Why do we rarely see people walking around below 10% body fat? Well, because it’s extremely difficult to achieve that in the first place, and even more difficult to sustain it for a long period of time!
I have heard ridiculous claims of 3-4% body fat this and 5% body fat that over the years and most of it is all bullshit. Most men are taking an amateur bodybuilding stage somewhere around 7% body fat and some are even higher than that. I don’t think most people understand just how low 3-4% body fat really is! It’s pretty much like finding a unicorn!
Heck, I’d say that few people can fall even as low as 10% body fat because they will simply quit before they ever get there. So why do they quit? Well, it could be for any number of reasons but I’d say the biggest reasons men stop dropping body fat is because of:
- Too many hours at work and not available time to eat properly
- Getting involved with a woman and dropping gym time for her (which you should NEVER DO)
- The monotony of dieting and getting tired of eating exactly the same foods day in and day out
- The cost of increasing protein amounts in the diet
- The irritability that can come from being hungry
- Depression that can come from dieting (you stop looking at yourself in a positive way because you don’t feel good)
All of the reasons I mentioned are common reasons that people will fall off the diet wagon, but there is a more common theme than even those concerning fat loss among a lot of experienced gym goers…
THEY CANNOT ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES OF STRENGTH LEVEL AS IT PERTAINS TO FAT LOSS!
That’s right, when strength begins to drop a lot of guys will look at themselves as smaller. They’ll not only feel smaller, they’ll see a smaller person staring back at them in the mirror. They’ll see a photo of how they look in a photo and they’ll think they look small. They’ll stop feeling like one of the stronger guys in the gym or they’ll develop an inferiority complex when they go out in public.
In all reality they’re on their way to getting a better looking physique but they’re fighting it too hard! They’re not letting the chips fall where they may and seeing it out until they are completely sliced and diced! The same happens with a lot of guys who try to grow. As soon as the appearance changes in relation to the increased food intake they throw in the towel and stop moving forward!
Do you know what this creates? This creates nothing! It makes a person do nothing but piss in the wind in terms of what they can do with their body, because they’re constantly fighting it!
It’s important to recognize why changes are happening when you’re trying to do something with your body. It’s almost like someone who is drunk, but they understand that they’re drunk. They know why they feel different than usual after they drank those 8 beers. Well, you should know why you look and feel different after you cut out carbs or dropped total caloric intake!
But it’s harder to recognize with your body and brain connection because there are more factors that come into play over a longer span of time. Things like endorphins, hormone levels, serotonin, available energy stored on the body as fat, and all of the things that create your body’s normal level of homeostasis become altered.
The more you go through with this, the more you recognize the changes and deal better with the feelings. But unfortunately, most people will just flat out quit before learning to adapt to changes. They also won’t hang in there long enough to actually see muscle definition.
Commonly, what happens in the first month of trying to get shredded is that you won’t lose a significant level of body fat over fluid weight, and although you’ll be leaner it’s not going to look like what you envisioned in your mind when you look in the mirror. Actually, even I go through this every single time I diet down!
It just hasn’t been long enough, that’s all! Now, how do you stick to it long enough? Well my friends, I cannot answer all of that in one article. Learn to roll with the punches and understand that as your diet changes it’ll directly warrant a change in training.
I can’t wait for this to drop!
All of your books and advice has been very helpful to me. I eagerly await this next offering.
When dieting I always somehow manage to look fat and also small to myself in the mirror. But yeah the strength collapse is real, and just roll with it. I mentally just tell myself “I am only here to remind the muscles I still want them not to be impressive” My big hits come from other life stresses getting to me and I just break and eat like shit for a while before I mentally pull out “Damn it, what have I done?!?!”
At 54 and still running at 7% bf. It’s all about lifestyle. Kitchen and hard work! It can be done
Yep, you’re right!! It definitely takes consistency and dieting hard
Awesome can’t wait
John would you say that most people underestimate their BF %? I’ve heard that most people who claim 7-8 are really 10, guys who claim 10 are really 12-14, guys who claim 15 are closer to 20 and so on…
Absolutely
Hey John,
Fantastic article. I just want your opinion on something since you’ve brought up the topic “girlfriend that doesn’t want you to hit the gym”
I met a fantastic girl, and she’s wonderful, supportive, loves that I hit the gym.
Well.. there’s no easy way to say this. I became soft. I still am. Lost my energy and reason to diet since she accepts me as I am. Of course I don’t, but her love and acceptance made me go easy on diet and weights.
Do I make sense? Is there a way out of this that doesn’t involve breaking up with her?
I want my rage back, ‘cos.. well, I miss it.
That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. If you lost your edge it’s because you allowed it to happen, don’t use the girl as an excuse. Life goes on outside of just the gym. If that’s the only reason you’re considering ending it then I feel bad for the girl.
Best reply ever
The very best information available, can’t wait for your new book.
Great advices as usual. Thanks John!
I have been reading tons of books since I was 25 Y.O. I converted 96kg of fat into 63 of muscle; but after that, I loved the mindstyle of bodybuilders, and I would like to think as one of them, one of you, and of course, train hard as well. I always have been disciplined, in every fact of my life, but I need good books, good tips to put my efforts on practice (food, kitchen, training… everything) and doing it in the correct way (not wasting time), and this can be the bible I have been waiting for so long!
I am from Spain (sorry about a not perfect redaction), but I will buy this book, no matter if it’s in english, french or any other language. Thanks J.D!
Hey John
What’s your opinion on using T3 to get the last couple of kilo’s of fat off (in combination with some AAS to protect muscle)? I have a six pack but it’s faint and extremely stubborn to get rid of the fat. I heard that the idea you damage your thyroid is a total myth?
Personally I don’t care for it because it always stripped muscle from me. But that’s just me
Hi JD after reading your books, I had test done and am now on TRT. Going to start a new cycle with tren A and would like to know is there any need for PCT anymore?
have you looked into my ebook “NO-BS BODYBUILDING”? That will answer a lot of your questions about staying on and TRT. Thanks