What Bodyfat % is optimal for gaining muscle?

[dyslexic]

Let's have a long 100 page drawn out discussion about H.I.T vs. Volume Training...


Naaaaah, can that.


Let's just talk about Crossfit and suspension training. Yeah... can't wait. Hold me back.

[Krankenstein]

I think between 8-10%.

1-You are more insulin sensitive at this leaner Bodyfat. Better fasting blood glucose levels here as well.

2-Nutrient partitioning is at its peak around this time.

3-Hormonally, this is the optimal environment for higher test levels and lower estrogen levels.

4-joints should feel decent here, as opposed to much leaner levels where you'll really be feeling the aches and pains. Not to mention saving your joints by carrying around less unnecessary fat weight.

5-Good everyday lean level of Bodyfat, yet you should never feel depleted from workouts around 8-10% on a normal training program. Recovery seems to be the best here.


Im just not convinced that you gain more muscle by being fatter. What does GetBig think?

Sounds like you enjoy a good prostate massage every now and then.

[Big Chiro Flex]

Sounds like you enjoy a good prostate massage every now and then.

Ive never received the internal coccyx adjustment before but I hear that you specialize in this non-palmer-package technique 

[Big Chiro Flex]

I make the best muscle gains just after finishing a cut, and then suddenly increasing calories and workout intensity.

It like the body gets really good at utilizing food during a cut, as there are not many calories coming in and the body must adapt. You have to train hard during the cut and try and maintain as much strength as you had during the bulk. The body will be trying its best to maintain muscle as it thinks you really need the muscle to survive.

Then when you increase the calories, the body overcompensates and builds muscle much more efficiently than normal.

This anabolic window lasts for about a month before I start noticing a little fat gain starting.

Post contest anabolic rebound, best 4 weeks of gains you'll ever experience

That's when my avatar pic was taken. Steady diet of pizza and ice cream for a week straight. You're spot on though, after week 4 I had to clean up the diet.

[BodyMachine]

Counting cals and such to stay at x % bf is too time consuming.  Plus on any given day ur activity varies greatly (gym followed by working on ur house in 100deg weather for ex). Just eat lift and diet when needed. Keeping the eating reasonable

[Krankenstein]

Post contest anabolic rebound, best 4 weeks of gains you'll ever experience

That's when my avatar pic was taken. Steady diet of pizza and ice cream for a week straight. You're spot on though, after week 4 I had to clean up the diet.

Has anyone truly ever examined that there is this anabolic rebound?  Or is just a matter of going from one extreme of caloric intake to another and the body is super compensating?  Most contest preps will have you drop carbs and thus probably re-sensitizing receptors to insulin.  The drop in carbs probably causes the reduction in insulin production as well. 

As far as staying at a certain bodyfat percentage being too time consuming...I beg to differ.  Once you know where you want to be you simply just eat that amount.  Nothing too hard about that.  Its keeping yourself in check

[Big Chiro Flex]

Has anyone truly ever examined that there is this anabolic rebound?  Or is just a matter of going from one extreme of caloric intake to another and the body is super compensating?  Most contest preps will have you drop carbs and thus probably re-sensitizing receptors to insulin.  The drop in carbs probably causes the reduction in insulin production as well. 

As far as staying at a certain bodyfat percentage being too time consuming...I beg to differ.  Once you know where you want to be you simply just eat that amount.  Nothing too hard about that.  Its keeping yourself in check

I think you're right about insulin resensitization. I think it's just a super junk food induced uptake of glycogen, water, and sodium. Not sure how much PURE muscle is being added. But the effect is still AWESOME no matter what it is.

Agreed on point 2. Maintaining 8-10% is NOT hard.

[ESFitness]

with all the shit i'm on, it's hard to get over 10% now.... when I was using bbbbbbbbad dosed thyroid, I shrank wayyyyy down and stayed at sub 6% for MONTHS. Dropped the thyroid and put on 60lbs. lol... and about 4% bf.

[dj181]

Post contest anabolic rebound, best 4 weeks of gains you'll ever experience

That's when my avatar pic was taken. Steady diet of pizza and ice cream for a week straight. You're spot on though, after week 4 I had to clean up the diet.

how much weight did you gain at the end of those 4 weeks chief?

[dyslexic]

with all the shit i'm on, it's hard to get over 10% now.... when I was using bbbbbbbbad dosed thyroid, I shrank wayyyyy down and stayed at sub 6% for MONTHS. Dropped the thyroid and put on 60lbs. lol... and about 4% bf.

T-3 can work if you force yourself to eat dirty. You can't get enuff calories with clean food to save muscle tissue when you're on Cytomel even if you are cycling pretty hard.

T-3 will get rid of that stubborn low back and lower ab fat, that's for sure. Much better than Clen or GH. I like T-3 in small doses. I don't have to get up anywhere near the 100 mcg dosage. Gotta eat.. JUNK! Or you will shrink and look like you should be modeling for Abercrombie or something.

You will stay at low levels of bodyfat, that's for sure.

