Let's talk about REALISTIC bodyfat goals

[JJFigure]

For those of you wanting to achieve fitness competitor level of leaness, put down the Oxygen mag and listen to me for a minute. You can't maintain the level of leaness you see in the mags. Period. If you attempt to get that lean and maintain it, you will lose all your muscle and start looking like Ally McBeal.

It's really hard (REALLY HARD) to get as lean as the women we see in the mags. Do you really want to do a 12-16 week diet cycle where you measure all your food and count all your kcals and protein/carbs/fat grams? Do double workouts/cardio sessions? Because that's what it takes, and it's only really worth doing if you plan to step on stage and compete. Otherwise, I personally can't recommend doing it. Attempting to achieve competiiton level of leaness drives you just a little bit insane.

Set realistic bodyfat goals, and don't set them as you're paging through a fitness magazine. I found a bodyfat level I can be relatively happy with post season; a weight I know I can diet down to competition bodyfat within 12 weeks (although I plan to do a 14 week diet cycle next time), and that's my maintenance bodyfat. Even at that maintenance weight, I have to keep an eye on what I eat and work out religiously (not hard when you love to lift, but cardio still sucks). And, at that bodyweight I have very little lower body definition. I just accept that to build and keep muscle, you can't maintain 12% or less bodyfat. And I honestly should probably go to a higher maintenance bodyfat, but it's SO HARD to lose bodyfat for competition, I've chosen to live with a lower maintenance bodyfat as long as I'm competing.

I don't mean to come across negative; as women, we need to learn to accept we're meant to have a certain amount of bodyfat and we need to learn to love our bodies and quit setting unrealistic goals. That being said, time to go measure out my breakfast. 2 more weeks of this insanity!

 

[Vixi]

Wow! Glad you said it, JJ!
I read my Oxygen and M&F Hers backwards and forwards several times when a new issue comes out. I know that the fitness gals in those magazines are in a class by themselves but it is easy for less experienced women to buy into those images as permanent goals. The Jan. 2002 Oxygen is already out and Mocha Lee (5'6" tall) is on the cover. I think she looks amazing and would LOVE to achieve her look. In reading her stats and training tips it says that she typically carries 12-13% body fat at 1,700 calories daily 140lbs) off season and 10% body fat and 1,500 calories for contest (130lbs). I just don't know but doesn't that calorie intake sound low for a highly active person?

I suppose it is like when teenagers look in Cosmo or Elle and see those sick, emaciated models and think that is their ideal. Not really considering that their goal is not attainable on a permanent basis. A lot of women can fall into a similar mindset and see fitness models and go the same route, leading to disappointment.

But it can also be pretty motivating. I set my goal at 15% body fat. I suppose I need to revise my backup plan and not beat myself up if I don't quite make it. Or if I make it and can't stick to that level. My gym says that 20-33% body fat is what is healthy for women. (This gym is part of a grant/study from the local hospital.) 33% sounds pretty high. Even 25% sounds high. You just don't often read where a fitness model is 22% body fat off season. Guess that is taboo to tell?

It would be interesting to know the body fat % of EF women; off season competitors and those who just want to look great. Not the perfect number but the everyday version.

 

[Sassy69]

Good post! I think the first thing to determine is whether or not your goals are to compete or not. Have you ever seen those pix of Lee Priest off season ??? Holy God, he was a porker, but ripped to shreds on stage! Let's also not forget that the women shown in these magazines are dedicated professionally to this sort of competition -- but I'd like to hear what the older former competitors say about going through those swings in weight/body fat over years of competition and what its done to their metabolism later in life. And, btw, do you think any of those magazines are going to list the chemical help these women get to maintain those physiques?

EDUCATION! EDUCATION! EDUCATION!

 

[VeggieLifterChick]

Good post JJ.

Vixi asked what everyone's normal bf% is. Mine is 22-24. I feel like that's very high though, because I have the impression that most EF women have a bf in the teens. My goal has been to get to 16-18% and maintain it, and I've never gotten to that point and maintained it for more than a couple weeks. That's mainly because as JJ said it requires counting cals and grams and measuring portions and it just gets a little insane after awhile.

Lately I have been realizing that I have maintenance figured out to a T. If I lift 3-4 days a week and I do cardio 45 mins 4 times a week and I watch what I eat I will perfectly maintain at 135 and 22-24% body fat.

