It is so important to get that rest the night before competition. I would say anywhere between 6 to 8 hours. If you have to, take a sleeping pill that you can buy over the counter. I am extremely hyper so there are times I need it. After a week of low-carbing, competition day is a day to have your "desserts". It is all carbohydrates and sugar on this day. Sugar will bring out your vascularity. Protein has no use here because you can't build muscle in a matter of hours. Here is a breakdown of my meals through competition:
1. 6 am: 1 cup oatmeal and 8 oz of water. From here on out, I will only be sipping water through the day.
2. 7 am: 2 small sweet potatoes (yummy!)
3. 8 am: I medium banana and a small box of raisins
4. 9 am: 1 rice cake, 1 tbl of peanut butter
5. 10 am: 1 rice cake, 1 tbl of peanut butter. I also start sipping Gatorade now and will continue throughout the day.
6. 11 am: 1 rice cake, 1 tbl of peanut butter and 3 tsp of honey (before going on stage). I may add a Kit-Kat bar depending on how I look.
7. I will continue rice cakes, peanut butter and honey through the judging time.
8. Between the morning show and the evening show, I will have 1 sweet potato and 4 oz of chicken. Time permitting I will have rice cakes and more honey.
9. After the evening show, I have my reward meal of a small chicken and pesto pizza with a chocolate milkshake (Whew!)
As for pumping up before you go on stage, I keep it simple with dumbbell lateral raises, push-ups, front lateral raises and rear delt exercises. It is also helpful to bring along a workout band because sometimes the organization will not supply the competitors with weights. Flexing is also something you can do in front of the mirror. You will find out through your training that "posing" workouts are tougher than your gym workouts.
