When I mean very lean I’m talking sub 12% bf more closer to 8%
If you’re not competing, what is it that drives or motivates you to stay lean year round? More specifically for guys who are not genetically predisposed to being lean and or love junk food. What makes that sacrifice worth it for you?
Is it for vanity purposes? Do you notice general public and peers treat you differently now that you’re jacked and shredded? There’s a saying can’t remember where but it goes, “Nothing tastes as good as looking good.” I think lol
Of course most guys can take steroids, lift hard and get big living comfortably probably around 15% bf. But getting jacked and shredded is a completely different game that requires more discipline.
So if you’re not competing or making a living off of your physique why go the extra mile to live a strict disciplined lifestyle?
I have strong feelings about this so here's a response much longer than what you probably wanted. It'll probably piss off some of the hardcore bodybuilding ogres.
I do compete but I'm still planning to stay sub 12% year round. People in the west have this weird urge to counter-signal their need for approval from other human beings. "You shouldn't care what other people think of you" and "just be yourself" and "stop worrying about your appearance so much" and "do it for yourself, not for other people". but in fact we know from social science empirically that people treat you massively differently based on the way you look, even in contexts where it ostensibly doesn't matter. All of these are meaningless aphorisms people spout off perhaps because the truth paints a grim and bleak picture of human nature. Parents literally give more attention to their more physically attractive infants and students literally learn better from more physically attractive teachers (I am a high school teacher). Cats and dogs look at more attractive human faces for longer than less attractive ones. More physically attractive people earn more than less physically attractive people, and the penalty for being unattractive is larger for males than females while the rewards to being attractive are barely smaller for males than females.
Human being are deeply social animals who are constantly unconsciously placing everyone they encounter into a hierarchy. Two of our deepest needs are for acceptance and social status. Having an aesthetic and lean body is a very convenient way to achieve both without ever opening your mouth. Besides other bodybuilders, most people don't really like the huge bloated hypermasculinized bearded with tons of unchecked bodyhair but very muscular look; it's actually even somewhat repulsive to the opposite sex at large and has only a niche appeal. I'm kind of blown away at the gaslighting and denial of human nature that takes place in the western world.
Being appealing to the opposite sex is actually very important to me and I wish I hadn't actually believed the message of "bro women don't care about looks you just gotta not give a fuck. Nobody likes metrosexuals who are obsessed over maintaining their appearance". This is a bunch of nonsense...super metro guys who put as much effort into grooming, fashion, managing bodyfat, hair, and even cosmetic enhancements are generally far more appealing to the opposite sex than those that don't. Look at who the girls worship on tiktok... these guys probably take 1 hour to get ready to leave the house to go on a date to the local Olive Garden with their girlfriend. Do girls like muscular guys or not is a stupid question to ask: The answer is neither, they like LEAN guys regardless of muscle mass. When I did long bulks and excruciating white-knuckle cuts I remember the attention I would get from the opposite sex consistently skyrocketted; why not just bulk a lot less and stay leaner then?
I love to bodybuild and I do classic physique competitions, but honestly? HONESTLY? the pageantry, metrosexual looksmaxxing, dressing in a way the maximizes how good I look when I'm just out and about going to work or the grocery store or whatever and being able to take off my shirt at any given time and impress TF out of people and get girls wet is way more important to me than how I place at a competition. I like to feel good in my own skin and have other people appreciate my appearance year round, not just 10 weeks out.
Since I started treating bodybuilding this way my life has changed a lot... people randomly smile at me and give me compliments, I'm able to date hotter girls and get better treatment from them, 15-19 year old female students simp for me all day long, colleagues randomly give me compliments, I had an easier time negotiating a higher salary at a new job I'm starting next month, and overall I just feel a lot better physically being leaner and lighter. My bloodwork is a million times better despite taking harsher anabolics, and my sleep has improved.
I unapologetically do this "for other people" and because of the huge social benefits it confers, but obviously I also enjoy the lifestyle and process too. Western pop psychology would have you believe this indicates some deep insecurity, warped perception, or dysmorphia. But people here in China get it... Look good, feel good, be treated better by people. Human beings in 2024 in major urban areas are encountering thousands of people per day; simple heuristics like external appearance become all they have to go off of in judging somebody and deciding whether they are worth getting acquainted with in platonic, professional, or romantic contexts. The Chinese bbing fed, DMS, leans into the pageantry of bodybuilding much more than in the west. Almost all men's physique guys do makeup on show day and at least half of classic dudes as well. We even have male "sports model" division and female "goddess model" divisions at our local shows which are literally more about the glam/modelling/pageantry and the muscles are secondary.
Guess we all have different definitions of what that means.
