Anyone in the 10% body fat range?

At some point between trying to get from 15% to "stage-ready", you lose a little bit of yourself. I've been sub-10% many times. The first time, it was a disaster. I was extremely lean (like...veins in my abs lean), but I had lost so much muscle. The second time, I got there (as you can see in my first few profile pictures), but I was flat and lacked density. I put on 6 pounds for my next phase and filled out, but I stopped after that. The last time I was sub 10 was 2014.

The first time is the hardest. Took me about a year and a half of extremely antisocial behavior to achieve it. Everything in your life becomes about a singular goal. I tore my pec in the summer of 2009 and literally fell into a depression because I couldn't train. Spent about 6000 dollars on therapy and surgery even though I was basically dead broke just so I could continue.

I ate nothing but oatmeal, chicken breast, brown rice, and random veggies with no salt for about 6 weeks as I was approaching my leanest. When the show was over and I had a double burger from In N Out, I collapsed because of what I can only explain as an insulin/fat shock...literally blacked out.

The rules of dieting and nutrition are different now, and people generally can get away with more. But I assure you, people trying to get from 10% to 8% are not eating "flexible diets". They're eating hardcore old-school bodybuilder diets. They're training twice a day and they're sleeping 8 hours on average. How hard was it to get there? The only way to know is to get there.

At 12% based on hydrostatic test at end of Oct. Should be a bit less now. Visible 6 pack and lots of muscular definition. Next hydro test due in early March.

Took me 6 months of dedication and determination to get there. Lost 36# in the process. In maintenance the past 2 months at 160.

Logged all foods and weighed self daily. Lots of cardio early on, not much anymore. Heavy progressive lifting throughout.

Various accessory exercises over time. All dropped in favor of just doing DL, SQT, BP and OHP. Only doing pullups, pushups, dips, GHRs and sissy squats for assistance now.

For most people it's very hard. Which is why you don't see very many people get there & stay there. I usually float above that, and every now and then will give it a shot to lean out even more, but I admit I don't want to follow a meticulous regimen that I would need to do so.