I just wanna clarify that being big and higher bodyfat% is MY preference. There's plenty of lifters who prefer being lean for very valid reasons. Once you build the foundation you can chill at whatever bodyfat% you want. I'm just pointing out that if you're natty and want to maximize your size, you gotta be a little chunky
Just curious how long did it take you to build your foundation. It seems as though that's where I've been at and now starting to show gains. Just trying to figure out if I'm correct or if I'm lacking. Thanks in advance.
This is just misinformation. If you want to gain muscle as a natural, you do not need to bulk a crazy amount. 100 calorie surplus you’ll gain nearly the same amount of muscle as if you did a larger bulk without gaining s bunch of fst. I gained 13 lb of muscle in the last 6 months and I am still lean af because I did a slight bulk and I am stronger than I’ve every been not only with absolute strength but also poportional strength And, also, being big in shirts is overrated imo. Id you wear properly fitted shirts you can still show biceps and forearms just fine. I’d rather have a sleeper build and be athletic than be 200 lb and look “big” just to have a super high and unhealthy bmi and not be able to move and do the things I like to do
The author is not talking about being fat and unhealthy. You are right that you should still control your calorie surplus. All he is saying is that what the magazines would say is fat, 15-25% fat, in real life looks pretty awesome clothed, when you have the muscle to go with it, compared to 8-12% body fat. It’s not that anyone should start bulking an extra 10% bodyfat with Bulk 3000 over two months. They might consider getting slowly up to 20, 25% to maximise hormone production and energy. You know, for example, that cholesterol is a precursor of testosterone? So you need some animal fat, baseline, no argument to be had, that you need some fat on your body to get big. Let’s be more blunt than even that. Women prefer a bit of fat with a lot of muscle. teenaged girls, mentally immature women and gays prefer the abs and the skinny lean look. So, you pick who you want to be looking at you. In real life, minus the pot bellies, everyone is way more impressed with someone with a strongman competitor’s physique than arnold schwarzengruber. Just my opinion, no wait- actually that is reality. Big dudes with a bit of fat are way more manly and healthy than most bodybuilders.
All the compliments are from guys. Most of yall do it for girls but they find big big guys disgusting. Be athletic kinda strong. Bulking is such a waste of time hahaha
I get your point. Really, I do. But it's also about allocation. A lot of men stores excess body fat in a less balanced, comperatively really ugly way on their lower abdomen/lower back and it doesn't look good at all, so they are in a race of getting rid of those. Now if you are a manlet like me, that poor fat allocation is gonna be enhanced. I look like a fat dwarf with beer belly at ~15% or more despite having a relatively muscular base built over half a decade.
Agreed. I store the vast majority of my fat in my lower chest and stomach. Which poke through shirts. Barely any in my legs. Which gives the impression of me looking like i workout my upper body, but am still very overweight, and looking like I never have done a squat simultaneously.
I'm 6'6 and this is exactly why I stay lean hahahaha. ALL GOES TO THE WAIST. Personally tho, I feel better eating less (AKA not forcefeeding) and maintaining lower bf. I'm 23 so my metabolism is nuts, I honestly feel my workouts are better when I'm leaner. Slight slight surpluses, and random cheat days when I feel depleted. Seems to work well to keep me strong/growing while being lean. Everyone's body is different. Mine might be genetics too, but the bf around the waist sucks.
I’m losing weight in 5 pound increments because I didn’t want to go below 190 pounds. I have lost the fat everywhere except in my side chest. Now it looks like I have to drop down to 185 pounds. Hopefully I don’t have to lose much more weight to get rid of this side chest fat. Unfortunately you can’t spot reduce fat.
True that. Being predisposed to storing fat in your face is a damn curse. Hardly a point in gaining size for "looks" when the added size takes away your face's best features.
@@ize7821 im the opposite lmao. I think its a grass is greener. I hold fat almost entirely in my stomach, so i wanted to cut even when skinny, and my bulking limit is pretty small. almost no fat in my face neck arms etc
@@ize7821how old are you now? Trust me you’ll appreciate that quality as you age - people pay tens of thousands to restore facial fat because they lose it by the time they hit 40.
Yes higher bodyfats look great as long as you have a lot of muscle, the less muscle you have the lower bodyfat you need to not look shitty in my opinion
The range of bodyfat that looks aesthetic is narrower at a low muscle mass and wider at high muscle mass. Bear-mode without muscle is skinny-fat, and shredded without muscle is skeletor.
Yeah guys with slim frames who try to go for the bloatlord powerlifter look just look goofy. Nobody is impressed that your bench went from 225 to 250 because you gained 15 lbs of muscle-fat. It's better to just stay cut.
This video has just single-handedly justified my entire existence LOL. I'm 6'2" and went from 185 lbs to 270 lbs as of this morning over the course of the last 31 years of my lifting career as a Natty guy who just wanted to be big enough that people knew I lifted. Now I can't tell you how many guys just randomly call me big guy or big fella and women are constantly caught glancing at me, even my wife laughs at them when she see's it. YES occasionally I'll get down the rabbit hole of wanting to be Instagram diced, but I enjoy my life and eating the awesome food my wife cooks and I enjoy having some beers with my buddys. I've actually bumped into guys that are peeled on their FB or Instagram accounts and some envy comes over me, then I see them in real life and my God they are small to be honest and I am no longer envious. Im by no means fat, but by no means diced, Im pretty happy 95% of the time. Body Dysmorphia is a real thing. I've been on a continuous bulk for all 31 years since first day in the gym. at 47 Im still benching 385, OHP 225 for reps, deadlifting 525 and squatting 350 ass to grass. NOT impressive numbers by any means, but Im a father of 4, a husband, full time blue collar worker and just do this shit for fun. ENJOY the process Kings, eat the fucking Garlic bread and lift hard, stop being so hard on yourselves, you're already doing what 98% of the rest of the world isn't doing.
“31 year bulk” That’s dedication, brother. 🤘🏼 Keep in mind; your kids will unconsciously pick up on your unique “dad strength”, as they notice the majority other kids parents throughout their life, and it will only benefit them…without giving them BD.
@@alkankondo89 well Thank you. I guess Im guilty of watching too many Instagram and social media videos with guys pulling 700-800 lbs, benching 5 plates and squatting 5-6 plates haha so in comparison my numbers are dismall, but as they say comparison is a thief of joy.
Being leaner always makes ME look better. You can always fill out a T-Shirt, all you have to do is adjust the size. Being really lean and having forearm veins just popping out, especially if you have big forearms too, will catch everyone’s eye. Not to mention EVERYONE’S face looks better at a lower body fat %.
@@aucii Your body is more important than your face. I’d rather have a great athletic physique but be a 4 in the face than to have a good face but average or trash body. You can have an ugly face but still achieve a chiseled jaw line. Thats body game.
Ultimately this boils down to three criteria: 1) what are you really training for? If you want to lift a lot of weight or train volume, you need to have some body fat. It’s hard on the immune system to rage train @ low body fat. If you want to train hard at 8-10% yearly, it takes time to get used to. 2) are you truly confident in your physique? I’ve seen thick strong dudes walk around like kings and I’ve seen the shredded cross trainers walk like he can step through a well. Ive seen it all and it just boils down to what makes you feel great. Be yourself. 3) at a certain point, weight gain = negative health issues. Heavier guys in the gym (especially sauced up bros) will be honest about half of their body going numb if they sleep on their side. If they are on their back and they are scrolling, their hands immediately go numb and cold. If you skip your daily cardio you can have shortness of breath when you are just watching tv. I’ve seen it all guys. *20 years experience in the gym, for reference. I prefer being lean, as I have the best health and fitness at single digit body fat, but that’s me.
@@Christopher-ko9op they are massively fked up. I’ve seen dudes in their late 20’s struggle to piss because their prostates are so swollen. I have no idea if that’s a sauce issue but all the numbness is real 100%. At my biggest I was 16% BF and a tank, but my hands would go numb in 2min of scrolling on my backside. I started to do cardio when I was watching a movie and 30min I realized that I couldn’t catch my breath. Gaining weight has consequences.
My experience has been that most women LOVE abs. When I was younger, I was big and bulked out with no abs. When I got older, I decided to go lean. I was amazed at how many women responded very strongly to my abs. I would have women walk up to me and tell me that I had the perfect body. I am never going back to being bulked out with no abs--for me it's all about what most women find attractive, and it is without a doubt ABS.
I spent years scared to actually bulk hard, never getting above 190 lbs (i'm 6'6 mind you). I'm around 220 lbs today after bulking for a year and feel GREAT. Get way more compliments like you said, and another thing i've noticed is people want to talk to me about gym related stuff way more. It's almost as if other people, especially other guys that go to the gym, have only now started realizing that i take this stuff seriously, even though i have been taking it seriously for 6 years now. I looked DYEL for all those years so i get it, but it's funny how people have all of a sudden started noticing and want to talk to me about the gym
good points. it all depends on goals. im actually fine with the DYEL in shirt; aesthetic af shirtless build. like if you train mostly calisthenics then its probably harmful to put on fat even if some muscle comes with it. maybe just for one good bulk like you said.
As someone who was chubby/fat until I was like 26 around 215 pounds at 6’, no type of muscle definition at all, I promise I will do whatever it takes to keep my abs poking 😆
This guy is totally ignoring the facial aesthetic factor. Some of us carry too much weight in our face at a higher bodyfaty % and look much more attractive trimmed down.
