• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Generation Iron

Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network

  • Movies
  • Original Content
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Pre-Workout
      • Fat Burners
      • Testosterone Boosters
      • Creatine
      • Protein
      • BCAAs
      • Multivitamins
      • Omega-3
      • Joint Supplements
      • Super Greens
      • Meal Replacement
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Foam Rollers
      • Best Massage Guns
    • Programs
      • Best Online Workout Programs
      • Best Workout Streaming Services
      • Best Home Workout Programs
  • Equipment
    • Cardio
      • Treadmills
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Stair Climbers
    • Fitness Accessories
      • Best Apparel
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Weightlifting Shoes
    • Strength
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Complete Home Gyms
    • Training
      • Best Knee Sleeves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
      • Best Weightlifting Wraps
      • Best Weightlifting Gloves
  • More
    • About Us
      • Our Team
      • Our Experts
    • Advertise
    • Franchise With Us
    • Exercise Guides
    • Athlete Profiles
    • Podcasts
    • Power 30
    • Bodybuilding Awards
    • Supplement Awards
  • Shop
Originals All GI Exclusives

Jerry Brainum: The Biggest Mistake That Makes Bodybuilder Muscle Look Flat

by GI Team Published on Jun 26, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure policy).

Jerry Brainum discusses sodium, water intake, and the biggest contest prep mistake that makes bodybuilding muscle look flat.

In the final week before a bodybuilding competition, athletes will deplete themselves in order to cut as much water weight as possible and look shredded on stage. It’s known as “hell week” and is one of the most grueling moments for any pro bodybuilder. While cutting before a show is vital in bringing in a perfect physique – there’s one key factor that might actually be making the muscle look flat by the time the pros get on stage. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Jerry Brainum uses science to explain the big mistake bodybuilders make that’s making their muscle look flat.

Bodybuilders traditionally go through a cycle each year during competition season. First they bulk up to build as much muscle as possible. Then they cut down to trim the extra fat they obtained, dry out the skin, and show a shredded physique of their new built muscle. The final week before a competition is a delicate moment. One wrong move can take a once masterful physique and make it look off. This destroys a competitor’s chances at earning the first place trophy. It also destroys a year of hard work.

Fans of the sport have seen it before. Their favorite athlete looking dangerous a week before the competition – only for them to show up on stage either looking soft or flat. If they look soft, it’s likely because they weren’t able to flush out all their water weight. If they look flat – it’s most likely because they actually flushed too much water.

Jerry Brainum points out that muscle tissue is made of 72% water. So when bodybuilders deplete themselves in the final “hell week” before a show, if they go too far they actually lose the fullness of their muscle. Even furthermore, some competitive bodybuilders don’t even realize that drinking water is in itself a diuretic. Water flushes out a lot of extra minerals in your body the more you drink it. Thinks like sodium. Too much sodium can make you retain more water – which is a big problem for bodybuilders.

So the biggest mistake that bodybuilders make is by often drinking too much water, not drinking any at all, or taking too many diuretics in the final week before the show. With one fell swoop, it can destroy a year’s worth of work. The hard part of course, is to know how much is too much. Each body is different – but the key is for athletes to recognize this is part of the problem first. Then they can start learning their body and how to fix it.

It’s a delicate balance. It’s what makes this sport so challenging. It’s what makes the legends that much more impressive. Never underestimate “hell week” and start taking depletion seriously in order to present the best bodybuilding physique on stage.

You can watch Jerry Brainum explain the science in more detail by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!

About GI Team

The GI Team is here to provide top news and original content for the new generation. The generation of bodybuilders who are pushing the sport to bigger and better places. Join The Movement. Become a part of Generation Iron!

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Get the Latest

Stay informed with the latest news, product reviews, & expert advice.

Popular Reviews

  • best protein powders

    The Best Protein Powder Supplements of 2025 (Tried and Tested)

  • Best Creatine Supplements For Bulking & Muscle Growth of 2025 (Personally Tested)

  • top x pre workout

    The 14 Best Pre-Workout Supplements of 2025 (MD Reviewed)

  • Performance Lab SPORT BCAA

    The Best BCAA For Bodybuilding Health & Performance Goals

Trending Articles

  • female fitness models

    18 Best Butts On The Internet (Updated 2024)

  • ronnie coleman the king workout

    Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s Complete Bodybuilding Workout

  • Chris bumstead's 2024 workout and diet plan

    Chris Bumstead’s 2025 Complete Bodybuilding Workout & Diet Plan

  • The Ultimate Mike Mentzer Workout and Diet

Popular Now

  • best protein powders

    The Best Protein Powder Supplements of 2025 (Tried and Tested)

  • Best Creatine Supplements For Bulking & Muscle Growth of 2025 (Personally Tested)

  • top x pre workout

    The 14 Best Pre-Workout Supplements of 2025 (MD Reviewed)

  • female fitness models

    18 Best Butts On The Internet (Updated 2024)

  • best citrulline supplements

    The Best Citrulline Malate Supplements for Performance and Pump

  • ronnie coleman the king workout

    Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s Complete Bodybuilding Workout

Generation Iron

Generation Iron is the first and only digital network delivering health, fitness, bodybuilding, and strength sports content. We deliver premium content with the biggest names in fitness and provide expert coverage, reviews on top brands, workout tips and trends in the worlds of fitness, health and strength sports.

Strongman Corporation
Vladar

Sections

  • Trending News
  • Original Movies
  • Original Content
  • Supplement Reviews
  • Equipment Reviews
  • Exercise Guides
  • Nutrition Guides
  • Athlete Profiles

More

  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Our Experts
  • Advertise
  • Franchise With Us
  • Podcasts
  • Power 30
  • Shop

CONTACT

Generation Iron Brands LLC
134 West 29th Street Suite 902
New York, NY 10001
Email: [email protected]

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X / Twitter
  • YouTube

© 2025 · Generation Iron · Disclaimers · Privacy Policy · Accessibility