West Coast Muscle

Q. What do you do to get really cut up for a photo shoot to shed the last bit of water?

A. To get ready for a photo shoot you have to cut your water and get a very dry look , similar to getting ready for a show. Because I maintain a body fat level of under 10% year round it's mostly water weight I have to lose, so the process for me starts 2 week prior to the shoot.

Week 1 consists of burning any needed fat by doing under 100 grams of carbs daily and increasing cardio + training to twice a day.

The last week is the water depletion stage. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday are water loading days using distilled water only and watching sodium intake, the lower the better. I also add lots of Dandelion extract to my stack while following a strictly fish diet to keep sodium at ultra low levels.

Thursday + Friday are when you re-strict your water intake. I usually only consume 250ml each day, while carb loading and adding healthy fats back into diet to help fill out . Training over these two days consists of high rep full-body workouts, while carbing up to help drive glycogen back into your muscles. I must say it's not fun when you can’t have any water! 

Hope some of these tips help in your prep for your own photo shoot.