The difference is having an interest in sport, if you climb and/or run being light is a massive advantage for both performance and injury prevention. So trying to have muscle/be strong while still having a fun life, requires a low body fat
Very interesting Take and one unlike any I’ve seen on UA-cam fitness before. New subscriber. As someone currently trying to cut by doing a 7000 cal weekly deficit, you really given me pause.
Thank you so much! I think we all needed this! I bulked for 6 years from 165 to 242 at 6'2 feet. I went from using Medium sized shirts to XXL and people differently noticed. Everything got thicker, thighs, neck, arms, chest and yes stomach too. No visible abs or any definition but I looked yoked as fuck especially with a pump. Been cutting for the past 6 months now, down to 225, but I really hate it, I only feel like I've gotten smaller and weaker. I will go back to gaining next month! My personal goal weightwise would be to sit comfortably at around 231-235lbs at around 17-18% BF. Cheers!
I tried to do my heavy lifting while being in a caloric deficit and my experience was atrocious. I could feel how much my body hated it, i was constantly hungry, i had to reduce all my weights by a lot and my progress came to a halt. I have no idea how some people actually do this for years.
Great message! I've bulked and cut a few times now and when I go back to my desired weight (170 for now) I always look better BECAUSE I put on more muscle during the bulk. The real gains are only made in the surplus when we can progress, train, and recover like monsters. This message needs to get out to more people, great video!
A lot of truth to this. I'm 5'9 153 lean and a good deal of muscle. I've been working out for 4 years. People at the gym joke with me asking for my "stack" and say stuff like "you're on tren". If I bulked to 170 I wouldn't hear the end of it. At the same time I want to, but that shi definitely comes with looks and stares. Which most guys like, but nowadays dudes will hate on you for being big it's crazy. With the compliments, comes sideyes, people talking about you, and roid accusations if you have good genetics. but f em. The ladies love it though, if you're not fugly.
What is often overlooked is posture. I look like I have a belly at 5 11 and 80 kg because of posture (and too much sitting). Luckily this can be worked on and ab training helps too. Spot on video!
but is it? I know a lot of women that prefer skinny guys over bodybuilder types and vice versa? Often it has more to do with height over muscle mass, a woman usually prefer a taller man with little muscle compared to a short man with muscle (evolutionary speaking).
@@Danuxsy being tall is also rare hence why its so desireable. Everything is relative so if youre considered tall, youre taller than most other people and thats why its rare. When women picture "bodybuilders" they picture steroids. Which looks unnatural or rather pathological. Like some kind of glandular dysfunction. Such muscle mass is hard to maintain in nature which diminishes fitness. In other words survival. Thats why roided bbers dont look sexually appealing
Not really. There are lots of things that demand effort, are difficult to achieve and rare to see, which are not desirable at all. For example, growing your nails several meters. Or being actually anorexic. Or extremely expensive botched unnecessary plastic surgeries. People like certain traits not because they're rare, that's not how biology works. We like those traits because we think either the man is a better warrior or the woman is more fertile, something like that anyways. That also explains why many people are born attractive without putting on any effort.
@@renato360a no one ever said weak disgusting dysfunctional wastefull but rare traits 😁 Obviously ones that increase fitness Like a tall healthy black guy with green eyes in a monocultural white society like where im in right now. Highly desireable by women 😁
I started lifting 3 years ago and have been on and off since then. I started taking things a little more seriously half a year ago. I try to be as consistent as I can with my diet and training, but university (and life in general) gets in the way very often. I never really got into consuming fitness related media (guess it never really clicked with me), until recently, which made me very self-conscious about my own physique. This video has lifted some self-inflicted insecurities I've set on myself because of this. Especially the pose down at 2:26! You look amazing. Thanks for the video! Hope everything goes well.
Good points. Im currently in the yellow im strong as hell and feel good but eh i miss the abs man. The market decides whats the most desirable unfortunately. And the musclular lean look is it 🤷🏾
I really love how real this talk is. I’m one of the hundreds of thousands who are aiming for the aesthetic physique, but I also have my feet on the ground (or I want to believe I do): my target physique has to be something I can maintain with moderate effort year round, I’m a working adult, taking a gap year atm and in the meantime aiming to get down to that 15%: once I go back to working I’ll barely have 3 hours per week to workout, so will have to rely on short but intense workouts along with extreme care on diet just to maintain (btw I work sitting all day in front of a computer, so it’s a super sedentary job, also I get 0 benefit increasing my lifts beyond probably 100% of my own body weight). Also it’s super true, you barely get any chance to flash those epic abs, so for most of us to look amazing with a shirt on will definitely make it
I don't suffer from this insecurity of looking big I'm 6 ft 6 Which means my lifespan has been cut by 30 years So I train just to be lean and to lower my resting heart rate
@@NoRockinMansLand The truth is that most negatives can be turned into positives and most positives into negatives, play well with the cards you've been dealt and you'll have a chance at winning.
5'6 to under 6'0 guys that can grow facial hair always look best when we have some bulk on us. Super lean doesn't look good at our height IMO. Good vid, really validated my feelings around body image.
@@MeadeSkeltonMusic i mean assuming you are talking about the same person you are talking about someone with like 182.75 lbs lean mass vs 153 lbs lean mass lol... These are different creatures. A realistic comparison might be 170 @ 10% vs 180 @15% that would be the same person without starting a cycle or 10 years of training.
@@jeremyrising Why? Steve Reeves was 6'1 and 215 lbs and around 15% body fat. That is what I mean. A more impressive physique, but higher body fat. I don't think any man 5'10 or taller should be below 190 lbs.
Im 235lbs and started lifting weights, i am down from 250lbs. i lost the first 20lbs from not eating and doing walking. the not eating was because of the pandemic i had got sick and had no taste buds. couldnt eat i had to force myself to eat stuff like soup and oatmeal. BEING 150LBS skinny, is my best body. My abs was showing, but i wore clothing that fit, Not baggy clothes and got females attention.
Great video man. Well spoken and straight to the point. I have come to the same conclusion this year after bulking for much longer than I ever have before and have become obsessed with my size and strength. The body dysmorphia kicks in on occasion but I know this while pay off in the long run so I can reach elite level
Spent almost all my lifting life (since 18 I'm 36 now on and off) worrying about leaness, being scared of the puff, looking scrawny. Getting older I stopped caring what people thought of my BF and started training hard and eating a lot. Gained 25 pounds of muscle (and some fat) but I get compliments everywhere ! Even the missus likes it more!
This is great for putting muscle size and looking like a big Polish truck driver but for men who want their face to look sharp during their youth/prime years it isn't as great.
180 lbs (11% bf ish) at 6'2 and 6 years of lifting, yet I get compliments on my physique with a T-Shirt on constantly even by strangers who have been lifting for years. I Can't relate with what you just said, good muscle insertions, vascularity leanness etc and strong arms/shoulders should make you look impressive even when you're leaner if you've been lifting for years.
Being big is cope. You'll just have more raw strength and sacrifice everything else;speed,mobility,endurance,looks. Most big dudes can't function right in a fight,hard pass.
As long as the core is stable and strong that’s what matters. As of now I’m mainly training my core to carry heavy loads for long periods of time since I’m in the army and training for special forces selection which I’m going in September. And the morning training that goes on here is a lot of running but honestly, being strong matters A LOT more than speed for this. I’m 190 and 5’9 so I have a decent amount of size but I still have solid 2 mile run times as I consistently hit the low 13 min mark.
I agree with almost everything you said, abs are the last muscle group i care about. Ultimately, for me, going to the gym is about seeing how far i can push my strength with good technique and full range of motion, mixing elements of power lifting and body building. And like you said, if you want to be lean all year round more power to you, but depending on your genetics, you may end up not making significant progress insize outside of your newbie gains. But BMI has to be the most useless antiquated pseudoscientific metric of health, its the old correlation =/= causation myth. Everyone's ideal fat % is completely different due to genetics. When I'm absolutely shredded i weigh 103kg, I'm only 1,74 meters. I feel most comfortable at around 20% because you feel a significant increase in strength while not being fat fat, at the same time, some dude with a lower metabolism who is 1,80 meters and weighs 80kg may only need 13% body fat to perform at his peak(rare). Genetics play the lead role in these cases.
I remember when I got absolutely shredded - we’re talking near single digit, if not there - and several women said, “you’re too small” etc. it’s fine, but having a muscular prescience at 12% - 15% body fat range is more aesthetic imo.
@@dinok7630 Yea it's like guys who will put down a woman as a defense mechanism. Works both ways. I even had men say they don't want to lift weights because gym bros are narcissistic and love themselves. LOL. Even if that's true I'd rather be called that than a fat ass who hates myself and end up with chronic preventable disease.
That's called a test. They were testing you to see how insecure you were with your body, because most men who are in the single digit bodyfat range are obsessed with their self-image. That's why the majority of women actually do prefer that 12% body fat range, not the chiseled abs look.
