you become leaner

Large decreases in NEAT during dieting are usually reason for fat loss stalls (Prep gets harder, you move around less)

Cardio Fatigue Management

Primary Strategy

• Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) Cardio and Steps

• Lowest impact is stay active and increase step count (LEAST

FATIGUEING AND negligible impact on hypertrophy)

• Also enjoy podcast, music, outdoors, spouse or friend

• Later stage of prep focus on step count increases when recovery is low and muscle break down is high

Secondary Strategy

• Moderate Intensity Steady State (MISS) Cardio

• Select the cardio modality that mimics resistance training range of motion like cycling or the ARC trainer, incline treadmill has

application

• Limit high impact/eccentric cardio (jogging, stepmill, etc)

• Keep moderate intensity cardio sessions to 20-30 minutes in

duration Increase frequency as needed

• If done on the same day as weight training, do moderate intensity cardio 6 hours before or after weights

• Moderate and HIIT cardio session number should NOT exceed the number of weight training sessions per week

Cardio Fatigue Management

Tertiary Strategy

• High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

• Select the cardio modality that mimics resistance training range of motion like cycling or the ARC trainer

• Allow 48-72 hours before lower body resistance training

• Moderate and HIIT cardio session number should NOT exceed the number of weight training sessions per week

• Female Consideration: Higher recovery capacity than males; lighter body weight needing longer durations or higher intensities

• Fasted vs Fed Cardio:

Fasted cardio offers limited to no advantage over fed state cardio

• Fasted cardio can be perceived harder in a morning state

(wakefulness, hydration status)

• If fasted, limit yourself to low and moderate intensity cardio A

serving of protein prior may have metabolic advantages for fat loss and limit muscle protein breakdown if you need long duration times Schoenfeld 2014

• Prioritized sleep over waking earlier for cardio (sleep=fat loss)

• Caveat is PED/Supp enhanced fasted cardio via HGH, Clen, yohimbine HCl, Carnitine

Nutrition Fatigue Management

There is a psychological and physiological component to nutrition in prep

One aspect is how you feel, the other is how you perceive the situation around those feelings

The psychology of a person can dictate the approach that may increase psychological stress and make dieting feel “harder”

Regimented Dieter

• Less experienced competitor

• Anxiety around options

• Highly neurotic

• Needs to trust the process

• Caters well to structured meals and tight food tracking

• Less educated on food tracking

• Poor reliability in biofeedback

Flexible Dieter

• Experienced competitor

• Self developed for biofeedback

• Low emotional response to changes positive or negative

• Educated on food tracking and high autonomy

• Can trust biofeedback (hunger, energy levels, full vs flat)

• Understands stage leanness

Nutrition Fatigue management

Regimented Dieter

Best with food-based plan

Educate to build confidence for great flexibility

Start with food based macro-options

Flexibly Dieter

Macro Numbers provide only

Ability to select food sources

Variety keeps prep fun and interesting

Ability to shift macros to times of peak hunger

Other Strategies

Diet breaks around times of high life stress on prep or travel Refeeds on high physical and mentally demanding days Cheat meals on weekends or when able to be social

Cyclic Dieting Approaches

Common Prep Issues

Food Focus

Stay busy with work

Avoid food shopping online

Constipation

Low fiber, low volume diet, decrease GI motility

Keep fiber intake at 14g per 1000kcal

Keep water intake 1oz per lb of body weight

Decreased mental focus, mood, lethargy

Structure busy times around best mental state

Shift meals around those time to support productivity Relaxation and naps when needed

Track steps to keep energy output up

Common Prep Issues

Poor Sleep

Review Sleep Lecture

Taper fluids down towards bedtime

Keep last meal with veggies and high food volume for hunger

Loss of Menstrual Cycle

Not much can be done

Potential diet breaks and cycle calorie approach delayed loss

Increased Hunger

Stick to meal timing and structure

Increase high volume foods like salads

Hot and cold beverages

High protein intake

Increase water consumption

Common Prep Issues

Increase in Cold

Decreased body fat root issue

Dress in layers

Hot fluids

Libido Loss

PEDs or HRT therapy

Stay communicative to partner

Continue date nights

Increased Insecurities

Body image is more scrutinized

Focus on feedback from coach and support network

Limit time comparing to others and social media

Lightheaded/Dizzy

Monitor blood glucose

Shift food around times of low blood glucose

Blood pressure decreases, stand up slow, increase hydration and sodium

References

Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen JK, Burke LM, Ackerman KE, Blauwet C, Constantini N, Lebrun C, Lundy B, Melin AK, Meyer NL, Sherman RT,

Tenforde AS, Klungland Torstveit M, Budgett R IOC consensus statement

on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S): 2018 update Br J Sports Med 2018 Jun;52(11):687-697 doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099193

PMID: 29773536

Sabag A, Najafi A, Michael S, Esgin T, Halaki M, Hackett D The

compatibility of concurrent high intensity interval training and resistance training for muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis J Sports Sci 2018 Nov;36(21):2472-2483 doi:

10.1080/02640414.2018.1464636 Epub 2018 Apr 16 PMID: 29658408

Viana RB, Naves JPA, Coswig VS, de Lira CAB, Steele J, Fisher JP, Gentil P Is interval training the magic bullet for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing moderate-intensity continuous training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) Br J Sports Med 2019

May;53(10):655-664 doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099928 Epub 2019 Feb

14 PMID: 30765340

Schoenfeld, B.J., Aragon, A.A., Wilborn, C.D et al Body composition

changes associated with fasted versus non-fasted aerobic exercise J Int