I have been thinking I'll try 6 days of cardio and add in sprints for a day or 2 instead of what I'd normally do, and throw in some r-ala, and be sure to eat clean. Once I've been doing that for awhile, I expect to look like I've been doing it. Whatever that is will hopefully be good enough for me. I'm so tired of setting goals I can't reach without discipline I don't have. I really want to compete but after having given contest dieting a shot this summer I realize that it is INSANITY to attempt to get that lean from a maintenance bf% in the 20s.

 

[hardbdygrl]

It's really hard (REALLY HARD) to get as lean as the women we see in the mags. Do you really want to do a 12-16 week diet cycle where you measure all your food and count all your kcals and protein/carbs/fat grams? Do double workouts/cardio sessions? Because that's what it takes, and it's only really worth doing if you plan to step on stage and compete. Otherwise, I personally can't recommend doing it. Attempting to achieve competiiton level of leaness drives you just a little bit insane.

you can't maintain 12% or less bodyfat.

JJ i am going to have to disagree here.... I have kept my B/f at about 7-8% for a long time and i dont seem to be losing any muscle mass, nor am i doing Double amounts of cardio.. I do watch what i eat, but i dont kill my self on cardio.
But everyone is different... but i just wanted to say that it is NOT impossible to be lean all the time.

 

[ariel]

Hardbodygirl,

are you or were you able to this without any assitance? I believe that JJ is indeed and has always trained without any AS, and from the info I gathered on this board and in real life, women hoping or trying to stay below 10% for any length of time need to be ON...

So JJ, I compeletly agree that naturally being very lean and keeping it is near impossible...But, with chemical assistance, one could stay pretty lean for long periods of time.

ariel

 

[rez]

i just tested my bf% today..came in at 15%. When I first started on this board I was 22%. So Im pretty happy with the change.
The only things is that im constantly thinking abou tmy diet, how I can improve it etc etc...I wish I could relax once in a while, but then I realise that relaxing wouldnt be worth it...being leaner is better.
its tough having a shitting metabolism...but im trying not to focus so much on lower body fat, but other goals such as increased strength and better body shape/posture.

ide have to agree that those magazines are inpirartion to keep at it...along with u guys on this board

 

[JJFigure]

Yes, Ariel, I was refering to staying lean without the help of anabolic substances. And you're right, Sassy, chances are some of the women (probably quite a few, actually) featured in the mags are getting a little chemical assistance. When I first started my quest to get lean, I thought it would be as simple as working out consistently and watching your diet a little. Instead, it's a much more difficult process than I had imagined - especially when you're trying to do it naturally. That's the part that no one talks about in the mags.

To get as lean as I want for this competition (where the leanest girls always win), I've had to lower my kcals to 1500 kcals/day during the week, and on my carb loads days I eat 2000 and 1750 kcals on Sat and Sun - giving me a 1600 kcal/day average. This is obnoxiously low IMO. I don't think natty competitors should do a ton of cardio either, since it tends to chew up the muscle, but I've had to start doing 2 short sessions (morning and evening) to keep my metabolism moving. Factor in the lifting and stretching, and I seriously have no life. I don't seem to be losing my muscle since I'm lifting so heavy right now, but if I tried to continue this level of kcals for much longer, it's inevitable I'd lose some serious muscle. Luckily, I only have to live like this for 2 more weeks.

 

[BrickGirl]

contest before I got down to 114, last contest got down to 119, next day after contest and after getting water back in was at 125, next day 128, gonna try to keep it under 130, I can keep it there without sacraficing much muscle, but there will be no cardio at all or I would wilt away. I am back on my base diet, in which is the same as contest diet, but the contest diet is 3/4's the carbs. Protein will be around 190 and it should sustain the muscle. So i will be about 11 pounds over my contest weight, I hope I can maintain that, we shall see

 

[jstar]

Informative post JJ, and I just got the new Oxygen mag today!!!

I will be starting my precontest diet 4 months out (working with a trainer who is helping me out on this - for my first show), right now I am cleaning up my diet and trying to gain some more muscle. I have always been around 22% bodyfat but I hope to stay slightly leaner in between contests so I won't have to diet so hard. I think 17-18% is probably realistic for me in between contets (figure) rather than trying to stay real lean like the fitness models. I mean, once they reach that level of fame they might be called for a photo shoot at any given time so they do have to stay near competition condition.

For the non-competitor though I think everyone has their own specific level of bodyfat they feel comfortable with which is achieved by a diet that is mostly clean but is not ultra-strict, and a weight training and cardio routine that fits your lifestyle/schedule.