@@scottrc5391 Men AND women cope that fit men are self absorbed. Some are sure, but there are also plenty of fat people that are narcissistic as well. It's crazy that a "fat-fluencer" has become a thing. Anyway, most people who criticize fit people that way are insecure and/or jealous. In fact I used to be friend with someone like that. He will criticize me yet he is over 300 lbs and can't keep beer and fast food out of his mouth. He doesn't want to resistance train because only self absorbed people do that. He isn't fat, he is muscular (without lifting). LMAO. Copium is crazy these days and people can find echo chambers online to fit any lifestyle or beliefs.
To be honest I stay 10-12% bf year round (at 183cm/6ft and 91kg/200lbs) with little to no effort. I simply restrict my carb intake to a degree where I eat just enough to fill my glycogen reserves. I don't eat any sugar, apart from a bit of honey a few times a month, and while this might seem extreme, your taste buds adjust and EVERYTHING becomes sweeter and more flavorful. People tell me I'm depraving myself of joy, but I think people who regularly consume sugar deprive themselves of what food is really supposed to taste like. Seriously, once you go sugar free you won't want to go back. The rest of my diet is mostly just meat, fat, vegetables and a bit of fruit. Basically a "lazy paleo" style diet. I don' count my macros or my calories. I eat when I'm hungry (usually 1-2x a day) and sometimes I have to force myself to eat a bit more on strength training days when I consume caffeine, which suppresses my appetite. Any time I want to drop even more fat and get really lean I just add up hill sprints 1x a week, 4 all out sprints of 10-15s per workout. That's it.
This is good copium for the people who had new year's resolutions of getting shredded by the summer and failed at dieting. Posted at the perfect time of the year, too.
Buddy tries to say he's 15% body fat in that pic LMAO. He admits he's maybe as high as 18% but in reality he's closer to 25%. Look up male body fat percentages online. He doesn't look bad, but he has too much bulk on his stomach and way too little definition to be as low body fat as he claims.
You make very good points but I don't want any fat to be stored on my face which would make me less handsome. 15% body fat shouldn't be too bad though, so it's a good target.
This is a great video, like seriously. I'm new to lifting (I'm up to two 25 pound dumbbells) and I'm currently cutting at a small deficit. I can't wait for the Winter bulk .
Bro, we're the exact same size! I'm glad someone had the guts to say abs are overrated. It's basic science if you ask me, athletes with big bellies are usually MUCH stronger than those with washboard abs.
Good vid. Social media has really messed with people's minds with regards to what's an optimal bf for performance and general wellbeing. Personally I've found I perform, feel and most importantly recover much better in the 15-20% range vs 10-15%.
Why not stay at like 25% body fat for like 5 years and just focus on building as much muscle as possible and then just cut to 15% and maintain that for the rest of your life? You’ll look amazing compared to the average guy + you’ll be massive.
@@medamine6945 I’m saying to maintain a bf percentage around 25% all time for years. You will be eating a ton of calories to do this which will allow you to build a ton of muscle for a long time. Bulking and cutting multiple times a year makes no sense to me, why not just eat a ton and gain as much muscle as you can while maintaining a higher bf percentage for a very long period of time, and they cut down to the percentage you want to be at after you feel like you’ve gained a satisfactory amount of muscle and maintain that shape permanently.
This is a good way of thinking. I’m a high schooler right now so I’m not done growing yet but I am at around 16%-18% bodyfat so I’m still able to build muscle with some of my chub and I’ve been doing this for a while now with good results. It’s especially great advice if you’re not done growing as cutting down to lower bodyfats can stunt your growth and take away from a 4 year grace period of the best possible time to start putting on muscle (14-18).
I was 102 lbs at 6 feet back in September of 2023. Now im 155-156 lbs at 190 or almost 6 foot 3. Greg doucette gave me body dysmorphia "if you ant see your abs your fat" had no abs at 102 my abs are more defined now although not really noticeable. My lifts went up. My goal is to bulk to 200 lbs. September 2023, barely could bench the bar, now i can bench 190 for 1 or 165 for 7 reps. November of 2023 (yes i skipped leg day for the 1st 2 months) i went from squatting the bar for reps to 305 for 5 reps or 265 for 10 reps. For the deadlift i went from repping 65 for reps to 290 for 10 reps. My goal is to get 405 deadlift and 365 squat and 225 bench once i do that my next goal is 500 deadlift, 405 squat and 315 bench.
@@paulogugayea I ended up gaining 20 pounds from 175 - 195 lbs, but I gained it the wrong way, eating 500+ surplus per day. I was looking bigger in clothes but gained more fat around my stomach than I needed to, I cut down to 175 and am gaining again expect on a smaller surplus (200-300+). It really does matter how you gain the weight.
Based. I never realized how much cutting diet handicaps you until I cycled few times between cut and maintenance and holy crap the further you go it gets rough on the cut, especially if you wanna do sports.
I don't care what people aspire to look like. If you want to look big with higher body fat go for it. I'll know you're strong. But me personally, I want to be shredded. Good amount of muscle while being lean (having prominent 6-pack). It is achievable, you just have to eat clean, walk 10k steps a day, lift 3-4 times a week. It's not hard just requires discipline as with all things in life.
Yes, this is how I've seen it for a long time too. IRL, being really lean sucks most of the time. I'm currently around 169 lbs and around 17% bodyfat. At 5'8.5", apparently I'm almost a big boy. I'm definitely gonna get big enough for BMI 25 (167 lbs) at 15% bodyfat before it's time to cut. I did not expect that! :D Thank you! But I need to get truly big like you, Omni-man, AlphaDestiny, Basement Bodybuilding, etc. I know it takes years and not to expect it all at once, but I yearn for it.
You are an airhead if you don't understand that abs are for stability and core strength. You don't lift for your self. You lift for other people validation.
@leopold43 and that's the whole reason why abs aren't cope. What's cope is this guy looking for validation. He wanted visible abs to get validated, but he got more compliments looking bulked up with his shirt on. This whole video is cope.
@@JyGproductions You don't even have a point, when he said that abs are cope he mean visible abs that aren't even strong an obese guy can still guy strong abs more stronger than people with shredded abs that only train it for hypertrophy.
@@darraghmcmullen6205 As a 105kg/230lbs, 175cm/5'9 guy, abs is somewhat "unimportant" looksmaxxing wise. As long as you've got good stature/frame/muscle, then you're good. Yes, face is more important when it comes to attraction, but let's talk about body now. I go to the gym 3 times/week, various hours, so I've seen or even interacted with most people there. The guy most women fawn over was me. I banged 2 female employees there, 1 cougar, and 1 young wife. Inb4 "that's cap", what's the point of capping when you're not selling anything? Even for ego purposes, why bother replying to an "insignificant" comment section? Anyway, I have Keanu Reeves bootleg face, but stocky bear build. I'm short, but that weight doesn't turn me into m&m mascot. I still look "human", not some blob. The guy I beat? Personal trainer that got a crush with one of the employee I banged. He hated me to the core because those girls gossiped about banging with me on a broad daylight. The trainer's stat? 5'7, super lean, but missing some "face". Inb4 "no wonder bro, he's short". Cillian Murphy and Tom Cruise would beg to differ.
Definitely the thumbnail (Which more people will see than the video itself). Abs are cope if you have no desire to attract women as it's generally the very thing they lose their minds about on men. Since it's a very telling genetic and health marker biologically as well (not to be confused with Abs = health). Essentially, if women didn't exist...we wouldn't care about abs. I have them but I've also lived 10 years prior to now without them. I can see the immediate difference to how women react. If ur just ur average gym bro going off the notion that "I'm only building muscle for me" like women who say they wear make-up and tight fitting clothing for themselves...then yes the lie "Abs are cope" can work for u. Still a lie tho.
I agree! If you're 180lb with abs, you'll look sharp on the beach, while being hungry or depriving yourself, on the other hand, where you are today at 200 lb, you look strong, look like an average athlete (football player etc.) on the beach, and you can go out to eat with the guys. Moreover, if you lift like an elite powerlifter, rather than a bodybuilder, focusing on strength with NO injury, all of a sudden you have power and a physique better than 90% of the population. And, that should be enough for anyone.
@@pauloguga some people train for health, speed, agility or stay shredded all year round. They don’t get compliments and they don’t need it because they know that what they’re doing is working.
@@pauloguga I'm concerned because you're pedaling unhealthy information to people who don't know better. Bulking has been disproven repeatedly. All you're doing is getting fat and damaging your physical and mental health for only marginally faster progress.
This video is SPOT on even as a gear user. 10 years natty, 5 on gear. Even today, if im too low bodyfat, i just look meh in clothes. Bulk up and soon enough comes the compliments from normies. Currently on 1g of test and 300mg of eq, still the case.
after losing a bunch of weight and getting leaner i also encountered the problem of looking smaller and even sickly (very thin wrists rip genetics) in public despite having a pretty good physique. Never could get used to wearing tighter fitting clothes. after reaching the same realisation as you and feeling like an anemic 12 year old i tried to bulk but ended up with an unbearably puffy face which was the impetus for the weight loss in the first place. honestly id rather my face be aesthetically shredded than big. i also seem to suit the "athlete" runner sort of look better than a big dude so eh
I experienced the same with very close weights but it took me longer. Women preferred me like that(bigger and fatter) too. Under 18% BF is FINE. ANd I mean subcutaneous fat. And hah you named the same BF% range Also you're an actual natty king not a fake natty. Bless you. I think you have good genetics - looking at your neck and forearms. People on reddit would say you're 20-22% BF. They are insane. You look probably 15-16%. They never used a skinfold caliper. They don't know what total vs subq fat is. And most amateur BB's lose organ size in prep thinking it is fat loss. The pros take more stuff in prep and actually grow muscle while starving away their gut organs to be smaller. Keep spreading the infos please. The kids out here need it.
