Jeff Rodriguez water intake for Team Universe

[Bill Comstock]

Jeff Rodriguez, middleweight sensation at the 2006 NPC Team Universe discusses his water intake with Ruth Silverman. Check out the video http://www.graphicmuscle.com

WATER INTAKE
Here was my strategy for my daily water intake leading up to the team universe. I made drinking large amounts of water easier by adding Crystal Light to my water.

8 Weeks out – 3 weeks out: at least 3 gallons of water per day
2 Weeks out -8 days out: at least 3.5 gallons of water per day
7 days out – 3 days out: at least 5 gallons of water per day
2 days out: 2.5 gallons of water
1 day out: 1-1.25 gallons of water
Show days: 1 gallon of water
(Since the show was at night I had about 50 ounces before prejudging and 80 ounces after)

[jrod]

Originally Posted by Bill Comstock

Jeff Rodriguez, middleweight sensation at the 2006 NPC Team Universe discusses his water intake with Ruth Silverman. Check out the video http://www.graphicmuscle.com

WATER INTAKE
Here was my strategy for my daily water intake leading up to the team universe. I made drinking large amounts of water easier by adding Crystal Light to my water.

8 Weeks out – 3 weeks out: at least 3 gallons of water per day
2 Weeks out -8 days out: at least 3.5 gallons of water per day
7 days out – 3 days out: at least 5 gallons of water per day
2 days out: 2.5 gallons of water
1 day out: 1-1.25 gallons of water
Show days: 1 gallon of water
(Since the show was at night I had about 50 ounces before prejudging and 80 ounces after)

The video looks great, Bill. Thanks for putting that together. Also, thanks for all of your support, I really appreciate it!

Another "trick" i used to achieve my look at the Team Universe was to manipulate sodium for a few weeks before the show, and potassium the last couple of days.

I began salting most of my meals a bit at about 5-6 weeks out. By the time i was 3 weeks out i was adding salt (or some sort of high sodium seasoning) to all of my meals (actually, this made my food taste a lot better so i really didnt mind!). Prejudging being on Friday night for the Team Universe, I stopped liberally salting/seasoning my meals on Tuesday night (ie, the last meal i salted was my last meal TUE night). Starting Wed through the show, I stopped salting my meals and chose sources of carbs that were higher in potassium (e.g. raisins, bananas, blueberries). I did not completely cut out sodium, i just stopped salting meals and got sodium from whatever was in the foods i ate (which wasnt too much anyways if you consider that i just ate protein powder, oats, salt-free rice cakes, raisins, bananas, blueberries).

--Jeff Rodriguez

[Lonnie Teper]

Originally Posted by jrod

The video looks great, Bill. Thanks for putting that together. Also, thanks for all of your support, I really appreciate it!

Another "trick" i used to achieve my look at the Team Universe was to manipulate sodium for a few weeks before the show, and potassium the last couple of days.

I began salting most of my meals a bit at about 5-6 weeks out. By the time i was 3 weeks out i was adding salt (or some sort of high sodium seasoning) to all of my meals (actually, this made my food taste a lot better so i really didnt mind!). Prejudging being on Friday night for the Team Universe, I stopped liberally salting/seasoning my meals on Tuesday night (ie, the last meal i salted was my last meal TUE night). Starting Wed through the show, I stopped salting my meals and chose sources of carbs that were higher in potassium (e.g. raisins, bananas, blueberries). I did not completely cut out sodium, i just stopped salting meals and got sodium from whatever was in the foods i ate (which wasnt too much anyways if you consider that i just ate protein powder, oats, salt-free rice cakes, raisins, bananas, blueberries).

--Jeff Rodriguez

Jeff, just saw the video--you look great. Just interviewed Gary Strydom for GM'S "Living Legens" video series and his comments about water intake mirrors yours. By the way, you are now the official favorite in the Collegiate Division of my 2007 Junior Cal.

[jrod]

Originally Posted by Lonnie Teper

Jeff, just saw the video--you look great. Just interviewed Gary Strydom for GM'S "Living Legens" video series and his comments about water intake mirrors yours. By the way, you are now the official favorite in the Collegiate Division of my 2007 Junior Cal.

