Single Digit Body Fat %

Training Bodybuilding
145

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]VerbalHologram wrote:
Not directly related to the focus on my thread, but can somewhat estiamte my bodyfat based on the pictures? I at first belived that I was around the 15-17% area, but than heard a poster saying that everybody drastically underestimates theirs. Am I somewhat on the mark or am I just a delusional fatty? Thanks[/quote]

First, THE NUMBER DOES NOT MATTER. I have a good estimation of how much you are carrying, BUT AGAIN IT DOESN’T MATTER.

I say this because I have seen guys who were lean literally get depressed because their reading was higher than they thought it would be…EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE LEAN ENOUGH TO BE HAPPY BEFORE THE READING.[/quote]

Trust me that isn’t me, I use the mirror moreso than numbers, and I am currently happy with it (though would like to lose a tad bit of extra flab/pubertal gyno before spring break). It’s moreso just so I can have an accurate guess so people won’t call me out in the future, and to which to base other observations by. If anything if you told me it was higher, it’d be moreso motivation to eat cleaner. Would I be closer saying I was around 20%? Once again, I will only take it as a postive opinion to work harder.

146

Look in the mirror. Look in the weight room. Your progress lies there. I’d rather be a marshmallow for a few months if it means being muscular, defined, and shredded for a few seconds.

Lots of professional marathoners carry 6-8% bodyfat year round. You wanna look like that?

Alan, 5’5", 180lb “marshmallow”

147

Comparing you to myself…

…I’d say you’re between 10-100%…

Really, without a full length shot it’s impossible to say. I still have what I call “used to be abs” at 16-18%. You can tell a lot by the ab and illiac areas though…neither is visible in your pic. I’ve tested a few hundred people. I’ve seen people with chiseled abs at near 20%. I’ve also seen people with no abs at 11%.

You could be 15%, you could be 30%.

Alan

148

[quote]Professor X wrote:
I can feel like starving on Tuesday and get through it because I know Thursday will make me feel better.[/quote]

I find that this makes it a lot easier to ‘suffer’ on the low days. Tim and I were talking about it a week ago, and I kept making a big point of the whole psychological benefit of dieting in this manner.

The downside is that not only do you drag a bit, but after you’ve been at it for a while, you do notice that you look less ‘inflated’ on those days.

S

149

[quote]Professor X wrote:

I say this because I have seen guys who were lean literally get depressed because their reading was higher than they thought it would be…EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE LEAN ENOUGH TO BE HAPPY BEFORE THE READING.[/quote]

Oh yes, I see this quite often. My wife recently lost 22lbs and for the first time in a year she really like what she looks like. She had her BF measured by one of my colleague and tested at 18%. She got depressed because in the past she was measured at 12%.

The thing is that she looks leaner at the measured 18%. How is that possible.

  1. The 12% was measured with a formula that doesn’t take the lower body into account (most women store their BF in the lower body)

  2. Both tests were done by different coaches (not everybody take caliper readings the same way).

  3. She has gained muscle.

I once measure a two training partners. One had a full 6 pack, the other one didn’t. The guy with the 6 pack was measured at 12% the other one at 9%. He measured lower because of a more even fat distribution whereas the guy with the 6 pack had no fat on some areas but a ton of it on other sites.

And so I need to mention that I was once measured as ‘‘non measurable’’ (lower than 0%) by a reputable coach, even though I was about 20lbs away from being in competition shape.

150

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

Oh yes, I see this quite often. My wife recently lost 22lbs and for the first time in a year she really like what she looks like. She had her BF measured by one of my colleague and tested at 18%. She got depressed because in the past she was measured at 12%.
[/quote]

Drives me nuts! It’s just a number!

When CT and X get to talking this whole forum benefits. Why do you throw 2 control days in on a mass gaining phase CT?

151

[quote]LazyElemental wrote:

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

Oh yes, I see this quite often. My wife recently lost 22lbs and for the first time in a year she really like what she looks like. She had her BF measured by one of my colleague and tested at 18%. She got depressed because in the past she was measured at 12%.
[/quote]

Drives me nuts! It’s just a number!

When CT and X get to talking this whole forum benefits. Why do you throw 2 control days in on a mass gaining phase CT?[/quote]

I don’t always do that. Read my post (on the ones prior). It’s one of the strategies that I might use when I do not use an aggressive mass gain approach.

Sometimes I use one control day, sometimes 3. Sometimes I use a completely different strategy.

152

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

I don’t always do that. Read my post (on the ones prior). It’s one of the strategies that I might use when I do not use an aggressive mass gain approach.

Sometimes I use one control day, sometimes 3. Sometimes I use a completely different strategy.[/quote]

Allow me to rephrase my question. What benefit do you see in using these days as opposed to simply fewer calories day to day?

153

[quote]LazyElemental wrote:

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

I don’t always do that. Read my post (on the ones prior). It’s one of the strategies that I might use when I do not use an aggressive mass gain approach.

Sometimes I use one control day, sometimes 3. Sometimes I use a completely different strategy.[/quote]

Allow me to rephrase my question. What benefit do you see in using these days as opposed to simply fewer calories day to day? [/quote]

  1. They allow you to ingest more nutrients and calories on the other days (creating a greater anabolic milieu) without worrying about piling on too much fat.

  2. The day after a control day you see an increase in anabolism. By restricting nutrients intake, you increase your body’s retention and use of those nutrients the day after. You could call that an ‘‘anabolic rebound effect’’.

  3. The body adjust to a certain nutrients intake, by varying said intake during the week, you increase your chances of keeping the body anabolic for longer.

154

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]its_just_me wrote:
Wow, this thread really redeemed itself lol

Aside from the obvious dropping calories, what tweaks to the diet would you guys do when “getting ripped”? Like the macro nutrient breakdown; would it be low to very low carbs, then protein would be the main nutrient on the last few weeks?

CT - what would a “conservative bulk” look like to you (short term and long term)? Obviously minimal fat gains, but would you just do a little “trim” (mini diet) frequently? Sorry for hijack there :)[/quote]

It’s hard to answer as there are no universal diet.

I have dieted bodybuilders for shows using a very low carbs diet and who responded very well.

I have dieted bodybuilders who lost size on a VLC diet and I had to use either a carbs cycling or moderate carbs approach.

I have dieted bodybuilders on a high carbs diet and who got shredded.

Not everybody is built the same way so not everybody can and should use the same diet.

As for a conservative mass gaining phase (I hate the term ‘‘bulking’’) it once again depends on the individual.

With some people I use control days wedged in the diet week. For example, the guy might eat for growth (nutrients surplus) 5 days out of 7 and have 2 ‘‘control days’’ where the calories and carbs are both low. Ideally these are on non-consecutive days.

With others I might use a mini-diet phase of 1-3 weeks when the guy begins to accumulate too much fat.

With some I use a small caloric surplus instead of a large one.

It depends on the individual’s physiology and psychological traits.[/quote]

I think that it must be a bit harder to monitor a persons progress when cycling things within the week (e.g. carb days, low calorie days etc…there’s so many variables) compared to more long term measures. I’d guess it’s easier on the brain (lol) to just do those mini diets like you said when you see fat levels creeping “too high” while gaining.