I dont think thats the case. When your single digit body fat you'll probably have ED. But in the 13 to 15 percent range of having a noticable six pack you'll be a lot more disarable since its rare for a guy to have one nowadays. Women like that lean look in men but not to where they're too muscular but just right. A guy with muscle but with a belly ain't as sexy as a man who's cut and defined.
You speak nothing but truth here. Personally I find guys a lot more attractive when they look strong and healthy, with a little bit of fat, and not like steroid-ridden, dehydrated monsters. Needless to say, you look amazing.
My fat distribution goes straight to the gut, sticks out further than my chest, face gets fat and arms will look small and disproportional to body. Lol. Hard pass. I stay lean.
I get your point. You could have abs but still look small in clothes VS being big muscularly looking jacked wearing clothes. I'm suprised at the compliments I get being big in my upper body and I dont have abs yet. Though I want that lean, athletic look. Not single digit body fat but in the 13 to 15 percent rage of having a visable six pack when I have a pump. The pack is very disarable for me. Though YT shorts and Instagram make it delusional with these flexed influencers.
My goal this year is to focus on OHP, thinking 175 by the end of this year (currently at 145, might be a stretch but gonna aim big). Do you think I can ditch all bench training for something like deficit decline push-ups and dips as accessory work? I don't enjoy benching but I still value incline and close grip horizontal presses as assistance lifts.
Abs come naturally if you have an active lifestyle. When I was only going to the gym it was impossible for me to get abs without starving myself. Now that I'm doing more sports, martial arts and hiking on top of training at the gym, it's hard not to have visibile abs
You couldn't have said it better. I am a bulk preacher myself and I can't stress enough how cutting due to fear of lacking abs is ruining people's progress.
this is why BMI isn't a very useful measuring stick when talking about people who lift. someone can be jacked af with abs but based on BMI they could be labeled obese
I wish I could be a lil chunky but even just recently I gained like 5 pounds from vacation and my face balloon’d up. I suddenly have a double chin, and I can’t grow a dope beard like you to wrap around my jaw. I need to either get super lean or somehow be confident with a fat face which I find really hard.
You’re fat, abs and being lean is a sign of being athletic and disciplined. Being bulky(fat) is not, any yard can eat and lift weights. Compliments depend on your height. If you’re short, being bulky and short is gonna make you less attractive, if you’re tall, you can’t lose either way. Don’t listen to this fool guys.
Not true. You can be 20% body fat yet still have visible ab definition. You can look incredible at 20% BF if you have large enough muscles, and it seems like a great BF % to be at to also gain more muscle. You can be athletic at 20%, you can run pretty dang well, maybe you can't run as well as someone that's extremely lean and training specifically for running, but you can still outperform many others. There are plenty of individuals that also don't have the discipline to bulk properly (not a dirty bulk), so this idea that Lean = the only true discipline, is also false.
@@tomahawk8890abs are determined by genetics more than anything else. Some people will always have somewhat visible abs even at high body fat percentage, most will never have visible abs unless they have very low body fat percentages. Anyone who tells you otherwise is coping.
5 ft 7 in at 198 lbs 12% body fat was my peak physique I remember when I achieved my goal of being considered borderline "obese" while lean and achieving that goal made me so happy
Even powerlifters are not immune to the ill effects of obesity. "Getting big" by bulking and getting overweight is still incredibly unhealthy, despite the amount of muscle youre building. It's slower and less fun, but recomping/lean gaining is MUCH healthier
You can still be overweight and healthy, remember being obese and being overweight is different please stop with your toxic idea that you have to be lean and under 14% body fat to be considered healthy what you're saying isn't the harsh truth but just a harsh lie.
Some people like me don't store their fat at anywhere else apart from their glutes and love handles. I dropped 10 lbs in the last month and a half and my arms are still the same size while my midsection has definitely became slimmer. When I got a proper body scan before my journey, I was about 26% bf but what I also discovered was that most of that fat was concentrated in one area being lower back, glutes and love handles. Also, you can definitely gain muscle on a cut too, the key is you have to keep your protein intake really high and do the cut really slowly. My lifts have went off significantly since I started my cut and no I'm not a newbie who's getting newbie gains
I just wanna clarify that being big and higher bodyfat% is MY preference.
There's plenty of lifters who prefer being lean for very valid reasons. Once you build the foundation you can chill at whatever bodyfat% you want.
I'm just pointing out that if you're natty and want to maximize your size, you gotta be a little chunky
Just curious how long did it take you to build your foundation. It seems as though that's where I've been at and now starting to show gains. Just trying to figure out if I'm correct or if I'm lacking. Thanks in advance.
@@lightningjac5640 Probably around 2-4 years of good hard consistent training to build your foundation of muscle and strength.
@@pauloguga yup that's what I thought lol . thanks been wondering about that.
This is just misinformation. If you want to gain muscle as a natural, you do not need to bulk a crazy amount. 100 calorie surplus you’ll gain nearly the same amount of muscle as if you did a larger bulk without gaining s bunch of fst. I gained 13 lb of muscle in the last 6 months and I am still lean af because I did a slight bulk and I am stronger than I’ve every been not only with absolute strength but also poportional strength
And, also, being big in shirts is overrated imo. Id you wear properly fitted shirts you can still show biceps and forearms just fine. I’d rather have a sleeper build and be athletic than be 200 lb and look “big” just to have a super high and unhealthy bmi and not be able to move and do the things I like to do
The author is not talking about being fat and unhealthy. You are right that you should still control your calorie surplus. All he is saying is that what the magazines would say is fat, 15-25% fat, in real life looks pretty awesome clothed, when you have the muscle to go with it, compared to 8-12% body fat. It’s not that anyone should start bulking an extra 10% bodyfat with Bulk 3000 over two months. They might consider getting slowly up to 20, 25% to maximise hormone production and energy. You know, for example, that cholesterol is a precursor of testosterone? So you need some animal fat, baseline, no argument to be had, that you need some fat on your body to get big. Let’s be more blunt than even that. Women prefer a bit of fat with a lot of muscle. teenaged girls, mentally immature women and gays prefer the abs and the skinny lean look. So, you pick who you want to be looking at you. In real life, minus the pot bellies, everyone is way more impressed with someone with a strongman competitor’s physique than arnold schwarzengruber. Just my opinion, no wait- actually that is reality. Big dudes with a bit of fat are way more manly and healthy than most bodybuilders.
getting more compliments while you become higher bodyfat % is real af lol
u forgot to mention it's only from men. All women want is 6pack abs. keep dreaming you're only impressing gay men
Getting asked if you still train when you've completed a successful cut is equally real.
All the compliments are from guys. Most of yall do it for girls but they find big big guys disgusting. Be athletic kinda strong. Bulking is such a waste of time hahaha
Nothing but facts
Yes bro everyone always compliments my arms and my chest but hopefully they don’t say to me “show me those abs “🥲
I get your point. Really, I do.
But it's also about allocation. A lot of men stores excess body fat in a less balanced, comperatively really ugly way on their lower abdomen/lower back and it doesn't look good at all, so they are in a race of getting rid of those.
Now if you are a manlet like me, that poor fat allocation is gonna be enhanced. I look like a fat dwarf with beer belly at ~15% or more despite having a relatively muscular base built over half a decade.
Of course it can be situation dependent too
Agreed. I store the vast majority of my fat in my lower chest and stomach. Which poke through shirts. Barely any in my legs. Which gives the impression of me looking like i workout my upper body, but am still very overweight, and looking like I never have done a squat simultaneously.
I'm 6'6 and this is exactly why I stay lean hahahaha. ALL GOES TO THE WAIST. Personally tho, I feel better eating less (AKA not forcefeeding) and maintaining lower bf. I'm 23 so my metabolism is nuts, I honestly feel my workouts are better when I'm leaner. Slight slight surpluses, and random cheat days when I feel depleted. Seems to work well to keep me strong/growing while being lean.
Everyone's body is different. Mine might be genetics too, but the bf around the waist sucks.
I’m losing weight in 5 pound increments because I didn’t want to go below 190 pounds. I have lost the fat everywhere except in my side chest. Now it looks like I have to drop down to 185 pounds. Hopefully I don’t have to lose much more weight to get rid of this side chest fat. Unfortunately you can’t spot reduce fat.
Same with me, it all goes to my lower gut and face, it looks awful.
Words to live by: lift weights, build muscle, have fun!
Really depends on the individual and how they store their fat.
Yea, I have 2-4 pack and starting to see vein in my quad but still have low back fat/love handle. Maybe next cut I can get rid of it.
True that. Being predisposed to storing fat in your face is a damn curse. Hardly a point in gaining size for "looks" when the added size takes away your face's best features.
@@ize7821 im the opposite lmao. I think its a grass is greener. I hold fat almost entirely in my stomach, so i wanted to cut even when skinny, and my bulking limit is pretty small. almost no fat in my face neck arms etc
@@ize7821how old are you now? Trust me you’ll appreciate that quality as you age - people pay tens of thousands to restore facial fat because they lose it by the time they hit 40.
