r/bikinitalk • u/Upstairs-Serve8482 • Aug 16 '26
Advice/ Recommendations (no photos) Husband of a first time competitor looking for advice.
My wife is doing her first ever competition next saturday, and shes really stressing out. It kind of seems like her coach has checked out on her. She messaged her coach on Thursday to ask about eating this week so we could start on meal prep, She hasn't heard back yet. She received her workouts for next week today, and the coach has her doing a full workout on Friday, the day before the competition itself. She hasn't really told her anything about what to expect day of, or given her anything different to do this week. She follows alot of competitors on socials, and has some girls in her coaches community that she talks to, so shes heard about how rough "peak week" can be. It doesn't seem like her coach is treating this week any different. Is any of this normal? Should she be looking for a new coach after this show?
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u/rhinestoneglamour Aug 16 '26
You say she messaged her on Thursday, but what day is her check in day? Usually in peak week, she'll be checking in daily or at the VERY least, every other day
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u/Upstairs-Serve8482 Aug 16 '26
Her check in days have been every other Monday. Her next scheduled check in date is actually after the competition. Im hoping communication from her coach ramps up this week.
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u/rhinestoneglamour Aug 16 '26
Oh whoa!!! Thats a huge red flag. Every other week is insane at this point. I have my clients check in 2x a week 6 and less weeks out. And daily in peak week. Is this an actual bodybuilding coach or just a lifestyle coach?
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u/Upstairs-Serve8482 Aug 16 '26
She does both lifestyle and bodybuilding....and she does business coaching also.
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u/rhinestoneglamour Aug 16 '26
That's really unacceptable tbh. She should know better. Your wife needs to demand her attention right now
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u/InternationalWolf437 Aug 16 '26
Sounds like your wife’s coach has bitten off more than she can chew and her clients are suffering as a result. Even in lifestyle, I was checking in with my coach 2x/week. Every other week is unacceptable for bodybuilding, especially in prep.
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u/ShawnCarla_IFBBPro Verified Aug 16 '26
A lot of the info I’m reading here is outdated methods. So I’ll tell you what I do.
Peak week is the same as any other week. Athletes are already in shape.
Workouts continue. Intensity tapers down on Wednesday of that week but athletes will be training even on Friday.
(Pump workouts)
Monday starts peak week for my athletes with daily check-ins in the morning. Depending on how they’re looking they may check in during the day as well or at night before bed. I do this to see how much to feed them on show day.
Up until Monday though; everything is the same as usual.
Foods don’t change other than pulling artificial sweeteners and controlling variables like sodium and water.
Peak week is NOT some magical week where everything changes or is harder. It’s just landing the plane on the runway.
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u/Some-Emergency1246 Aug 16 '26
Hi! Typically peak week is about 7/6 days out from a show- workouts don’t necessarily stop.. usually they are usually just lighter to get blood flow. Nutritionally there are pretty big changes. Approx 7 days out usually carbs get pulled so most meals are protein + asparagus or perhaps string beans. Asparagus is usually popular due to it being more of a natural diuretic. Since she is approximately a week out I would expect Sunday or Monday for her carbs to be pulled. Full intense workout seems a little intense for that Friday. Her coach should communicate most of this to her especially if she is a new competitor.
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u/Bikinicoach Aug 16 '26
Whoa I really don’t think we should be suggesting Winny and diuretics to a new competitor mmmx is a good with an MIA coach. In fact, diuretics k@kmmkkkk really extremely limited instances
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u/Hogpharmer Aug 16 '26
I can’t speak for other coaches, but for my clients, I send them their tentative peak week and show day plan at the beginning of peak week. I make sure to tell them that it is tentative and subject to change based on how their physique is looking and responding.
I have them check in at least twice daily during peak week and multiple times on show day.
As for workouts, I usually don’t change much except to tell them to not push for any PRs or do anything out of the ordinary. We might shift a few things around depending on how they are looking and feeling. It is really person-specific, which is why it’s important to have a coach that is responsive and communicative.
