Hi CChristenbery,
The reason I asked about the post-competition weight gain is because that seems to be a decent indicator of if, and how badly, someone beat their body up during the prep phases. Your intentional weight gain is absolutely not what I was talking about; I was referring to the crazy 20 pounds that a lot of people who compete put on in the first week post-competition. The fact that you didn’t experience that either time is great! I just wonder if your thermometer is off.
Sorry, I’m sure you already knew what I mentioned above, I just wanted to throw it out there. Are you working with a strength and conditioning coach? Have you run all this by him/her/them?
Cheers!