@@sensid-iwnl-5201same here but my arms look great when I’m chunkier
Yes higher bodyfats look great as long as you have a lot of muscle, the less muscle you have the lower bodyfat you need to not look shitty in my opinion
Yes
The range of bodyfat that looks aesthetic is narrower at a low muscle mass and wider at high muscle mass. Bear-mode without muscle is skinny-fat, and shredded without muscle is skeletor.
Yeah guys with slim frames who try to go for the bloatlord powerlifter look just look goofy. Nobody is impressed that your bench went from 225 to 250 because you gained 15 lbs of muscle-fat. It's better to just stay cut.
This video has just single-handedly justified my entire existence LOL. I'm 6'2" and went from 185 lbs to 270 lbs as of this morning over the course of the last 31 years of my lifting career as a Natty guy who just wanted to be big enough that people knew I lifted. Now I can't tell you how many guys just randomly call me big guy or big fella and women are constantly caught glancing at me, even my wife laughs at them when she see's it. YES occasionally I'll get down the rabbit hole of wanting to be Instagram diced, but I enjoy my life and eating the awesome food my wife cooks and I enjoy having some beers with my buddys. I've actually bumped into guys that are peeled on their FB or Instagram accounts and some envy comes over me, then I see them in real life and my God they are small to be honest and I am no longer envious. Im by no means fat, but by no means diced, Im pretty happy 95% of the time. Body Dysmorphia is a real thing. I've been on a continuous bulk for all 31 years since first day in the gym. at 47 Im still benching 385, OHP 225 for reps, deadlifting 525 and squatting 350 ass to grass. NOT impressive numbers by any means, but Im a father of 4, a husband, full time blue collar worker and just do this shit for fun. ENJOY the process Kings, eat the fucking Garlic bread and lift hard, stop being so hard on yourselves, you're already doing what 98% of the rest of the world isn't doing.
“31 year bulk”
That’s dedication, brother. 🤘🏼
Keep in mind; your kids will unconsciously pick up on your unique “dad strength”, as they notice the majority other kids parents throughout their life, and it will only benefit them…without giving them BD.
Bad idea man. 270 at 6'2 is fat. No other way to put it.
It's not a good idea to be at that weight at your age. Check your lipids and A1c
Those are impressive numbers especially for 47
(But... those lifting numbers ARE impressive... who told you they weren't LOL? 😅💪)
@@alkankondo89 well Thank you. I guess Im guilty of watching too many Instagram and social media videos with guys pulling 700-800 lbs, benching 5 plates and squatting 5-6 plates haha so in comparison my numbers are dismall, but as they say comparison is a thief of joy.
Being leaner always makes ME look better.
You can always fill out a T-Shirt, all you have to do is adjust the size.
Being really lean and having forearm veins just popping out, especially if you have big forearms too, will catch everyone’s eye.
Not to mention EVERYONE’S face looks better at a lower body fat %.
Exactly. Learn how to shop was the answer. Everyone else selected ‘D’ , get fat.
Exactly making ur face look better is 5 million times more important than ur body
@@aucii That’s incorrect that. It’s the body in total. Not just your face. What you say makes no sense anyway
@@90daydifference I meant as in aesthetically you’d want a more handsome face than body
@@aucii Your body is more important than your face. I’d rather have a great athletic physique but be a 4 in the face than to have a good face but average or trash body. You can have an ugly face but still achieve a chiseled jaw line. Thats body game.
Ultimately this boils down to three criteria:
1) what are you really training for?
If you want to lift a lot of weight or train volume, you need to have some body fat. It’s hard on the immune system to rage train @ low body fat. If you want to train hard at 8-10% yearly, it takes time to get used to.
2) are you truly confident in your physique?
I’ve seen thick strong dudes walk around like kings and I’ve seen the shredded cross trainers walk like he can step through a well. Ive seen it all and it just boils down to what makes you feel great. Be yourself.
3) at a certain point, weight gain = negative health issues. Heavier guys in the gym (especially sauced up bros) will be honest about half of their body going numb if they sleep on their side. If they are on their back and they are scrolling, their hands immediately go numb and cold. If you skip your daily cardio you can have shortness of breath when you are just watching tv. I’ve seen it all guys.
*20 years experience in the gym, for reference. I prefer being lean, as I have the best health and fitness at single digit body fat, but that’s me.
Jesus, I hadn't even considered that juiced up dudes go numb if do those things, that's crazy and scary.
tf u mean walk through a well?
@@Doggy724 walk through a wall, maybe?
@@Doggy724 wall*
Thanks for reading. My point stands though.
@@Christopher-ko9op they are massively fked up. I’ve seen dudes in their late 20’s struggle to piss because their prostates are so swollen. I have no idea if that’s a sauce issue but all the numbness is real 100%. At my biggest I was 16% BF and a tank, but my hands would go numb in 2min of scrolling on my backside. I started to do cardio when I was watching a movie and 30min I realized that I couldn’t catch my breath. Gaining weight has consequences.
My experience has been that most women LOVE abs. When I was younger, I was big and bulked out with no abs. When I got older, I decided to go lean. I was amazed at how many women responded very strongly to my abs. I would have women walk up to me and tell me that I had the perfect body. I am never going back to being bulked out with no abs--for me it's all about what most women find attractive, and it is without a doubt ABS.
😅😅😅 woman sure love the abs 👌🏿🔥
Thing is we're wearing a shirt 99% of the time
@@vaporware666 but you’re not going wearing a shirt when you’re in bed with a woman.
@@vaporware666lol this dude is walking around shirtless 24/7 flexing his abs around every woman he sees. About to get a hernia as we speak
Yea but we don't train for compliments
I wear oversized shirts, not looking to fill my shirt so being lean is my goal.
I do get where you're coming from thou...loved the video.
Same I only look good In tanks or shirtless, if I’m not wearing an oversized tee I look dyel
I spent years scared to actually bulk hard, never getting above 190 lbs (i'm 6'6 mind you). I'm around 220 lbs today after bulking for a year and feel GREAT. Get way more compliments like you said, and another thing i've noticed is people want to talk to me about gym related stuff way more. It's almost as if other people, especially other guys that go to the gym, have only now started realizing that i take this stuff seriously, even though i have been taking it seriously for 6 years now. I looked DYEL for all those years so i get it, but it's funny how people have all of a sudden started noticing and want to talk to me about the gym
good points. it all depends on goals. im actually fine with the DYEL in shirt; aesthetic af shirtless build. like if you train mostly calisthenics then its probably harmful to put on fat even if some muscle comes with it. maybe just for one good bulk like you said.
Yes all up to you. Although bulking works well for calisthenics as well bro, it’s like a natural weight vest
As someone who was chubby/fat until I was like 26 around 215 pounds at 6’, no type of muscle definition at all, I promise I will do whatever it takes to keep my abs poking 😆
This guy is totally ignoring the facial aesthetic factor. Some of us carry too much weight in our face at a higher bodyfaty % and look much more attractive trimmed down.
1:30 never skip spine day
this is strange af form XD
@thecatvoid. you should not bend like that i think
(lean, big, natty) you can only choose two. 2:33 squatting in crocs, you might not like it but this is what peak performance looks like
Geez. Even without my meniscus tear, I can only squat barefoot. Some men are just purely mad.
😂
Great message! Ultimately it's about making the process enjoyable for yourself, not obsessing on what others deem important for a "good" physique
The difference is having an interest in sport, if you climb and/or run being light is a massive advantage for both performance and injury prevention. So trying to have muscle/be strong while still having a fun life, requires a low body fat
Very interesting Take and one unlike any I’ve seen on UA-cam fitness before. New subscriber. As someone currently trying to cut by doing a 7000 cal weekly deficit, you really given me pause.
15% is not fat, it's athletic
Thank you so much! I think we all needed this! I bulked for 6 years from 165 to 242 at 6'2 feet. I went from using Medium sized shirts to XXL and people differently noticed.
Everything got thicker, thighs, neck, arms, chest and yes stomach too. No visible abs or any definition but I looked yoked as fuck especially with a pump.
Been cutting for the past 6 months now, down to 225, but I really hate it, I only feel like I've gotten smaller and weaker.
I will go back to gaining next month! My personal goal weightwise would be to sit comfortably at around 231-235lbs at around 17-18% BF.
Cheers!
If you want visible abs then you may want to see this video ua-cam.com/video/AwmBOFjXKdg/v-deo.html you can still get it at your body fat range
I tried to do my heavy lifting while being in a caloric deficit and my experience was atrocious. I could feel how much my body hated it, i was constantly hungry, i had to reduce all my weights by a lot and my progress came to a halt. I have no idea how some people actually do this for years.
Great message! I've bulked and cut a few times now and when I go back to my desired weight (170 for now) I always look better BECAUSE I put on more muscle during the bulk. The real gains are only made in the surplus when we can progress, train, and recover like monsters. This message needs to get out to more people, great video!
Being lean is underrated ngl
A lot of truth to this. I'm 5'9 153 lean and a good deal of muscle. I've been working out for 4 years. People at the gym joke with me asking for my "stack" and say stuff like "you're on tren". If I bulked to 170 I wouldn't hear the end of it. At the same time I want to, but that shi definitely comes with looks and stares. Which most guys like, but nowadays dudes will hate on you for being big it's crazy. With the compliments, comes sideyes, people talking about you, and roid accusations if you have good genetics. but f em. The ladies love it though, if you're not fugly.
