Wanting bodyfat below 10%

2

Replies

  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    If you have stalled and have been doing this for awhile....which is sure seems like you have.....take a break. Both from the gym and from the nutrition. Now, not talking about several weeks. A few days. Maybe a week. But just kinda chill for a moment.....

    I think that someone else suggested that. So, forgive me for being a copy cat.

    Also, what is your goal? Yes, you sorta answered that in your 'body fat under 10%' comment. But what is your real goal? Walking around with a body fat under 10% every day is tough, man! Well, for most people! And, no - I am no where near 10% body fat (on the plus side of 10%).
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    If you have stalled and have been doing this for awhile....which is sure seems like you have.....take a break. Both from the gym and from the nutrition. Now, not talking about several weeks. A few days. Maybe a week. But just kinda chill for a moment.....

    I think that someone else suggested that. So, forgive me for being a copy cat.

    Also, what is your goal? Yes, you sorta answered that in your 'body fat under 10%' comment. But what is your real goal? Walking around with a body fat under 10% every day is tough, man! Well, for most people! And, no - I am no where near 10% body fat (on the plus side of 10%).

    I would say it's the getting to 9-10% that seems so difficult for most people. Once you have done what it takes to get there, holding it is much easier.

    Now, trying to stay in the 6-8% range is where things become a severe pain in the *kitten*, because you're treading a pretty fine line between eating enough to avoid catabolism and not putting on bodyfat. Anything lower, and we're talking temporary states for nearly anyone, with very few exceptions (I can think of two).
  • donkey9512
    donkey9512 Posts: 60 Member
    macrogoals wrote: »
    Currently , 6'2 215. Bodyfat is 11.8%, but been stuck for 2 months. Thoughts on successful ways to lower percent below 10?

    Obviously, I am assuming your diet and workout regimen are already on point. If not, that is the first place to look.

    With that said, some things that I've found to be successful in order of easiest to miserable-est:

    1) Intermittent fasting (TBH you'll probably need more than this to hit 8% unless you have got tier genetics)
    2) Ice baths: start at 60 degree water temp, and work your way down to 50. Get out as soon as you start to shiver. It'll be really short at first, but eventually you want to work up to 30-40 minutes in 50 degree water. This helps a lot with stubborn abdominal fat.
    3) Cyclical ketogenic diet
    4) CKD+glycogen depletion workouts (check out UD2.0 for a good example protocol)

    If not of that works, you can always try a PSMF, but you are almost certain to lose some lean body mass as well with that approach.

    I hope that I never need to go through keto diet to get to 10%. That is the sweet spot for being asthetically attractive for men anyway. I find it gross when people are full of veins.
  • se015
    se015 Posts: 583 Member
    Rusty740 wrote: »
    macrogoals wrote: »
    Since November

    That's a long time. I'd take a maintenance break for a month or two, get your NEAT up a bit (it's suppressed at the moment), then try again. You are assuredly losing some muscle with the fat and getting a lower BF will be counter productive at this point. Could be better to bulk first, gain some pounds and try again with a higher lean mass and NEAT.

    Although... I was in a long cut and my goal was almost within reach. Intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast and having black coffee allowed me to adhere to my calories better and my weight dropped, I used it for 3 months. IF is in my bag of tricks now for when it's cut time again.

    What's NEAT?
  • donkey9512
    donkey9512 Posts: 60 Member
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    Rusty740 wrote: »
    macrogoals wrote: »
    Since November

    That's a long time. I'd take a maintenance break for a month or two, get your NEAT up a bit (it's suppressed at the moment), then try again. You are assuredly losing some muscle with the fat and getting a lower BF will be counter productive at this point. Could be better to bulk first, gain some pounds and try again with a higher lean mass and NEAT.

    Although... I was in a long cut and my goal was almost within reach. Intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast and having black coffee allowed me to adhere to my calories better and my weight dropped, I used it for 3 months. IF is in my bag of tricks now for when it's cut time again.

    What's NEAT?

    What is 'IF' (Moderators: can we get a glossary of terms?)
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    NEAT - non exercise activity thermogenesis, the calories we burn doing day to day stuff

    IF - intermittent fasting
  • donkey9512
    donkey9512 Posts: 60 Member
    edited September 2017
    Thanks. Is there a way to reach 10% bf without anything extreme like Keto? I'm Italian and cannot fathom cutting out pasta. I am so close at 12% but been stuck at 12% bf.
    (I will give up bodybuilding before I give up pasta)
  • buffgrl
    buffgrl Posts: 32 Member
    10% is no easy feat for most guys- your body may not naturally want to go there. Without seeing everything you're doing - diet and workout, its hard to say, but yeah, you will probably have to cut back on the pasta :( . Having said that however, I should mention that your calories are uber LOW for someone your size and activity levels! I am a 5'6 155lbs female and I eat way more than you! And I'm pretty lean and still leaning out! Your metabolism may be kaput from eating too low calorie for too long. I recommend REFEEDING for a couple weeks at or slightly above maintenance to get your metabolism going again, and then some form of CALORIE and/or CARB CYCLING, then see how far you get with that. You may need to pull out the big guns (keto, "supplements") to get to 10% or below depending on your genetics. You can only get so lean "naturally" before your body hits a certain point where more drastic measures are needed to achieve extreme leanness. Only a few genetic freaks can get ultra low body fat without a lot of sacrifice
  • donkey9512
    donkey9512 Posts: 60 Member
    edited September 2017
    Thanks. I guess I am a manlet.

    According to the calculations for 142 pound 5 foot 6 male at 48 years of age and moderate activity, 2250 is about maintenance calarories. Is that too low for maintenance? That is why I use 1850 calories for cutting.
  • jlhflex
    jlhflex Posts: 107 Member
    I have been some where between 4% when I cutting and now 8%, all of my life. This may be the opposite of yall but Im trying to get Over 10% lol
  • jamesakrobinson
    jamesakrobinson Posts: 2,149 Member
    My photo is about 8.1% I had a Dexa earlier that day... The leanest I ever got (usually in the 8s by the time the pools and beaches open) .
    It's winter now and I'm fattening up to between 10 and 12 and staying there until spring in the hopes of adding a bit more lean mass. I'm in my 50s so it's harder every year to add muscle but I seem to be able to rip off the fat fairly quickly.
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    You can continue to eat pasta but not much of it.

    For example limit your spaghetti to less than 5 strands.

    (Just kidding.)

    Seriously, pasta is very calories dense so you can't eat much of it.
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 887 Member
    edited November 2017
    Unless that's a person with a lot of visceral fat and a fatty liver that is more like 4. That's far more shredded than unlimited IFBB pros full of drugs and dehydrate. They typically hit the stage between 3 and 5.

    That’s burto Nunez 6 weeks out from show
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 887 Member
    Nobody since munzer really hits 3%
    Well apart from this guy

    bqolvb8ibsoz.png
  • jamesakrobinson
    jamesakrobinson Posts: 2,149 Member
    LOL Somebody get that guy a sandwich and a glass of water STAT! :o
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    I prefer this look...

    Reg Park

    Reg_Park_photo131.jpg
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
    Unless that's a person with a lot of visceral fat and a fatty liver that is more like 4. That's far more shredded than unlimited IFBB pros full of drugs and dehydrate. They typically hit the stage between 3 and 5.

    Or people overestimate their leanness....