The way you look when flexing vs. not flexing.
drewlfitness
Posts: 114 Member
I'm a fairly muscular individual. I've worked out over the last 10 years of my life, and have added bulk to major areas such as pecs, shoulders, arms, thighs, calves.
When I flex my upper body (picture a body builder pose), I look like I'm in shape, somewhat toned, and basically look like an amateur body builder.
When I relax all muscles in my body, for example when I'm sitting down on a chair, I can basically make myself appear like a fat blob. My muscles pretty much look like fat if they're not being flexed.
The question: Is this normal? Is there any possibility to actually be so toned that even when not flexing, your muscle looks like muscle and not a blob of fat? If Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the time of competing, sat on a chair and relaxed everything, would he look like a blob of fat, eventhough it's really muscle?
I ask this because it's frustrating when I look "pretty good" when flexing/posing, but when I'm not flexing/posing, it's the opposite.
When I flex my upper body (picture a body builder pose), I look like I'm in shape, somewhat toned, and basically look like an amateur body builder.
When I relax all muscles in my body, for example when I'm sitting down on a chair, I can basically make myself appear like a fat blob. My muscles pretty much look like fat if they're not being flexed.
The question: Is this normal? Is there any possibility to actually be so toned that even when not flexing, your muscle looks like muscle and not a blob of fat? If Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the time of competing, sat on a chair and relaxed everything, would he look like a blob of fat, eventhough it's really muscle?
I ask this because it's frustrating when I look "pretty good" when flexing/posing, but when I'm not flexing/posing, it's the opposite.
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Replies
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Check out some of the guys on youtube. Broscience has a funny set of videos on lifting and on a regular basis someone comments about how often times the guy doesn't look like he lifts except for when he is flexing. There are a few others too who focus on "natural" and have the less fit look when relaxed.
There are varying factors but does seem that for some, that's rather normal.0 -
DawnEmbers wrote: »Check out some of the guys on youtube. Broscience has a funny set of videos on lifting and on a regular basis someone comments about how often times the guy doesn't look like he lifts except for when he is flexing. There are a few others too who focus on "natural" and have the less fit look when relaxed.
There are varying factors but does seem that for some, that's rather normal.
Thanks, I'll check it out!0 -
Also, one note, I am not hugely fat, or even that fat at all. I'm a bit "chubby", but I don't have a belly or huge fat sides. When I'm standing up and flexing, my stomach or quite flat. And no, that's not because I'm "sucking in".
Just wanted to mention this because yes, if I were actually really fat, then the obvious answer to my initial question would be to lose weight asap.
Instead my issue is more about my miracle literally feeling flabby, if I'm not flexing.
How in shape do I need to be? Or, is it just a reality for people with muscle to have the ability to look fat when not flexing?0 -
What's your body fat percentage? Take a look at guys with single digit fat.0
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TheReloader wrote: »What's your body fat percentage? Take a look at guys with single digit fat.
@TheReloader Very good point, and reminder, to me. I totally "forgot" how important the body fat percentage thing is. My body fat percentage is between 18-22% according to the scale that I use at home and the scale at the gym. Definitely higher than it should be.
This makes sense now, and it's funny that I decided to post about this, when at the same time I posted another thread asking for advice on how to avoid becoming "skinny fat". I am currently on my own program to lose weight, but I don't want to lose weight the way I once did by eating very few calories per day, which resulted in my overall body shrinking, but the fat/chub was mostly there.
This time, I am attempting to lose fat, and not muscle, but actually eating calories each day and not starving myself. We'll see how it goes in a few months if I notice some fat loss without muscle loss.0 -
I think once you get down to 10-12% body fat, you'll be happier with the way you look. I have a friend who is a "natural" bodybuilder. In the off season, his relaxed upper body is quite impressive. His flexed upper body is even better . When he is down around 6% body fat, he looks (even more) flexed all the time.0
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A company called Alpha Training Protocols posted this a while back. Her body fat is low, so she looks great even when she isn't flexing. As you drop the fat you'll see that you don't have to flex to look like you are fit.
Image can be found here:0 -
Body fat percentage and posture. Learn to sit up straight and, if you care to, lower your body fat percentage and you’ll look tighter when you’re not flexed.0
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King Kamali is a pro body builder (just one of many) who look like refrigerators to me in the offseason. Especially when their bellies distend further out than their chests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWT5YvE8emg
So being leaner does matter.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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King Kamali is a pro body builder (just one of many) who look like refrigerators to me in the offseason. Especially when their bellies distend further out than their chests.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWT5YvE8emg
So being leaner does matter.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 0 -
A company called Alpha Training Protocols posted this a while back. Her body fat is low, so she looks great even when she isn't flexing. As you drop the fat you'll see that you don't have to flex to look like you are fit.
