We are officially one week out from the 2026 Vancouver Fall Classic. It’s Saturday today, which means by next Saturday, it’s showtime. Honestly, this is probably the most exciting phase of the entire prep for me. All the months of hard training, dieting, and discipline are coming together. At this stage, if you’re just starting to look ready, it’s too late, you should already be right where you need to be or very close to it. Luckily, I’m feeling right on track.

Here’s a breakdown of where things stand with nutrition, energy levels, training, and the final peak week strategy.

Dialing in the Final Numbers: Calories & Energy

Over the past week, progress has been really steady. Everything has been coming off evenly without having to pull any desperate, crazy moves.

• The Deficit: Right now, I’m sitting around 2,000 calories a day while burning close to 3,500 calories, leaving me in about a 1,500-calorie deficit.

• Energy & Strength: Even with that deficit, I feel great. Energy levels are solid, and gym performance has surprisingly stayed strong. That’s always a good sign that muscle retention has been right where I want it.

• Adjustments Ahead: For the first couple of days this week, I might pull calories down closer to 1,500 just to burn off the very last layer of fat, keep protein high, and get in plenty of walking.

The Carb-Load Mind Game

The reason behind that slight drop early in the week is the upcoming carb load. A couple of days before taking the stage, calories and carbs will ramp up significantly.

This is where a lot of competitors mess up mentally. You start taking in all those extra calories and carbs, and your brain tells you: “You’re going to get fat and ruin all your hard work.”

In reality, you aren't storing body fat in those 48 hours. You are simply filling up depleted glycogen stores inside the muscle belly to look full, round, and dry on stage. Any true fat gain wouldn’t even show up until days after the contest. It’s a classic mind game, but you just have to trust the process and stick to the plan.

The Scale & Body Scan Reality Check

Weight & Body Fat Metrics: The scale has remained steady at around 186 lbs, but my latest body scan showed body fat ticking up slightly (form 5% to 5.6%). Analytically, that doesn’t make sense given the conditioning and visible fat loss. What’s really going on comes down to how impedance scanners read body composition: because calories and carbs are so low, my muscles are flat, dry, and holding significantly less water. When intracellular hydration drops, these machines often misinterpret the lower water volume as higher body fat, skewing the numbers artificially higher than reality. Visually and physically, everything is right on track.

Peak Week Routine: Focus on Recovery & Blood Flow

Peak week isn't the time to chase heavy PRs or risk injury. My focus for the remaining workouts is simple:

1. Low Risk, High Blood Flow: Light pump work to keep muscles activated without generating deep tissue fatigue or soreness.

2. Step Count: Steady daily walking to keep energy expenditure high without beating up the joints.

3. Posing Practice: Holding mandatory poses, dialing in transitions, and locking in stage presence.

Posing Routine & The "Anabolic Lighting" Comparison

For this update, I brought back the posing trunks and ran through both classic mandatory poses and physique-style quarter turns:

• Physique & Flow: Direct front stance, side twist variations, and transitions.

• Classic Mandatories: Front Double Bicep, Side Chest (locking in the hamstring), Rear Double Bicep, Side Tricep, Favorite Classic pose, and Abdominals & Thighs.

To give an honest look, I compared the lighting setups. We started in standard, conservative lighting so you have a true, baseline reference point without dramatic shadows. Towards the end, I headed into the gym room under that dramatic overhead “anabolic lighting” just like last year’s prep. The contours and conditioning really pop in there, and overall, I’m liking how everything is coming in.

Final Stretch

We’re down to the wire. I’m right where I want to be, feeling confident, and ready to close this out. I might drop a quick midweek update if time allows, but otherwise, the next big update will be show day!

Make sure to leave a comment, like, and share the video/post if you're following the journey, it really helps out the channel. Let me know what you think of the conditioning so far, and I’ll catch you in the next one!