Post-contest physique changes show the ability of proper nutrition.
Larry Wheels could have looked leaner than ever within the leadup to the 2023 Amateur Olympia, however it didn’t take long for him to maneuver the needle in the other way after falling wanting securing his IFBB Pro League card.
Coming off a formidable performance on the 2023 NPC Ultimate Warriors through which he won his Classic Physique debut, the uber-popular powerlifter-turned-bodybuilder still needed to trim just a few inches off his sizable frame. Unfortunately for Wheels, his peak week efforts to go from 240 to 232 kilos didn’t end in a first-place finish in Orlando, FL, as Ejike Enwereuzor Jr. captured the Amateur Olympia Classic Physique championship on Nov. 2, 2023.
Lower than per week later, nonetheless, Wheels’ body appeared vastly different than it did when he stood on stage on the Orange County Convention Center. On Nov. 5, 2023, a noticeably larger version of the versatile strength athlete shared a video on his YouTube video detailing how he gained 53 kilos in five days after competing within the Amateur Olympia. Not only did Wheels discuss his use of diuretics, but he also delivered a whole breakdown of the cheat meals he consumed that contributed to such a considerable jump.
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Having last stepped on stage at around 265 kilos, Wheels went on a serious cut to get contest-ready for the Classic Physique category. Besides severely reducing his calories and essentially eliminating carbohydrates from his weight loss plan for several weeks, his weight-loss process also involved the usage of diuretics, which bodybuilders often use during peak week to scale back muscle water retention, increase urine output, and excrete sodium to present a more aesthetic physique. (1)
“This was my first time getting fully depleted for a show,” Wheels explained. “I did use diuretics to make weight and to have that dry, hard look on stage.”
Despite falling wanting his goal of earning his IFBB Pro League card, the record-setting powerlifter-turned-bodybuilder definitely proved how powerful combining diuretics with a calorie-restrictive weight loss plan could be for quickly transforming your physique. Yet after tipping the scales at 231.4 kilos during weigh-ins on Oct. 30, 2023, and competing within the Amateur Olympia at 238 kilos two days later, Wheels surprised himself by ballooning as much as 284 kilos by Nov. 4, 2023.
“I don’t think I’ve consumed enough fluid and solid food so as to add as much as 40 kilos,” he said. “I don’t understand where all the burden got here from.”
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While Wheels’ massive weight gain could seem shocking, it shouldn’t be based on each his diuretic use and his post-contest weight loss plan. After utilizing diuretics twice inside three days to make weight for each shows, it could only be natural for his body to start retaining fluids as an alternative of shedding them. Plus, once you stop taking diuretics and begin binge eating like Wheels did, you’re sure to see the number on the size go up as you replenish your muscle glycogen stores.
In a classic example of the consequences of a post-contest cheat meal spree, here’s what the social media star ate that left him 53 kilos heavier.
Larry Wheels’ Full Cheat Meal Lineup
After abstaining from any form of comfort food for quite a while, Wheels went all-in over two days with nine calorie-dense cheat meals:
Day One
- Cheat Meal One: Two bacon double cheeseburgers and one large fry (Five Guys)
- Cheat Meal Two: 16-pounce ribeye steak and sweet potato mash (Ruth’s Chris Steak House)
- Cheat Meal Three: One bag of Pop-Tarts
- Cheat Meal 4: Two cups of noodles
Day Two
- Cheat Meal Five: Cinnamon roll pancakes, hash browns, and sunny-side-up eggs
- Cheat Meal Six: Cinnamon roll bagel with cream cheese, orange juice, and a bowl of cereal
- Cheat Meal Seven: Bacon double cheeseburger with French fries and lemon cookies
- Cheat Meal Eight: Fried chicken sandwich, six bone-in wings, three chicken tenders, and French fries — plus chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert (Buffalo Wild Wings)
- Cheat Meal Nine: 14-inch margherita pizza, garlic knots, and a salad
Ultimately, Wheels estimated that he consumed about 20,000 calories throughout the first 24 hours after stepping on the Amateur Olympia stage. But after taking a no-holds-barred approach to eating and seeing the number on the size shoot up by greater than 50 kilos in such a brief period of time, he sounded able to get back to a more disciplined lifestyle.
“It’s time to screw my head back on straight and eat clean,” he said.
Featured Image: Larry Wheels / YouTube
References
- Escalante, G., Stevenson, S.W., Barakat, C. et al. Peak week recommendations for bodybuilders: an evidence-based approach. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 13, 68 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-021-00296-y