Getting fat - bad idea?

jgnatca

Hilarious. If you are in for a pound, why not follow the Sumo regimen? You will end up super strong.

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/sumo/sumo04.html

JoRocka

stuffinmuffin wrote: »

6 posts and no completed profile...

meh- I'm still not sure why I'm here according to mine- LOL

RHachicho

I would just like to clarify that I NEVER meant to suggest that being obese is healthier than being a moderate bmi. Or being slim. It is NOT. Just that having a MILDLY above normal or normal body fat % is actually slightly healthier than having a below average one. And that for most people the point at which you get "ripped" is actually below this threshold. Not by so much that having super low body fat is a major health issue. But it's enough to show on mortality statistics. Also you can be thin as rake and still survive everything and in perfect health and get unlucky. Quoting just yourself as an example of universal fact just makes you look like a silly billy.

Basically the theory goes is that when your bodies system breaks down often the only energy source available is your fat metabolism. And if that is not robust enough to see you through until your body starts working properly again it might be the death of you. mangogirl27 already quoted the recent study that seems to indicate that this is in fact the case. And to be honest it just well .... makes sense. Fat is there for a reason and .. not taken to extremes. Is probably good for us. Lower body fat % does not necessarily = more healthy. That is all I was inferring. The truth is even bodybuilders who put on a whole lot of muscle generally have their own health issues to worry about as well.

I think however that if you WANT a 6 pack or you WANT to be so skinny you can fit into a size triple 0 or whatever that is completely your choice. Like if you WANT to eat ALL the cake and don't care if you get diabetes later that's all good too. We all make our choices and we live with the consequences. If there are any. Because the universe doesn't care what we think we know. We may think cake is our best friend but reality will give us diabetes. And on the other hand if we embrace skinny and starve ourselves it will probably end up giving us osteoporosis and organ failure.

The horrible thing is I would actually prefer the consequences of being too fat over the consequences of being too thin. Hell even the ones with great muscles often get crippling arthritis when they are older. Because they have basically ground their joints into fine powder. Also fat in itself is the primary manufacturing ground of the hormones that keep joints healthy and supple. The price you pay for maintaining that 8 pack might well be your ability to walk in your old age. This is also what makes steroids so INCREDIBLY dangerous. It's basically like overclocking your body. And that usually reduces the components lifespan. When done in moderation it's probably not toooo bad. But more than one WWE wrestler has mysteriously had a heart attack at 30ish. Probably because their body just went .. pop.

Health ... real health is about balance. It is not to be found at any extreme. Also real health and the appearance of health can be very very different things.

RHachicho

jgnatca wrote: »

Hilarious. If you are in for a pound, why not follow the Sumo regimen? You will end up super strong.

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/sumo/sumo04.html

Because someone doesn't want to be as this as possible means they want to be a sumo wrestler? Don't be ridiculous.

Some_Watery_Tart

GaleHawkins wrote: »

RHachicho wrote: »

It's true that if all you want is strength and you really don't care about the fat then you shouldn't really cut. Any cutting no matter how conservative will deter muscle growth time. That's why all the really big power lifters aren't ripped. It's because they never cut. However it's not because the fat actually helps them. It's because they don't hurt their muscle growth progress by going through periods of cutting. Meaning their muscles are growing 100% of the time. Basically your fat metabolism mobilizes energy from all over your body into a kind of mobile form in your blood. Which your muscles draw from. It doesn't matter one jot to muscles if they have "local" fat. However there is something to be said for a moderate amount of local fat for smooth joint movement. At least according to my physio.

I am a firm believer that it is healthy and natural to carry a moderate amount of fat. And that single digit body fat is not on this side of the healthy line. Oh it isn't "very" unhealthy. But there are good reasons why abs are so difficult to obtain. It's because your body really doesn't want to be without that much fat. And for good reason. The fat metabolism is an integral part of the way your body stores mobilizes and utilizes energy. And I believe when you reduce fat to such a huge extent you retard that process. It might "look" appealing. But it isn't actually healthy at that extreme. This might seem contradictory. However once you have very little body fat your body can't mobilize much energy from it.

So basically you need to decide on how you are going to strike a balance between health, performance and aesthetics. And find something you are comfortable with. IF you just want to look good. Then super low bodyfat is your destination. If you just wanna be healthy then 15-20% is totally fine. Under 25% is probably ok too. Anything above that and it's starting to become a real problem. Body fat under 15% is primarily an aesthetic consideration.

Good point on some fat is more healthy for most. I will be happy getting under 25%. Skinny people do not live as long or survive major health events as well.

Why do you insist on posting nonsense advice all over these boards? Are you going to support this point by citing another livestrong article by a writer who specializes in music reviews?