At what bf level you feel good? Setpoint

[Tomgrass]

Till when you are ok ? It took me years to be in situation where I can feel really good at 6-8 % bf. I did awful lot of cutting cycles bringing down low bodyfat setpoint. Also staying very lean for a long periods of time adjusted my body to be able operate normal day to day without cravings. In fact I prefer cutting due to the fact that I work in retail and there is nothing worse then bulking and being stuffed coming from break to deal with delivery… wanna puke Bboy probably gonna be leanest guy year round here but I bet this forum have a lot of guys who are year round almost shredded. So guys how lean can you be?

 

[juggy38]

Former fat boy checking in…about 12-13% I’m rocking and rolling. 10% is doable, but the brain fog is pretty bad on long work days. Under 10% and I’m dogshit for anything other than looking good naked.

If I fuck up at work someone might die lol.

 

[Virtuous]

10-12% mentally and physically I feel best, but 8-10% I feel the best about my physique.

 

[scmtnboy]

I posted pics today and where I'm at is maintainable for me and about the perfect balance of being just lean enough that I am happy and strength is generally pretty good in the gym. The Inbody at my gym puts me at 3.7% but I'm probably around 8-10%

 

[luki7788]

I posted pics today and where I'm at is maintainable for me and about the perfect balance of being just lean enough that I am happy and strength is generally pretty good in the gym. The Inbody at my gym puts me at 3.7% but I'm probably around 8-10%

no fucking option - 6-7% just hold a little more subcutaneous water 4-5 weeks and you're ready for the contest

 

[Blswan]

Throwing my hat in the ring since you asked. I'm not naturally lean at all. It takes hard work to be below 15% for me so thats where I stay. You can see my abs, but it doesn't require more than a solid nutrition plan and I can still have some out to dinners / drinks etc sparingly. Anything below that is crunch time and hard to maintain. But I'm not a competitor at all and think I look decent at that level.

 

[Tomgrass]

Luki is another everyday shredded guy

 

[165StateChamp]

Feel great with lines in glutes as long as food is high but not pushed to a surplus with the intention of growing. Can maintain year round with zero issue. Think 2-3 weeks out look.

 

[BLang]

Luki is another everyday shredded guy

Not sure where Luki sits BF-wise, but don't mistake "has so much muscle that he can have a 6-pack and be vascular af 20% bf" guys with "somehow manages to maintain 8% year round" guys.

For me, it's probably around 12% that my body starts fighting it, and my body very much does not like the thought of having a 6-pack at all.

 

[Tomgrass]

Not sure where Luki sits BF-wise, but don't mistake "has so much muscle that he can have a 6-pack and be vascular af 20% bf" guys with "somehow manages to maintain 8% year round" guys.

For me, it's probably around 12% that my body starts fighting it, and my body very much does not like the thought of having a 6-pack at all.

Yeah…i saw his picture when he said that he is out of the shape with almost christmas tree so imagine

 

[Ruhlfreak55]

I haven't observed my setpoint come down a lot I don't think. Plus the way I hold water I never look lean unless I'm 4% and have cut water. Realistically I probably stay in the ~14% area, but to most eyes I look fatter bc of the water.

 

[RepZZ]

What method are you using for BF%. Thanks

 

[BLang]

What method are you using for BF%. Thanks

I'm big on the "pull a number out of my ass" method.

 

[cage99]

Me personally, hang round 14%; come summer months I’ll be down to 11-12%. No desire to go any lower. As long as I look great naked…

The f’n food is just to damn good around here and I’m not competing. And now we in the middle of crawfish season here too! End of story for me!

Cage

 

[Performance Based]

12-13% is where I hover if I do not watch my food intake. Drop to 9%ish if I actually drop calories.

According to dexa 8.2 is the lowest I’ve ever gone and I felt absolutely terrible.

 

[qbkilla]

I don't know if set point can be changed. I started our thinking the scale mattered, wanted to be the biggest strongest guy in gym. 5x5 routine, 6k a day, for bigger fatter, stronger, added 10lbs to my 5x5 bench per week till the pec tore... Looking back I was a fool, unhealthy, high BP, too high bf. Got injured knew I couldn't move weight like that again, realized how out of shape I was, so went the opposite, didn't want to be the biggest guy in gym let's try being the leanest. But at some point eating 2k , face being sunk in, no energy, dick doesn't work when your too big or too lean not eating enough. No idea how anyone can eat 2200 over a long period of time. I found a sweet spot 3k calories a day 185-190, feel good, libido through the roof, BP good, can train hard, no meds needed, minimal AAS. I think the key is if you want to stay lean year round, can you create a diet that is sustainable. 3k calories is nothing so lots of green veggies, mushrooms, intermittent fasting, make it sustainable for me. Need to tighten up drop to 2k for a week, want to push things creep up over 3100 the scale shoots up, but when it hits 195,200,205 I start to get some palpitations, BP issues...not the best for being almost 40.

 

[slesh]

I can walk around single digit all year and feel good mentally. Just not doing it right now because I’m trying to put on more size. Will drop back down again in a month or two…

 

[luki7788]

I can walk around single digit all year and feel good mentally. Just not doing it right now because I’m trying to put on more size. Will drop back down again in a month or two…

you will still be on single percent even if you add some fat while bulking - from 6% to 8% lol

 

[Aikman56]

I was fat growing up, and even into my 30s, I would get fat in the offseason. I convinced myself that I was "putting on muscle"...nope. I was eating like an asshole and growing titties.

Over the course of the last 7 years or so, I have controlled what I eat all year. I'm to the point now that I'm eating WAY more than I used to in the offseason, but I never let my bf creep over 8 or 9%.

I feel great physically here, strong and energetic, but the only time I feel good about how I LOOK is from about 10 weeks out and into a competition. Competing has completely fu*ked up my perception of self and my ability to enjoy easily maintaining a bf lower than 99% of the population. So where do I FEEL better. That all depends on whether we're talking physically or mentally.

 

[1fst400]

Till when you are ok ? It took me years to be in situation where I can feel really good at 6-8 % bf. I did awful lot of cutting cycles bringing down low bodyfat setpoint. Also staying very lean for a long periods of time adjusted my body to be able operate normal day to day without cravings. In fact I prefer cutting due to the fact that I work in retail and there is nothing worse then bulking and being stuffed coming from break to deal with delivery… wanna puke Bboy probably gonna be leanest guy year round here but I bet this forum have a lot of guys who are year round almost shredded. So guys how lean can you be?

I don’t believe anyone actually feels good below 10%. Liking what you see in the mirror below 10% may offset some. But probably not that happy.