Tell more bro
I thought that was Matthew from Revival Fitness in the thumbnail.
Chest up shoulders back
@@Ryeandr Welcome to Revival Fitness. Your home for gains and brains.
What is often overlooked is posture. I look like I have a belly at 5 11 and 80 kg because of posture (and too much sitting). Luckily this can be worked on and ab training helps too. Spot on video!
I'm 5'11 and 65kg, I have no belly at all when sitting.
Rarity and difficulty dictates value. Being muscular lean and natural is rare and hard hence why its so desireable
but is it? I know a lot of women that prefer skinny guys over bodybuilder types and vice versa? Often it has more to do with height over muscle mass, a woman usually prefer a taller man with little muscle compared to a short man with muscle (evolutionary speaking).
@@Danuxsy being tall is also rare hence why its so desireable. Everything is relative so if youre considered tall, youre taller than most other people and thats why its rare. When women picture "bodybuilders" they picture steroids. Which looks unnatural or rather pathological. Like some kind of glandular dysfunction. Such muscle mass is hard to maintain in nature which diminishes fitness. In other words survival. Thats why roided bbers dont look sexually appealing
Not really. There are lots of things that demand effort, are difficult to achieve and rare to see, which are not desirable at all. For example, growing your nails several meters. Or being actually anorexic. Or extremely expensive botched unnecessary plastic surgeries.
People like certain traits not because they're rare, that's not how biology works. We like those traits because we think either the man is a better warrior or the woman is more fertile, something like that anyways. That also explains why many people are born attractive without putting on any effort.
@@renato360a no one ever said weak disgusting dysfunctional wastefull but rare traits 😁
Obviously ones that increase fitness
Like a tall healthy black guy with green eyes in a monocultural white society like where im in right now. Highly desireable by women 😁
@@PhsychoSomatic that's not why, it's that long schlong
I started lifting 3 years ago and have been on and off since then. I started taking things a little more seriously half a year ago. I try to be as consistent as I can with my diet and training, but university (and life in general) gets in the way very often.
I never really got into consuming fitness related media (guess it never really clicked with me), until recently, which made me very self-conscious about my own physique. This video has lifted some self-inflicted insecurities I've set on myself because of this. Especially the pose down at 2:26! You look amazing.
Thanks for the video! Hope everything goes well.
Good points. Im currently in the yellow im strong as hell and feel good but eh i miss the abs man. The market decides whats the most desirable unfortunately. And the musclular lean look is it 🤷🏾
You nailed it.
I really love how real this talk is.
I’m one of the hundreds of thousands who are aiming for the aesthetic physique, but I also have my feet on the ground (or I want to believe I do): my target physique has to be something I can maintain with moderate effort year round, I’m a working adult, taking a gap year atm and in the meantime aiming to get down to that 15%: once I go back to working I’ll barely have 3 hours per week to workout, so will have to rely on short but intense workouts along with extreme care on diet just to maintain (btw I work sitting all day in front of a computer, so it’s a super sedentary job, also I get 0 benefit increasing my lifts beyond probably 100% of my own body weight).
Also it’s super true, you barely get any chance to flash those epic abs, so for most of us to look amazing with a shirt on will definitely make it
Been watching lifting content for like 6 years. This is quite possibly the best advice ive seen on youtube.
It depends on individual genetics. I have abs showing at 20%. Some people only have them visible at 12%. Some at
True genetics plays a big part👌🏿
I don't suffer from this insecurity of looking big I'm 6 ft 6 Which means my lifespan has been cut by 30 years So I train just to be lean and to lower my resting heart rate
You didnt choose that bro, just stay healthy and make sure to also work on mobility. Thats how you maintain a healthy lifespan
@@NoRockinMansLand Being 6'6 does reduce your life span but 30 years is a total lie💀
@@Might-as-well yeah that's probably true but I think it makes an actual difference tho, my grandad was 6'6 aswell
@@NoRockinMansLand The truth is that most negatives can be turned into positives and most positives into negatives, play well with the cards you've been dealt and you'll have a chance at winning.
just get ridiculously huge, who cares about being 80 anyways brah
5'6 to under 6'0 guys that can grow facial hair always look best when we have some bulk on us. Super lean doesn't look good at our height IMO. Good vid, really validated my feelings around body image.
tell more bro
No one should look fat at 15% body fat. It's incredibly lean .
This guy has no idea what 15% body fat is.
He probably believes Ronnie Coleman actually DID have negative body fat back in the day lmao.
@@garynouban6453not sure but 215 lbs and 15% body fat is way more impressive than 170 lbs and 10% body fat. Think on that for awhile.
@@MeadeSkeltonMusic i mean assuming you are talking about the same person you are talking about someone with like 182.75 lbs lean mass vs 153 lbs lean mass lol... These are different creatures. A realistic comparison might be 170 @ 10% vs 180 @15% that would be the same person without starting a cycle or 10 years of training.
@@jeremyrising Why? Steve Reeves was 6'1 and 215 lbs and around 15% body fat. That is what I mean. A more impressive physique, but higher body fat. I don't think any man 5'10 or taller should be below 190 lbs.
Not true alot of people still look like shit at 15% its about where you store your fat ur mucle and genetics
Im 235lbs and started lifting weights, i am down from 250lbs. i lost the first 20lbs from not eating and doing walking. the not eating was because of the pandemic i had got sick and had no taste buds. couldnt eat i had to force myself to eat stuff like soup and oatmeal.
BEING 150LBS skinny, is my best body.
My abs was showing, but i wore clothing that fit, Not baggy clothes and got females attention.
Great video man. Well spoken and straight to the point. I have come to the same conclusion this year after bulking for much longer than I ever have before and have become obsessed with my size and strength. The body dysmorphia kicks in on occasion but I know this while pay off in the long run so I can reach elite level
Spent almost all my lifting life (since 18 I'm 36 now on and off) worrying about leaness, being scared of the puff, looking scrawny. Getting older I stopped caring what people thought of my BF and started training hard and eating a lot. Gained 25 pounds of muscle (and some fat) but I get compliments everywhere ! Even the missus likes it more!
We need more testimonials like this
Yes we definitely should be lean all the time. No need to cut/bulks cycles if youre not a professional bodybuilder
being bigger stronger is better personally it’s down to personal preference
Cut/bulk cycles are a great way to develop body dysmorphia.
It's a trap far too many people fall into.
This is great for putting muscle size and looking like a big Polish truck driver but for men who want their face to look sharp during their youth/prime years it isn't as great.
If you bulk slow you can maintain face aesthetics like I have
180 lbs (11% bf ish) at 6'2 and 6 years of lifting, yet I get compliments on my physique with a T-Shirt on constantly even by strangers who have been lifting for years. I Can't relate with what you just said, good muscle insertions, vascularity leanness etc and strong arms/shoulders should make you look impressive even when you're leaner if you've been lifting for years.
Being big is cope. You'll just have more raw strength and sacrifice everything else;speed,mobility,endurance,looks. Most big dudes can't function right in a fight,hard pass.
when i get lean i really love the chiseled look of my face that is why i always stay lean
It's already been proven maintenance bulking has the same muscle growth stimulant as repeating a bulking and cutting cycle
No
@@sundvallen Yes
@@zaayd source?
HAHAH NO IT HAS NOT and ZERO pro coaches agree with you, ZERO. Show me your physique, right now. You are DEF small as fuck @@zaayd
Proven by who?
As long as the core is stable and strong that’s what matters. As of now I’m mainly training my core to carry heavy loads for long periods of time since I’m in the army and training for special forces selection which I’m going in September. And the morning training that goes on here is a lot of running but honestly, being strong matters A LOT more than speed for this. I’m 190 and 5’9 so I have a decent amount of size but I still have solid 2 mile run times as I consistently hit the low 13 min mark.
I get your point but I really wanna see my abs…
I agree with almost everything you said, abs are the last muscle group i care about. Ultimately, for me, going to the gym is about seeing how far i can push my strength with good technique and full range of motion, mixing elements of power lifting and body building. And like you said, if you want to be lean all year round more power to you, but depending on your genetics, you may end up not making significant progress insize outside of your newbie gains.
But BMI has to be the most useless antiquated pseudoscientific metric of health, its the old correlation =/= causation myth. Everyone's ideal fat % is completely different due to genetics. When I'm absolutely shredded i weigh 103kg, I'm only 1,74 meters. I feel most comfortable at around 20% because you feel a significant increase in strength while not being fat fat, at the same time, some dude with a lower metabolism who is 1,80 meters and weighs 80kg may only need 13% body fat to perform at his peak(rare). Genetics play the lead role in these cases.
I remember when I got absolutely shredded - we’re talking near single digit, if not there - and several women said, “you’re too small” etc. it’s fine, but having a muscular prescience at 12% - 15% body fat range is more aesthetic imo.
They say that, then between themselves gossip about how good low bf looks. Jealousy most of the time, unless you really are small lol.
@@dinok7630 You workout and you're in shape if and only if you have abs. That's normiethink 101. Get "big" is the actual cope. Roids are double cope.
