After winning his debut Classic Physique bodybuilding show at the 2023 NPC Ultimate Warriors, Larry Wheels narrowly missed winning a coveted IFBB Pro Card at the 2023 Amateur Olympia on Nov. 1, 2023. He scored a silver medal instead. During his peak weak, Wheels dropped a whopping eight pounds.
“This was my first time getting fully depleted for a show,” said Wheels. “I did use diuretics to make weight and to have that dry, hard look onstage.” Wheels used diuretics twice within three days to make weight for two shows — the 2023 NPC Ultimate Warriors and the 2023 Amateur Olympia. Diuretics help reduce fluid buildup in the body by increasing urine flow and inducing urinary sodium loss. They are widely used for treating hypertension, congestive heart failure, and edematous states. However, some professional bodybuilders use diuretics to reduce muscle water retention and enhance muscle definition before competing in a bodybuilding show. (1)
On Nov. 5, 2023, Wheels published a video on his YouTube channel, revealing that he gained 53 pounds in five days after the 2023 Amateur Olympia. He dished out a full rundown of all the food he ate that filled his physique back up. Check it out below:
Following diuretics use, muscles tend to absorb water to restore electrolyte balance, leading to a rebound effect. This response is amplified for athletes who go from a low-calorie diet to eating multiple cheat meals in a day.
Although Wheels had intended to binge on junk food after the Amateur Olympia as a reward for the hard work he had put into the six-week prep for the two shows, he didn’t know exactly how much weight he would put on as a result.
Wheels revealed that he weighed 231.4 pounds during the Monday weigh-ins on Oct. 30, 2023, and bulked up to 238 pounds by show day on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. He tipped the scales at 284 pounds on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, after a two-day eating spree.
“I don’t think I’ve consumed enough fluid and solid food to add up to 40 pounds,” Wheels said. “I don’t understand where all the weight came from.”
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Larry Wheels Binge Eating After 2023 2023 Amateur Olympia
Wheels ate nine cheat meals in two days after the 2023 Amateur Olympia.
Day One
Below are the four cheat meals Wheels ate post-Amateur Olympia:
Cheat Meal One
- Bacon double cheeseburgers — two
- Large fries — one
Wheels ate at his favorite burger spot, Five Guys, right after stepping off the 2023 Amateur Olympia stage.
Cheat Meal Two
- Rib eye steak — 16-ounce
- Sweat potato mash
Wheels was caught in a bind two hours after eating his first cheat meal. His stomach was engorged, but he was still hungry. He headed to Ruth’s Chris Steak House for his second meal.
Cheat Meal Three
- Pop-Tarts — One bag
Wheels remained peckish after returning to the hotel, so he snacked on a bag of Pop-Tarts, which contained around 500 calories.
Cheat Meal Four
- Noodles — Two cups
With room left after consuming the sugary breakfast pastries, Wheels consumed two cups of noodles. “I had been told not to take it too far and slow down after a couple of days,” said Wheels, tossing that advice aside.
Day Two
Cheat Meal Five
- Cinnamon roll pancakes
- Hash browns
- Sunny side-up eggs
The morning after the show, Wheels weighed 260 pounds, 30 pounds above his check-in weight. He had his breakfast at Denny’s.
Cheat Meal Six
- Cinnamon roll bagel
- Cream cheese
- Orange juice
Right after returning to his hotel room from Denny’s, Wheels ate another meal to quell cravings.
Cheat Meal Six
- Cinnamon roll bagel
- Cream cheese
- Orange juice
- Cereal
After an hour-long breather, the powerlifter-turned-arm wrestler-turned-bodybuilder ate another round of cinnamon roll bagels with cream cheese and orange juice, topped off with a bowl of cereal.
Cheat Meal Seven
- Dragon bacon double cheeseburger
- French fries
- Lemon cookies
After a meet and greet with fans, Wheels downed a bacon double cheeseburger with fries and a lemon cookie that weighed half a pound and packed 1,500 calories.
Cheat Meal Eight
- Fried chicken sandwich
- Six bone-in wings
- Three chicken tenders
- French fries
- Chocolate cake
- Vanilla ice cream
Wheels trained with the eight-time Mr. Olympia champion Ronnie Coleman at his gym after his seventh meal. However, the post-Olympia gluttony continued at Buffalo Wild Wings.
Cheat Meal Nine
- 14-inch margherita pizza
- Garlic knots
- Salad
After another workout at the Iron Addicts gym, Wheels ate a 14-inch pizza at a local pizza joint for dinner. At the time of recording — 48 hours after stepping off the Amateur Olympia stage — Wheels reported gaining an additional 24 pounds. Wheels estimated that he ate around 20,000 calories within 24 hours of competing at the 2023 Amateur Olympia.
“I have checked off every single cheat food item that I could possibly think of. There’s nothing left now,” said Wheels. “It’s time to screw my head back on straight and eat clean.”
Wheels remains focused on winning his IFBB Pro Card in the Classic Physique division but has not announced when his next competitive bodybuilding meet will take place at the time of this article’s publication.
References
- LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2012–. Diuretics. 2021 Oct 13. PMID: 31644115.
Featured image: @larrywheels on Instagram
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