Below are links that take you to several advanced suggestions to help you achieve your best look before the big day! You can also check out "The Program Begins" section of Drew Avery's Special Report in the "Contests" area of the EAS Web site. Drew gives you his last-week countdown approach to his photo shoot for the 1997 EAS Physique-Transformation Challenge.

Enhancing Water Balance
Carbohydrates and "The Pump"
Calories
Removing Body Hair
Tanning

Enhancing Water Balance
Bill Phillips developed what he calls a "glycerol cocktail." It's a little different from the traditional pre-event water balance supplement:

• Mix 50 ml of glycerol with 12 oz of water and 4 oz of red wine.
• Add one serving of grape-flavored Phosphagen HP.

To further enhance your body's natural water balance and possibly make your muscles appear sharper the day of your event, you might try the Neo Elite Nutrition supplement called NWB ™ (Natural Water Balance). Recommendations are to try 2 capsules 3 times daily with 16 oz of water 2 to 3 days before the event. For more information about this natural supplement, visit the Neo Elite Nutrition Web site.

Many experts also recommend limiting your sodium intake and adjusting your potassium/sodium ratio to around 4:1 beginning about 5 days before your event. That means for every one gram of sodium that is ingested, four grams of potassium should be taken throughout the day. (Foods high in potassium include citrus fruits, tomatoes, raisins, potatoes, chicken, and green leafy vegetables.)

Carbohydrates and "The Pump"
Some experts recommend a modified carbohydrate intake (called "depletion" and "loading") the week before your event. It's impossible to give recommendations for exact gram amounts of carbohydrates as intake suggestions are relative to specific bodyweights and activity levels.

But here's a general suggestion: reduce your carbohydrate intake starting about a week before the event, then increase your carb levels as the event comes closer. For example, six days before your show or photo shoot, reduce your current carbohydrate intake by about 50% and follow that program for three days. Then three days before the event, boost your carbohydrates about 50% above your original value. So if you were ingesting 200 grams of carbohydrates during your training, you would reduce your intake to 100 grams six days prior to your event, followed by an increase to 300 grams the last three days. The carbohydrate "loading" the last few days will help replenish your muscles with the glycogen necessary for them to appear full and "pumped." You can contact the EAS technical support staff at 1-800-615-8500 for more personalized suggestions.

When "pumping up" for the event:

• Start pumping up about 20 minutes before the shoot, performing upper body exercises only. You can perform exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, curls, and lateral raises doing high repetitions to increase blood flow.
• It's important not to do a lot of leg exercises as it may obscure the cuts in your legs as well as take blood away from your upper body, leaving you flat. Remember to pump up for only 20 minutes! Don't overdo it.

Removing Body Hair
Smooth, hairless skin shows more muscle definition. If you don't have extra sensitive skin, shaving with a plain razor is an effective, inexpensive, and convenient way to get rid of body hair. In his "Uncensored Q&A" column in the October 1998 issue of Muscle Media Online, Bill Phillips recommends using the new MACH 3 razor by Gillette and some foamy shaving cream as a surefire method to get a good shave. Another way to remove body hair for a longer period of time would be to use a body wax. Montero beauty products sells a body wax called Sensational You ™, which you only need to use every three to eight weeks. You can contact Montero at:
P.O. Box 64038
Sunnyvale, CA 94086.

Tanning
Dark skin looks better than fair skin under heavy lighting. A skin-dye tanning product called Pro-tan™ seems to work well for many people. It can be applied using an applicator brush, and the directions for use are on the bottle. And about an hour before you go on stage or take the photos, you might also try a product called Dream Tan ™, which will further intensify your skin tone. Dream Tan also contains an oil, so posing oil may not be necessary when using this product. Pro-tan is available at most gyms or health-food stores and Dream Tan is available from OGM Distributing by calling 1-888-373-2612. For more detailed information about tanning, check out "The Bronze Age" in the August 1997 issue of Muscle Media.