Image can be found here:
OKay, I want her body NOW. Probably not gonna get there until after my first bulk and subsequent cut (planning to do a longish cut then as well to get to a lower BF than I'll get this time around)0 -
I'd say it's normal but.. I can only say that because it's normal for me. I look only a little bit 'in shape' inflexed. But much bigger flexed. So- normal to me as it were.0
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Large amounts of muscle mass and/or very low body fat is what you need for that ripped look while relaxing. Most natural lifters rarely look shredded while relaxed.0
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King Kamali is a pro body builder (just one of many) who look like refrigerators to me in the offseason. Especially when their bellies distend further out than their chests.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWT5YvE8emg
So being leaner does matter.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Dat HGH gut doe!0 -
Wow lots of posts and not enough time to read them all so I apologize if this has been reiterated.
If you haven't already entertained the idea of SWIMMING I would seriously look towards that as a great option to achieve your goals. Of course, you cannot just do easy swimming it will need to be medium to vigorous efforts but the PAYOFF is supreme in a sense.
You'll walk around king chip, sculpted like an Ice Block squared and Teed off!
Do front stroke and back stroke to tone the front and back.
Use a flipper board and kick through the water at a moderate to vigorous effort to tone the legs.
Since I have started swimming I have only been interested in the cardio benefit to strengthen my heart and lungs. In the process, my body has experienced several "adaptations" I pass by a mirror and have to double check that its in fact me I'm staring at in the reflection.
So in conclusion, SWIM
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Wow lots of posts and not enough time to read them all so I apologize if this has been reiterated.
If you haven't already entertained the idea of SWIMMING I would seriously look towards that as a great option to achieve your goals. Of course, you cannot just do easy swimming it will need to be medium to vigorous efforts but the PAYOFF is supreme in a sense.
You'll walk around king chip, sculpted like an Ice Block squared and Teed off!
Do front stroke and back stroke to tone the front and back.
Use a flipper board and kick through the water at a moderate to vigorous effort to tone the legs.
Since I have started swimming I have only been interested in the cardio benefit to strengthen my heart and lungs. In the process, my body has experienced several "adaptations" I pass by a mirror and have to double check that its in fact me I'm staring at in the reflection.
So in conclusion, SWIM
..hm..0 -
also I'd like to quickly mention with my above post on swimming to maintain the weight lifting or strength training regimen that you are currently on
. this coupled with some swimming during the week and moderate too hard intensity will give you exactly what you want or are looking for0 -
King Kamali is a pro body builder (just one of many) who look like refrigerators to me in the offseason. Especially when their bellies distend further out than their chests.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWT5YvE8emg
So being leaner does matter.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yeah, I'm definitely not on the same level King Kamali, and not even close. If I were similar to King Kamali, and I wanted to look ripped while not flexing, I would probably have to go anorexic so that my body burns muscle, since there isn't even any fat to burn.
My issue is with a layer of "chub" lining my entire body, sitting ontop of my naturally formed kinda bulky muscle. I think the answer is that I need to ensure I eat enough each day that my body doesn't go into shock mode causing it to keep fat, but not so much that I don't even lose any weight and instead just maintain. I'm looking for the "secret" number of calories that someone else has experimented with, who is 6'1", with an "athletic" build, who weighs between 230-260. I currently weigh 258, so if i could find someone similar to me, who was also trying to achieve the same thing of reducing body fat% without eating away muscle, that would be great for me to also experiment with.
About 8 years ago, I lost quite a bit of "weight", but I did it entirely wrong. I ate about 500 calories a day. I slimmed down, but the layer of chub was mostly still there. Instead, my muscles shrunk, causing my overall body to be lighter. I actually felt much better weighing less, but this time around, I want to not only weigh less than I currently weigh, I want to lower my body fat % via eating, I guess.0 -
A company called Alpha Training Protocols posted this a while back. Her body fat is low, so she looks great even when she isn't flexing. As you drop the fat you'll see that you don't have to flex to look like you are fit.
Image can be found here:
I would have to eat absolutely 100% perfectly to ever get like this. Not even a single crumb off plan would be allowed.0 -
also I'd like to quickly mention with my above post on swimming to maintain the weight lifting or strength training regimen that you are currently on
. this coupled with some swimming during the week and moderate too hard intensity will give you exactly what you want or are looking for
If my gym had a pool, I'd swim. Very few gyms have pools in downtown Austin, unfortunately.0 -
sigh.
Unless you're actually tramatizing your body by doing literal starvation- you're not going to go into "shock mode" (whatever that means)- and secondly- you don't have naturally formed kind of bulky muscles. you either lift and have muscles- or you don't.
secondly - there is no "Secret" number of calories.
