Fusion Hack: Am I Flat Or Am I Fat? with Drew Brannon
Welcome back, Fit Fam! This episode of Fit Body Lifestyle dives deep into a question that haunts competitors during prep: Am I flat, or am I fat? If you’ve ever looked in the mirror mid-prep and panicked about losing muscle or not leaning out enough, this one's for you!
Hosts Jami and Greg are joined by the always insightful Drew Brannon, who breaks down the differences between flatness, fat loss, and spillover, helping athletes and coaches make the best adjustments leading up to the stage.
Key Takeaways from the Episode
1. Flat vs. Fat – Understanding the Signs
Flat: When muscles look deflated due to low glycogen stores (aka low carbs and water retention). This happens when you’re deep in prep, calories are low, cardio is high, and the body is depleted.
Fat: If there’s still softness around the muscle and less definition, then you might still have more body fat to lose before stage day.
Spillover: If an athlete eats too many carbs during peak week, muscles absorb what they can, and the excess spills over into water retention and blurriness. This is often mistaken for fat!
2. The Mental Battle of Prep
Many competitors freak out when they don’t look as defined 6 weeks out as they did at 10 weeks out—but that’s normal! Athletes often feel discouraged when their physique appears worse before it gets better, but this is just part of the process. Trust your coach and focus on training performance, not just how you look in the mirror.
3. Peak Week Adjustments: It’s an Art & Science
Your carb and water intake leading into a show makes all the difference:
If you’re flat, a strategic carb-up can bring back fullness.
If you’re spilling over, you need to dial things back to regain crispness.
If you don’t have enough muscle density, no amount of peaking will make you look full—you simply need an improvement season to build more muscle!
4. Don’t Fear the Refeed
If training performance starts to decline and you feel mentally drained, a refeed meal with sodium, water, and carbs can help replenish glycogen stores and make you look fuller. Coaches should adjust these based on individual athlete needs.
5. Judges' Feedback: Take It with a Grain of Salt
Judges sometimes use terms like “flat” or “soft,” but they don’t always know your full physique history. Flat doesn’t always mean you weren’t peaked properly—it could mean you need more muscle overall. Your coach should help you interpret feedback correctly!
