Achieving an extremely lean yet simultaneously three-dimensional and full physique is the ultimate balancing act in elite sports. In the FST-7 Tip of the Week, Hany Rambod, the legendary 24-time Olympia-winning coach, discusses a crucial physiological dilemma that every serious athlete faces during cutting or contest preparation: managing a "flat" physique while protecting muscle volume.
When you drastically reduce your carbohydrate and calorie intake to target stubborn fat stores, muscle glycogen becomes depleted. Your muscles lose their physiological tension and begin to look flat or "deflated." Hany Rambod warns that being "flat" for a day or two is physiologically acceptable, but you must absolutely avoid remaining in this depleted state for an entire week or two.
The Danger of Staying Flat for Too Long
If you remain physiologically flat for too long, you risk permanent volume loss that you cannot immediately recover. The coveted muscle pump during your workouts disappears, and the lost muscle fullness often does not return until days after your deadline or competition, after you have had to consume large amounts of calories and carbohydrates, such as pizzas and burgers. You therefore need to monitor your volume status very closely.
On the other hand, it is biologically impossible to remain maximally full all the time. If you keep your glycogen stores constantly topped up, your body continues to burn circulating glucose and available glycogen as its primary fuel. This blocks fat burning and prevents you from tapping into deeper, stubborn body-fat stores more efficiently.
The secret lies in physiological balance: you want to get your athletes or yourself as lean and dry as possible without muscle volume collapsing permanently.
The Evogen Hyperhydration Strategy for Low Carbohydrates
To manage this biochemical balance perfectly, Hany Rambod has developed a specific supplement strategy. By introducing the right nitric oxide boosters and cell volumizers, he enables his FST-7 athletes to function at an extremely low carbohydrate intake, allowing them to burn fat deeply while their muscle cells still appear physiologically full, round, and three-dimensional:
- Pre-Workout Nitric Oxide Optimization: Depending on the athlete's stimulant tolerance, Rambod uses a strategic combination of Evogen EVP 3D (the stimulant-free pure pump and focus formula) and the powerful Evogen EVP Xtreme N.O.. These formulas maximize nitric oxide production, which opens the blood vessels wide and ensures blood flow to the working muscles, even without carbohydrates.
- Extreme Cell Hydration with Liquid Glycerol: The absolute key factor in this strategy is adding Evogen EVP AQ. This advanced liquid formula contains pure liquid glycerol. Glycerol increases osmotic pressure in the bloodstream and draws large amounts of water through the cell membrane and deep into the muscle cells. This form of hyperhydration compensates for the lack of muscle glycogen, helping you maintain that impressive 3D look and deep muscle pump while fat burning operates at full capacity.
Related Reading
- FST-7 Pump Tip: Why You Should Combine Electrolytes with Glycerol
- Discipline & Motivation for Constant Progress and Avoiding Plateaus
- Protein: Not Hype, but a Physiological Must for Muscle Preservation
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