[Big Chiro Flex]

how much weight did you gain at the end of those 4 weeks chief?

For my avatar pic... Stage weight was 180. Back to 205 or so after 4 weeks.

[Wolfox]

How tall are you?

[Big Chiro Flex]

How tall are you?

5'10

[ESFitness]

T-3 can work if you force yourself to eat dirty. You can't get enuff calories with clean food to save muscle tissue when you're on Cytomel even if you are cycling pretty hard.

T-3 will get rid of that stubborn low back and lower ab fat, that's for sure. Much better than Clen or GH. I like T-3 in small doses. I don't have to get up anywhere near the 100 mcg dosage. Gotta eat.. JUNK! Or you will shrink and look like you should be modeling for Abercrombie or something.

You will stay at low levels of bodyfat, that's for sure.

shit dude.. believe me, I was eating absolute junk... 470 kcal cream pies with 65g fat and something like 22g fat all day... boxes of hamburger helper everyday.. ice cream... peanut butter... was absolutely shredded... but my shirts started to hang off me and people were asking if I was sick. lol... hardcore lean-face for months. wasn't till I ended up in the ER that I realized my thyroid doses were wayyyyyy off.

[Big Chiro Flex]

Damn, I didn't know T3 was this potent.

Thought of pissing muscle away scares me though.

[ESFitness]

Damn, I didn't know T3 was this potent.

Thought of pissing muscle away scares me though.

I thought it was T4... no way of knowing how "off" the doses were. was strong enough to leach all the potassium from my cells and leave me unable to move my legs. went off and on for a week. until I couldn't move hardly at all at 1am.. called an ex gf in Mass who's a nurse and explained what was going on, she said i was probably low in Ka, and i better get to the ER or call an ambulance because it could move to my diaphragm and i could stop breathing.. and my breathing was labored already. lol.. but i still waited till 7am, since i didn't want to wake anybody up. i couldn't even put on my own clothes. lol

[Henda]

I make the best muscle gains just after finishing a cut, and then suddenly increasing calories and workout intensity.

It like the body gets really good at utilizing food during a cut, as there are not many calories coming in and the body must adapt. You have to train hard during the cut and try and maintain as much strength as you had during the bulk. The body will be trying its best to maintain muscle as it thinks you really need the muscle to survive.

Then when you increase the calories, the body overcompensates and builds muscle much more efficiently than normal.

This anabolic window lasts for about a month before I start noticing a little fat gain starting.

remember the Anabolic Burst Cycling program from the 90s?
Where you dieted really strict for 2 weeks and ate very heavy for another 2 andrepeat.
Worked along the same lines as you mentioned.

[Papper]

Ive had enough of your lip Stinkypus. Give me a serious answer. My muscle gains are not a joking matter. 

I like to gain from a lean startpoint. So it's around 8 for me.

[Mrdibbs]

Maybe you're a perfect candidate for a sex change, mrsdibbs

Perhaps the change will happen by itself, stick to long at 9% and turn into a woman with a penoris

Could compete in womens volleyball with those test value's. Huge forehead is the giveaway though.

Gear must be the only way to get lean and stay huge/semi huge

[Mr Nobody]

How does body fat level effect slinging dick in both raw no condom and condom used varieties of dick slinging?

Spot on BDB.

[anabolichalo]

Yes brother.

Sometimes I reflect on this quote by the great Lay Nortom and ponder...

"Are you willing to sacrifice to win?"
- Lay Nortom

THEY said you had NO CHANCE

THEY said DO OR DIE

I GOT THIS SHIT


ITS A JOKE!!!


*dominate!* (fat guy in the background)

[Borracho]

Gear is optimal for gaining muscle.

If you're maxed out naturally or on certain doses, better to be happy with what you got and stay lean and look good or take more muscle building asteroids.

[DroppingPlates]

Perhaps the change will happen by itself, stick to long at 9% and turn into a woman with a penoris

Could compete in womens volleyball with those test value's. Huge forehead is the giveaway though.

Gear must be the only way to get lean and stay huge/semi huge

That's very true, esp when you're 5'7 or taller.

[dyslexic]

shit dude.. believe me, I was eating absolute junk... 470 kcal cream pies with 65g fat and something like 22g fat all day... boxes of hamburger helper everyday.. ice cream... peanut butter... was absolutely shredded... but my shirts started to hang off me and people were asking if I was sick. lol... hardcore lean-face for months. wasn't till I ended up in the ER that I realized my thyroid doses were wayyyyyy off.

Were you using over 100 micro's?

[dyslexic]

Sorry, just read your post. Yeah, BIG difference BTW T-3 and T-4.

You gotta go real easy on T-3 and you HAVE TO KNOW how much you are taking. You pyramid and drop. If it's T-4, that is much less potent. Mixing the two is serious.

T-3 by itself works fantastic at very small doses unless you are thyroid deficient.

Another problem is that you may have had a hyper thyroid and a fast metabolism prior to taking the stuff. These things have to be investigated prior, otherwise... well, you could wind up in an ER.