@@dinok7630 Yea it's like guys who will put down a woman as a defense mechanism. Works both ways. I even had men say they don't want to lift weights because gym bros are narcissistic and love themselves. LOL. Even if that's true I'd rather be called that than a fat ass who hates myself and end up with chronic preventable disease.
That's called a test. They were testing you to see how insecure you were with your body, because most men who are in the single digit bodyfat range are obsessed with their self-image. That's why the majority of women actually do prefer that 12% body fat range, not the chiseled abs look.
@@scottrc5391 Men AND women cope that fit men are self absorbed. Some are sure, but there are also plenty of fat people that are narcissistic as well. It's crazy that a "fat-fluencer" has become a thing. Anyway, most people who criticize fit people that way are insecure and/or jealous.
In fact I used to be friend with someone like that. He will criticize me yet he is over 300 lbs and can't keep beer and fast food out of his mouth. He doesn't want to resistance train because only self absorbed people do that. He isn't fat, he is muscular (without lifting). LMAO. Copium is crazy these days and people can find echo chambers online to fit any lifestyle or beliefs.
To be honest I stay 10-12% bf year round (at 183cm/6ft and 91kg/200lbs) with little to no effort. I simply restrict my carb intake to a degree where I eat just enough to fill my glycogen reserves. I don't eat any sugar, apart from a bit of honey a few times a month, and while this might seem extreme, your taste buds adjust and EVERYTHING becomes sweeter and more flavorful. People tell me I'm depraving myself of joy, but I think people who regularly consume sugar deprive themselves of what food is really supposed to taste like. Seriously, once you go sugar free you won't want to go back.
The rest of my diet is mostly just meat, fat, vegetables and a bit of fruit. Basically a "lazy paleo" style diet. I don' count my macros or my calories. I eat when I'm hungry (usually 1-2x a day) and sometimes I have to force myself to eat a bit more on strength training days when I consume caffeine, which suppresses my appetite.
Any time I want to drop even more fat and get really lean I just add up hill sprints 1x a week, 4 all out sprints of 10-15s per workout.
That's it.
How long do you plan on doing this diet
This is good copium for the people who had new year's resolutions of getting shredded by the summer and failed at dieting. Posted at the perfect time of the year, too.
I've gotten lean before and will get lean again. I prefer being bigger
Buddy tries to say he's 15% body fat in that pic LMAO. He admits he's maybe as high as 18% but in reality he's closer to 25%.
Look up male body fat percentages online. He doesn't look bad, but he has too much bulk on his stomach and way too little definition to be as low body fat as he claims.
@@garynouban6453 took these videos in the worst lighting possible, I have abs and I’m maximum 16-17%
@@pauloguga if you're actually below 25% I'll eat my hat.
@@garynouban6453 yeah aint no way hes 15 loooool
You make very good points but I don't want any fat to be stored on my face which would make me less handsome. 15% body fat shouldn't be too bad though, so it's a good target.
You look amazing bro 💪
This is a great video, like seriously. I'm new to lifting (I'm up to two 25 pound dumbbells) and I'm currently cutting at a small deficit. I can't wait for the Winter bulk .
Bro, we're the exact same size! I'm glad someone had the guts to say abs are overrated. It's basic science if you ask me, athletes with big bellies are usually MUCH stronger than those with washboard abs.
Good vid. Social media has really messed with people's minds with regards to what's an optimal bf for performance and general wellbeing. Personally I've found I perform, feel and most importantly recover much better in the 15-20% range vs 10-15%.
Why not stay at like 25% body fat for like 5 years and just focus on building as much muscle as possible and then just cut to 15% and maintain that for the rest of your life? You’ll look amazing compared to the average guy + you’ll be massive.
You cant put only muscle . You have to put both to gain muscle. If you start at 25% ur bulk you will end at 30%
@@medamine6945he doesnt talk about bulking
@@medamine6945 I’m saying to maintain a bf percentage around 25% all time for years. You will be eating a ton of calories to do this which will allow you to build a ton of muscle for a long time. Bulking and cutting multiple times a year makes no sense to me, why not just eat a ton and gain as much muscle as you can while maintaining a higher bf percentage for a very long period of time, and they cut down to the percentage you want to be at after you feel like you’ve gained a satisfactory amount of muscle and maintain that shape permanently.
This is a good way of thinking. I’m a high schooler right now so I’m not done growing yet but I am at around 16%-18% bodyfat so I’m still able to build muscle with some of my chub and I’ve been doing this for a while now with good results. It’s especially great advice if you’re not done growing as cutting down to lower bodyfats can stunt your growth and take away from a 4 year grace period of the best possible time to start putting on muscle (14-18).
I was 102 lbs at 6 feet back in September of 2023. Now im 155-156 lbs at 190 or almost 6 foot 3. Greg doucette gave me body dysmorphia "if you ant see your abs your fat" had no abs at 102 my abs are more defined now although not really noticeable. My lifts went up. My goal is to bulk to 200 lbs.
September 2023, barely could bench the bar, now i can bench 190 for 1 or 165 for 7 reps.
November of 2023 (yes i skipped leg day for the 1st 2 months) i went from squatting the bar for reps to 305 for 5 reps or 265 for 10 reps. For the deadlift i went from repping 65 for reps to 290 for 10 reps.
My goal is to get 405 deadlift and 365 squat and 225 bench once i do that my next goal is 500 deadlift, 405 squat and 315 bench.
Great transformation man
i gained 10kg, not worth it, i value more having a jawline than being strong at the gym
Depends how you gain the 10kg, but at the end of the day you do you this is just my bias
@@paulogugayea I ended up gaining 20 pounds from 175 - 195 lbs, but I gained it the wrong way, eating 500+ surplus per day. I was looking bigger in clothes but gained more fat around my stomach than I needed to, I cut down to 175 and am gaining again expect on a smaller surplus (200-300+).
It really does matter how you gain the weight.
1:31 lol pause
Based.
I never realized how much cutting diet handicaps you until I cycled few times between cut and maintenance and holy crap the further you go it gets rough on the cut, especially if you wanna do sports.
This is just body dysmorphia
Cuz bro thinks what he says is right but is completely subjective as other people have other goals instead of trying to getting his type of body
I don't care what people aspire to look like. If you want to look big with higher body fat go for it. I'll know you're strong. But me personally, I want to be shredded. Good amount of muscle while being lean (having prominent 6-pack). It is achievable, you just have to eat clean, walk 10k steps a day, lift 3-4 times a week. It's not hard just requires discipline as with all things in life.
Yes, this is how I've seen it for a long time too. IRL, being really lean sucks most of the time. I'm currently around 169 lbs and around 17% bodyfat. At 5'8.5", apparently I'm almost a big boy. I'm definitely gonna get big enough for BMI 25 (167 lbs) at 15% bodyfat before it's time to cut. I did not expect that! :D Thank you! But I need to get truly big like you, Omni-man, AlphaDestiny, Basement Bodybuilding, etc. I know it takes years and not to expect it all at once, but I yearn for it.
I don't want to be real lean, just buff. Abs are nice and all but as long as I don't have a big gut I'm happy.
You are an airhead if you don't understand that abs are for stability and core strength.
You don't lift for your self. You lift for other people validation.
You don’t know me bro
@@pauloguga welcome to social media.
A place where people judge you based on the bs you post.
@leopold43 and that's the whole reason why abs aren't cope. What's cope is this guy looking for validation. He wanted visible abs to get validated, but he got more compliments looking bulked up with his shirt on. This whole video is cope.
@@JyGproductions You don't even have a point, when he said that abs are cope he mean visible abs that aren't even strong an obese guy can still guy strong abs more stronger than people with shredded abs that only train it for hypertrophy.
@@chickenout1788 he clearly is talking about a build body. And a build body is training abs. Not just low fat percentage.
Relatable, useful, got to the point, and not too preachy, elitist or scold-y. Good video.
Big people just scream "I'm insecure" when they talk down to people with showy abs. Love your body without putting others down ffs
I didn't put anyone down in this video
Except juiceheads
@@pauloguga The thumbnail says "Abs are cope" which is definitely meant to hurt skinny people
@@darraghmcmullen6205 As a 105kg/230lbs, 175cm/5'9 guy, abs is somewhat "unimportant" looksmaxxing wise. As long as you've got good stature/frame/muscle, then you're good.
Yes, face is more important when it comes to attraction, but let's talk about body now.
I go to the gym 3 times/week, various hours, so I've seen or even interacted with most people there. The guy most women fawn over was me. I banged 2 female employees there, 1 cougar, and 1 young wife. Inb4 "that's cap", what's the point of capping when you're not selling anything? Even for ego purposes, why bother replying to an "insignificant" comment section?
Anyway, I have Keanu Reeves bootleg face, but stocky bear build. I'm short, but that weight doesn't turn me into m&m mascot. I still look "human", not some blob. The guy I beat? Personal trainer that got a crush with one of the employee I banged. He hated me to the core because those girls gossiped about banging with me on a broad daylight. The trainer's stat? 5'7, super lean, but missing some "face". Inb4 "no wonder bro, he's short". Cillian Murphy and Tom Cruise would beg to differ.
Definitely the thumbnail (Which more people will see than the video itself). Abs are cope if you have no desire to attract women as it's generally the very thing they lose their minds about on men. Since it's a very telling genetic and health marker biologically as well (not to be confused with Abs = health).
