few days before the show actually are not tha bad because you dont do as much
the hard work and hard dieting is done by that point
beginning is good, you start seeing changes and feel good, food is good energy etc
then later goes south when you have low strength days low energy etc

when you get lower in bodyfat you start to feel worse and worse.
this is when people cheat, think they eat more food because "their metabolism got faster", stop cardio, think they are flat, fear loosing muscle, use crazy powders and pills before during after before bed upon waking etc etc
when you feel like shit, you keep going, and thats what makes you tight onstage, and that is how winning is done
its just not for everybody

lots of people win mr walmart or mr comp science 101 class, but on stage is a diffent world, and the larger the stage , the more different the animal