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5 Tips For Maintaining Mass While Dieting In the off-season, the goal of the bodybuilder is to add muscle – at all costs. Bodybuilders will train like madmen, consume thousand of calories, sleep for hours, and consume every supplement and steroid under the sun to add muscle to their frame. When it’s time to begin the pre-contest phase, they’re probably feeling as big as a house, and ready to get sliced and diced to show off all this new muscle on stage. Unfortunately, this is not always what happens when the dieting begins. Very often, the bodybuilder will lose much of his valuable muscle during this dieting phase, and show little to no improvement when he finally takes the stage after a year off of competition. This can be a highly disappointing process, one which may cause the bodybuilder to become frustrated and consider leaving the sport he loves so much. It doesn’t have to be this way, however. Proper diet, training, and supplementation during the pre-contest phase can lead the bodybuilder to retain most of his muscle gains while dieting down – and in some cases, even continue to make gains. Let’s look at some of the areas of concern. Solid diet The diet is probably the single-most important factor in keeping the muscle on your frame while leaning down. Keep the proteins and fats high, and lower your body weight by manipulating your carbohydrate intake. A solid pre-contest diet would include 2 to 3 whey shakes per day, along with 3 to 4 small meals of chicken, rice, pasta, and leafy greens. Low-intensity cardio You’ll want to complete cardio immediately upon waking in the morning to ensure your body is using body fat for fuel, not carbohydrates stored in the digestive track. Keep the intensity low, and your hart rate only slightly elevated. Then complete 30 to 45 minutes without stopping. Slow and steady wins the race, if the goal is a pursuit of new muscle mass on contest day! Plenty of rest Your body will need more rest than usual during the pre-contest phase. After all, you’re expecting the body to do more (by adding cardio to your routine) with fewer calories (given a carbohydrate caloric deficit). Devote an extra 45 to 60 minutes to sleeping each night, and take a quick nap each day if your schedule allows for it. Watch the cortisol! Pre-contest fat burners such as ECA (25 mg ephedra, 200 mg caffeine, and 250 mg aspirin, stacked) are great for leaning up. However, they also cause cortisol levels to spike, which can lead to stringiness consistent with less muscle. If you use fat burners and notice your muscle disappearing along with the body fat, it might be time to reconsider their use. Anabolic steroids Many bodybuilders are larger on contest day than when they begin their pre-contest diet. This isn’t due to genetics, hard work, or nutrition. These individuals use anabolic steroids to help maintain their recovery abilities and actually grow muscle while dieting. If you understand the risks and rewards associated with the use of AAS, you can use them to maintain and even build muscle while dieting.