And there is no magic number- it's a range of numbers.
you just need to keep lifting and get into a deficit- you can lose weight and still keep muscle- it's called cutting- thousands of people do it regularly. You won't cannabolize your own muscle- you aren't a special snow flake.
just get into a calorie deficit and keep lifting.0 -
sigh.
Unless you're actually tramatizing your body by doing literal starvation- you're not going to go into "shock mode" (whatever that means)- and secondly- you don't have naturally formed kind of bulky muscles. you either lift and have muscles- or you don't.
secondly - there is no "Secret" number of calories.
And there is no magic number- it's a range of numbers.
you just need to keep lifting and get into a deficit- you can lose weight and still keep muscle- it's called cutting- thousands of people do it regularly. You won't cannabolize your own muscle- you aren't a special snow flake.
just get into a calorie deficit and keep lifting.
Gotcha. So when people say that your body chooses to keep fat over muscle, in response to taking in few calories, they aren't being specific enough on what "too few calories" really is? In other words, eating even as low as 1200 calories a day isn't low enough to cause your body to think it's deprived, thus prioritizing muscle burn over fat?0 -
drewlamonte wrote: »A company called Alpha Training Protocols posted this a while back. Her body fat is low, so she looks great even when she isn't flexing. As you drop the fat you'll see that you don't have to flex to look like you are fit.
Image can be found here:
I would have to eat absolutely 100% perfectly to ever get like this. Not even a single crumb off plan would be allowed.
Well of course you wouldn't with that attitude.0 -
sigh.
Unless you're actually tramatizing your body by doing literal starvation- you're not going to go into "shock mode" (whatever that means)- and secondly- you don't have naturally formed kind of bulky muscles. you either lift and have muscles- or you don't.
secondly - there is no "Secret" number of calories.
And there is no magic number- it's a range of numbers.
you just need to keep lifting and get into a deficit- you can lose weight and still keep muscle- it's called cutting- thousands of people do it regularly. You won't cannabolize your own muscle- you aren't a special snow flake.
just get into a calorie deficit and keep lifting.
Also, I'm doing a calorie deficit, but also lifting heavy.
I do have muscle on my body. I used to be able to squat 450 and bench 315. I'm no serious body builder though, unless I actually am and I don't know it.0 -
There are lots of "smooth" swimmers at my facility. Vigorous one's too. While exercise matters because it can create deficit and retain lean muscle, DIET is the key factor to getting lean.Wow lots of posts and not enough time to read them all so I apologize if this has been reiterated.
If you haven't already entertained the idea of SWIMMING I would seriously look towards that as a great option to achieve your goals. Of course, you cannot just do easy swimming it will need to be medium to vigorous efforts but the PAYOFF is supreme in a sense.
You'll walk around king chip, sculpted like an Ice Block squared and Teed off!
Do front stroke and back stroke to tone the front and back.
Use a flipper board and kick through the water at a moderate to vigorous effort to tone the legs.
Since I have started swimming I have only been interested in the cardio benefit to strengthen my heart and lungs. In the process, my body has experienced several "adaptations" I pass by a mirror and have to double check that its in fact me I'm staring at in the reflection.
So in conclusion, SWIM
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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drewlamonte wrote: »A company called Alpha Training Protocols posted this a while back. Her body fat is low, so she looks great even when she isn't flexing. As you drop the fat you'll see that you don't have to flex to look like you are fit.
Image can be found here:
I would have to eat absolutely 100% perfectly to ever get like this. Not even a single crumb off plan would be allowed.
Well of course you wouldn't with that attitude.
Sigh. Ok maybe I can 0 -
I would think that all Fitness, Figure, Bikini and bodybuilding competitors would do this then to get the look they want............................but the majority don't. Of course with some PED's are involved, but swimming is just another physical activity one CAN do if they decide to. Physical activity is subjective for many.also I'd like to quickly mention with my above post on swimming to maintain the weight lifting or strength training regimen that you are currently on
. this coupled with some swimming during the week and moderate too hard intensity will give you exactly what you want or are looking for
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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For a male, being 10%-12% body fat ALL YEAR around would be lean enough to show off muscle without flexing. There aren't a lot of people that are that way though with the exception of sports athletes.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 0 -
drewlamonte wrote: »A company called Alpha Training Protocols posted this a while back. Her body fat is low, so she looks great even when she isn't flexing. As you drop the fat you'll see that you don't have to flex to look like you are fit.
Image can be found here:
I would have to eat absolutely 100% perfectly to ever get like this. Not even a single crumb off plan would be allowed.
She probably had to eat 100% perfectly on plan to look like this too... No one gets it easy. We all have to work for it - but we all have to put in different kinds of work to see similar results based on the hand we're dealt.
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