Haha, thanks, Lonnie. After all, isn't the Swami always right?

[Rich Lauro]

I was very impressed with your phsyique Jeff, particularly at your age. Keep up the good work and enjoy the offseason and thickening process! Miguel has a few years on you. He consistently nails his conditioning and is amazing to view from the back. Good luck to you!

[fitactor]

Jeff's the Man ! He's a Future National Star !
It's amazing how much muscle he's built in such a short time. How hard he must have worked to do this.

Using the smarts he got naturally, and the good advice he's given, which he obviously has... He'll build the thickness with time, and then and become a major force.

He's Built a Great Looking Physique. Nice Symmetry.
And I loved hearing him discuss the finer points
of his diet and water and salt intake.

He's a Smart Young Man, Has a Great Looking Physique, and Is a Good Poser, too.

I Wish Him All the Best.

[Jeff_Brodsky]

Bill and Jeff, thanks for posting the video and the "tricks"

The info will be a great help to me because I'm getting ready for the Muscle Mania Worlds and the pre judging is on Friday / finals on Sat. This will be my 3rd show and the 1st time I have to be in condition for 2 days.

Right now I'm drinking 1 gal a day. 6 weeks out. After reading your post I'm thinking of upping it to atleast 2 gals a day.

I have a few questions for Jeff.. How do you handle drinking 3-5 gallons a day? I go to the bathroom a lot as it is. I couldn't imagine drinking that much. Are you in the bathroom every 15 minutes? Do you up your vitamin / mineral intake since you are flushing so much water through? What are your meals like come the final Friday and Sat?

Thanks!

Jeff B

[jrod]

Originally Posted by Jeff_Brodsky

Bill and Jeff, thanks for posting the video and the "tricks"

The info will be a great help to me because I'm getting ready for the Muscle Mania Worlds and the pre judging is on Friday / finals on Sat. This will be my 3rd show and the 1st time I have to be in condition for 2 days.

Right now I'm drinking 1 gal a day. 6 weeks out. After reading your post I'm thinking of upping it to atleast 2 gals a day.

I have a few questions for Jeff.. How do you handle drinking 3-5 gallons a day? I go to the bathroom a lot as it is. I couldn't imagine drinking that much. Are you in the bathroom every 15 minutes? Do you up your vitamin / mineral intake since you are flushing so much water through? What are your meals like come the final Friday and Sat?

Thanks!

Jeff B

Drinking 3 gallons a day is something gradually worked up to. I started aiming for 2 gallons a day for a week, then 2.5 gallons a day for the following week, then 3 gallons until i was about 10 days out. It may have taken some effort at first, but in all honesty, i got so used to it that it wasnt a problem and often times i would drink more than i aimed for.
As for going to the bathroom, i suppose i would go less if i drank less, but it really is not as bad as most people seem to think. Also, going to the bathroom more often was a sacrifice i was willing to make.
As for vitamins/minerals (I take Multi, E, C, B-complex, beta carotene) my intake is usually high anyways so I did not increase it (I get my vitamins from generic brands at the grocery store).

My meals on Friday and Saturday were as follows:
carbs came from either bananas, oatmeal, raisins, blueberries, rice cakes, or dextrose; and protein came from whey protein powder. That is all i chose to eat on these 2 days.

Hope this helps. Good luck on your show.

--Jeff Rodriguez

[Jeff_Brodsky]

Thanks for the reply! definitely a big help. I added a little crystal light to my water today and it went down a lot faster / easier.. Thanks for the tip on the vit / minerals.. cool to see that you just get the generic brands.. I have been spending a lot on Animal Paks.

[jrod]

Some people have been curious as to how I came to adopt the sodium/potassium/water manipulation strategies. Ever since I started bodybuilding I have always looked up to Jeff Willet and Skip La Cour. I have based a lot of my training/dieting/contest prep philosophies around these two. My sodium/potassium/water manipulation strategies, in particular, were based on Skip La Cour's own strategy. His latest training journal ( http://www.skiplacour.com/Journal-2000-Book-Set.htm ) has a very detailed account of this strategy.