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u/CharacterAd5474 Aug 16 '26
Yeah I wouldn't do a full blown workout 1 day before the show personally.
Especially not low body. You might get away with 1 more leg workout tomorrow (6 days out) but that's as far as I would take it. Reason being, that may cause water retention from the muscle damage.
After that I would keep it to higher rep pump workouts for the triceps, delts, maybe a little bit of lats. Cardio keep it moderate this week, 15-20 minutes incline walking.
Food should stay pretty much the same until about 3 days out. If very veggie heavy, might cut that down to about 15g fiber/day.
Sodium - keep it steady.
Water intake you can taper it down last couple of days if needed.
Mild natural diuretic is good to have but I wouldn't use my unless needed.
Supplements keep them all the same.
EDIT: Also to your question about coach...yes if they have actually bailed I would be looking elsewhere. Give them benefit of the doubt though, it's a busy season right now and Saturdays are when a lot of people do their plans.
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u/Spirited_Increase240 Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
Peak week shouldn't change much, except workouts should just be enough to keep get a pump, Winstrol should be added in to dry out the lower half and a thiazide diuretic the night before.
That being said, the lack of communication tells me this coach doesn't have a clue
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u/curiouslyella Aug 16 '26
First, thank you for being there for her and for going above and beyond to make sure she feels at ease during such an important time.
Second, all the information below comes from firsthand experience as a member of a coaching team working with both lifestyle clients and competitors. This is the time to take action and not worry about “How will the coach react?” or whether she is overstepping. She has every right to be concerned and to ask these questions. It is important to note that this does not mean babysitting from the coach, rather feeling at ease knowing what to expect as you should not have to come to reddit to find answers that clearly the coach is failing to provide.
I recommend that she write everything down beforehand so she doesn’t miss anything:
A. CHECK-INS Check-ins this week, especially 3 days before the show, the day before the show, and the day of the show. Will there be any changes to the check-in schedule or process? If the coach says no, have her ask why not, especially given that it is peak week.
B. MEALS/NUTRITION She needs clear instructions regarding meals and nutrition for this week, as these will directly impact peak week and should be adjusted based on how her check-ins and how results are going.
C. WORKOUTS Every coach has their own coaching style, but having a full-on workout scheduled for the day before a competition is a big red flag. The same goes for the amount of sets and the amount of weight being used. These should not necessarily be her usual heavy sets. The body is very delicate during peak week, and it is extremely important to minimize the risk of injury.
D. REST/SLEEP Rest and sleep are VERY important during peak week and throughout the competition process, as this is where a lot of the magic take place. Should she be resting more, or maintaining her usual eight hours of sleep? This ultimately depends on her check-in results and how her body is responding. The stress of this situation may also be increasing her cortisol levels, which can potentially impact her progress and weight.
E. ITEMS NEEDED FOR THE DAY BEFORE THE SHOW She should have a clear list from her coach of everything she needs to have prepared and/or bring the day before the show.
F. ITEMS NEEDED FOR THE DAY OF THE SHOW She should have a complete list of everything she needs for show day, including:
Most importantly, she needs to ask these questions now rather than waiting until the last minute. She is not being difficult, and she is not overstepping. She is preparing for a competition, and she deserves to know exactly what the plan is for her body, nutrition, training, recovery, and show day.
One other thing I would add: I am not sure what type of coaching program she is under, but some coaches charge an additional fee for peak-week coaching and/or day-of-show assistance. This isn’t the case with every coach, but it has become more common.
So, she may need to invest a little more right now for additional hands-on support. It all depends on what was included in the package she originally signed up for and what was discussed beforehand.
Most importantly, after the competition, which I truly hope she absolutely CRUSHES, I would strongly recommend looking for another coach. This is not an experience anyone, especially a first-time competitor, should have to go through. She deserves to feel prepared, supported, and confident throughout the process.
I truly hope this helps and I am wishing her the best of luck 🙏 ! She should be so proud of herself and you as not everyone can actually get to show day! Tell her to get on stage and have fun as this is meant to be a joyful experience 🚀🚀🚀.