An overview of my prep to stage

Hey guys!

I want to share with you a bit about what I do with my prep to stage and how this adapts over time as show day approaches.

Anyone who listens to my podcast The Competitive Edge, will know I live and breathe this sport all year round. So when preparing for a show, I am fortunate in the way that the changes to my diet and training aren't drastic to any stretch of the imagination. The only real change is at about 18 weeks out I will reign in my refeeds and control them more.

My calories sit reasonably high in my off season, around 2300 minimum, and we like to keep it this way for as long as possible, with minimal cardio. I always opt for wholefoods where possible as gut health and overall wellbeing is our number 1 priority. I have ulcerative colitis which means I am restricted in some of the foods I consume, and have intolerances to eggs, peanuts, chicken and avocado which was discovered from IGG/IGGA testing. (I highly recommend this testing to anyone and everyone, as I was very surprised by the results). Nutrient timing is an often talked about topic – with regards to carbohydrates, I inject these around training and, to surprise many people, in the afternoon/evening. This prevents an afternoon insulin crash and carries me through to my fasted training in the morning.

I broke my back some years ago and have ongoing issues with this so all my training has to be modified. In addition to lifting 5-6 times a week, my training involves prehab, trigger point and release work which enables me to prevent further injuries and in fact make the most out of my sessions.

Every prep is different, as it is for everyone, so to say we will implement X amount of cardio or reduce calorie intake at X weeks out is impossible to predict, which is where weekly check-ins and progress photos are imperative.

I would love for you to follow my progress and journey to WBFF Worlds Stage in August – pop over and follow me on Instagram @aliciagowans_wbffpro