July 2003

The question-of-the-month for July comes from Scott in Indiana, a 38 year old bodybuilder who wants to know how many days rest from leg training and cardio should be taken prior to a contest. His question is:

Dear Mike:

In contest prep, how many days of rest should be taken from leg training to get optimum separation and striation in the quads and hamstrings?  How soon to back off on cardio? 

Dear Scott: 

Thanks for the great question.  This is a simple, yet often overlooked aspect of final contest preparation.  Training your legs right up to the contest can make your legs look very full, but they will have little separation.  Your legs may not have an ounce of fat on them, but if they aren't separated they won't look like they are in contest shape.

I generally stopped leg training 10 days out from a contest.  Many times I would have photo shoots following my contests, so therefore 2 - 3 weeks would pass since my last leg training session.  I was always amazed how my legs seemed to be more separated after that 3-week lay off.  Since legs are such a large muscle, more blood is pulled to the area resulting in a lack of separation.   You also need to realize that you are on your feet for many hours throughout the day, which is another reason for the unique layoff period for this body part.

When to stop cardio depends on your overall conditioning.  Sometimes it is necessary for some competitors to do cardio right up to the contest.  Hopefully, you are in good condition and can stop cardio 3 - 5 days out from the contest, which is optimal.

Thanks again, Scott, for the great question.  As always, don't forget to visit the Past Qs & As and my Training Tips section for more great tips and training info.

Until next month, train hard and stay healthy.

Mike Francois

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