Essentially, if women didn't exist...we wouldn't care about abs. I have them but I've also lived 10 years prior to now without them. I can see the immediate difference to how women react.
If ur just ur average gym bro going off the notion that "I'm only building muscle for me" like women who say they wear make-up and tight fitting clothing for themselves...then yes the lie "Abs are cope" can work for u. Still a lie tho.
I agree! If you're 180lb with abs, you'll look sharp on the beach, while being hungry or depriving yourself, on the other hand, where you are today at 200 lb, you look strong, look like an average athlete (football player etc.) on the beach, and you can go out to eat with the guys. Moreover, if you lift like an elite powerlifter, rather than a bodybuilder, focusing on strength with NO injury, all of a sudden you have power and a physique better than 90% of the population. And, that should be enough for anyone.
This video is 100% coping. Let people go with what they want. Lean, bulky, whatever, it's not about recieving compliments from strangers.
You get big for yourself not for others, compliments are just an indication it’s working
This video screams body dysmorphia lol.
It's MUCH better to be lean and healthy than overweight, strong, and afflicted with sleep apnea
@@pauloguga some people train for health, speed, agility or stay shredded all year round. They don’t get compliments and they don’t need it because they know that what they’re doing is working.
@@garynouban6453 Why are you worried about another man’s goals? Is it because you aren’t achieving your own?
@@pauloguga I'm concerned because you're pedaling unhealthy information to people who don't know better.
Bulking has been disproven repeatedly. All you're doing is getting fat and damaging your physical and mental health for only marginally faster progress.
Thank you for this very eye-opening vid & chart at the end. Solid and grounded content, I hope your channel gets more attention in the future, cheers!
This video is SPOT on even as a gear user.
10 years natty, 5 on gear.
Even today, if im too low bodyfat, i just look meh in clothes.
Bulk up and soon enough comes the compliments from normies.
Currently on 1g of test and 300mg of eq, still the case.
Interesting
1g? Damn
not even alot, i know friends who compete who do 4g. 6g is olympia doses@@chaseblackstone8749
i really like this video, 100% real, no BS. this should have millions of views.
Bro, we need more videos where you describe and tell about different incidents regarding how your life changed after you entered Big Man category
My favorite vid ever. This is EXACTLY how I feel as a lifter, lean and shredded later
after losing a bunch of weight and getting leaner i also encountered the problem of looking smaller and even sickly (very thin wrists rip genetics) in public despite having a pretty good physique. Never could get used to wearing tighter fitting clothes. after reaching the same realisation as you and feeling like an anemic 12 year old i tried to bulk but ended up with an unbearably puffy face which was the impetus for the weight loss in the first place. honestly id rather my face be aesthetically shredded than big. i also seem to suit the "athlete" runner sort of look better than a big dude so eh
He looked better at 171lbs than he did 35 lbs later.
You probably haven’t watched the rest of his video then.
I experienced the same with very close weights but it took me longer.
Women preferred me like that(bigger and fatter) too. Under 18% BF is FINE. ANd I mean subcutaneous fat.
And hah you named the same BF% range
Also you're an actual natty king not a fake natty. Bless you. I think you have good genetics - looking at your neck and forearms.
People on reddit would say you're 20-22% BF. They are insane. You look probably 15-16%. They never used a skinfold caliper. They don't know what total vs subq fat is. And most amateur BB's lose organ size in prep thinking it is fat loss. The pros take more stuff in prep and actually grow muscle while starving away their gut organs to be smaller.
Keep spreading the infos please. The kids out here need it.
Agreed and women find your physique more attractive than the super lean and cut look.
Very true :)
this is not true women like the lean muscle look and some women like big massive muscle men
@@slazylol yeah, almost like some men like girls with flat bellies and others like borderline obesity. Its a range of prefrences.
I dont think thats the case. When your single digit body fat you'll probably have ED. But in the 13 to 15 percent range of having a noticable six pack you'll be a lot more disarable since its rare for a guy to have one nowadays. Women like that lean look in men but not to where they're too muscular but just right. A guy with muscle but with a belly ain't as sexy as a man who's cut and defined.
@@paulogugacope
You speak nothing but truth here. Personally I find guys a lot more attractive when they look strong and healthy, with a little bit of fat, and not like steroid-ridden, dehydrated monsters. Needless to say, you look amazing.
Say more
@@thalai143 You want me to elaborate?
@@BlueNorth313 yes please
@@BlueNorth313 yes please
@@BlueNorth313 yes
My fat distribution goes straight to the gut, sticks out further than my chest, face gets fat and arms will look small and disproportional to body. Lol. Hard pass. I stay lean.
💪🏽
I get your point. You could have abs but still look small in clothes VS being big muscularly looking jacked wearing clothes. I'm suprised at the compliments I get being big in my upper body and I dont have abs yet. Though I want that lean, athletic look. Not single digit body fat but in the 13 to 15 percent rage of having a visable six pack when I have a pump. The pack is very disarable for me. Though YT shorts and Instagram make it delusional with these flexed influencers.
Majority of them use good lighting😅
My goal this year is to focus on OHP, thinking 175 by the end of this year (currently at 145, might be a stretch but gonna aim big). Do you think I can ditch all bench training for something like deficit decline push-ups and dips as accessory work? I don't enjoy benching but I still value incline and close grip horizontal presses as assistance lifts.
Sure you could ditch the wide grip bench press, but there's no reason to ditch bench in general. Just do CGBP or incline CGBP like you said.
Yeah I think incline close grip would be awesome as well but yeah as long as your okay with ohp being the focus
Abs come naturally if you have an active lifestyle. When I was only going to the gym it was impossible for me to get abs without starving myself. Now that I'm doing more sports, martial arts and hiking on top of training at the gym, it's hard not to have visibile abs
“Abs are cope” objectively NO abs are great
You couldn't have said it better. I am a bulk preacher myself and I can't stress enough how cutting due to fear of lacking abs is ruining people's progress.
in what world would someone who is obese have an goodlooking physique?
You Americans are clueless
this is why BMI isn't a very useful measuring stick when talking about people who lift. someone can be jacked af with abs but based on BMI they could be labeled obese
I wish I could be a lil chunky but even just recently I gained like 5 pounds from vacation and my face balloon’d up. I suddenly have a double chin, and I can’t grow a dope beard like you to wrap around my jaw. I need to either get super lean or somehow be confident with a fat face which I find really hard.
You’re fat, abs and being lean is a sign of being athletic and disciplined. Being bulky(fat) is not, any yard can eat and lift weights. Compliments depend on your height. If you’re short, being bulky and short is gonna make you less attractive, if you’re tall, you can’t lose either way. Don’t listen to this fool guys.
Not true. You can be 20% body fat yet still have visible ab definition. You can look incredible at 20% BF if you have large enough muscles, and it seems like a great BF % to be at to also gain more muscle. You can be athletic at 20%, you can run pretty dang well, maybe you can't run as well as someone that's extremely lean and training specifically for running, but you can still outperform many others. There are plenty of individuals that also don't have the discipline to bulk properly (not a dirty bulk), so this idea that Lean = the only true discipline, is also false.
@@tomahawk8890abs are determined by genetics more than anything else. Some people will always have somewhat visible abs even at high body fat percentage, most will never have visible abs unless they have very low body fat percentages.
Anyone who tells you otherwise is coping.
I ve always think that super low bf is a myth that is better for looks. Think 12 - 18% is the banger!
BMI is ridiculous. It says you are healthy at 6 ft tall and 140 lbs. I'm only 5'10 and my Dr said I would be ideal at around 210.
5 ft 7 in at 198 lbs 12% body fat was my peak physique I remember when I achieved my goal of being considered borderline "obese" while lean and achieving that goal made me so happy
Even powerlifters are not immune to the ill effects of obesity.
"Getting big" by bulking and getting overweight is still incredibly unhealthy, despite the amount of muscle youre building. It's slower and less fun, but recomping/lean gaining is MUCH healthier
You can still be overweight and healthy, remember being obese and being overweight is different please stop with your toxic idea that you have to be lean and under 14% body fat to be considered healthy what you're saying isn't the harsh truth but just a harsh lie.
And you commented 12 times. Are you really this mad about somebody that doesn't want to look small in clothing?
@@chickenout1788 pretty autistic to count all my comments LMAO. Enjoy being fat
Excellent video, with an even more excellent message! Yea, this is the way to go, love your approache.
“Being lean is overrated” no, there are no advantages to being overweight
This video is exactly all of us who has a hard time cutting wants to hear. Bravo, brother.
Abs are just a sign you’re not eating enough. Especially if you’re natty
Actual insane take
Some people like me don't store their fat at anywhere else apart from their glutes and love handles.
I dropped 10 lbs in the last month and a half and my arms are still the same size while my midsection has definitely became slimmer. When I got a proper body scan before my journey, I was about 26% bf but what I also discovered was that most of that fat was concentrated in one area being lower back, glutes and love handles.
Also, you can definitely gain muscle on a cut too, the key is you have to keep your protein intake really high and do the cut really slowly. My lifts have went off significantly since I started my cut and no I'm not a newbie who's getting newbie gains
Nah lean any day of the week
You do you my man
lil bro wants to be throw-able 😹
I'm opposite, Bulky any day of the year!
Absolutely on point.