You just got done doing a show, maybe a couple of shows back to back. Once you’re done competing for the season, you will often hear the term Reverse Dieting. This is an extremely important step into setting yourself up for success. As much as you want to eat all of the foods that you have deprived yourself of, your metabolism is actually functioning quite slow at this point in time. You need to allow for your metabolism to work its way back up, along with allowing your body to heal. Failure to do so can result in a lot of unwanted body fat, as well as pose a risk to your health if you gain weight extremely quickly.
Prep can actually be very stressful on the body, so not allowing yourself to heal properly can also create more of a mess. I will say from personal experience, reverse dieting and resting is not an easy task after being so used to being on the go all of the time with that show in mind, constantly reminding you to put in the work. However, despite it being difficult, do not succumb to your cravings/ ego. Conquer this, and you will thank yourself later. This then leads into what is known as the Health Phase. The Health Phase goes hand in hand with reverse dieting as well.
When entering this phase, what you will do is actually get lab work done first and foremost to see what exactly is going on. It is also a great idea to do a GI Map, as the stress of prep can disrupt the gut microbiome, which in turn can lead to gut health issues. Based on what the results show will determine how intense of a health phase you will need to be in. The health phase helps get the body back to its most optimal state, that way we are running on all cylinders versus being subpar. This phase, in addition to reverse dieting, not only makes for a successful growth phase and future prep, it also helps with longevity in the sport that we love.
Never ever miss this step in your bodybuilding journey. If you want to continue to compete for a long time in the sport, become a pro, and have success, as well as your health, this is an absolute must! Do you want a great growth season? Do you want an extremely successful prep, ultimately leading to a great result? Then definitely consider taking the time to rest, recover and heal.