Look Better When Fuller and Heavier Compared to Lean and Dry?

[NickEdge779]

Anyone else experience this? On cycle or not, I seem to look TONS better when I'm a bit heavier, but still in the lean range. Like I'm lean enough to see visible abs, but not totally shredded where I can see complete ab separation.. Whenever I get to the stage where I'm super lean, I lose ALL fullness and look stringy and my shoulders lose their size and my neck gets smaller and weak looking. My face looks gaunt, and it only increases the sharpness in my abs by getting super lean, everywhere else looks worse.

[dj181]

i look like absolute dog horse shit til i hit sub-7

and once i hit sub-7 i become dry to semi-dry by default

[Jizmo]

yup
dieiting = low carbs = flat = i look like shit

takes me 2-3 weeks to look my best after a cut

[d0nny2600]

Anyone else experience this? On cycle or not, I seem to look TONS better when I'm a bit heavier, but still in the lean range. Like I'm lean enough to see visible abs, but not totally shredded where I can see complete ab separation.. Whenever I get to the stage where I'm super lean, I lose ALL fullness and look stringy and my shoulders lose their size and my neck gets smaller and weak looking. My face looks gaunt, and it only increases the sharpness in my abs by getting super lean, everywhere else looks worse.

Yup. Unless you have your shirt off there is no point in being competition lean. Visible abs and some thickness is best. Probably healthier too

[Qwert II]

Getting super lean only makes sense if you have a ton of excess muscle, or else you look small & stringy in clothes.

I have friends who are obsessed with having defined abs year round, but unless they take their shirts off, they don't even look like they workout in clothes.

For me, at 10% you looks big in clothes, still have abs, although not totally defined, you're stronger, it's easier to maintain etc.

[local hero]

Before I got into competing I was often heard muttering 'abbs are for gays ', I'm starting to lean towards this chain of thought again

Rule of thumb, if when sitting on the shitter, and you have a roll of fat when you rest your elbows on your thighs to play with your phone , you have crossed the line between full and fat....

[heenok]

Id  rather look like i dont lift in clothes and look good when naked.
Chasing the looking big in clothes is just going to get you fat at the end of day unless you are pro size.

Also nobody can tell the difference between a chubby/big guy like a truck driver and a guy who is bulking while clothed. We can tell cause we are obsessed with it but the normal people cant.
I can tell if a guy is in shape or lifting within a blink of an eye but other people cant so bottom lift to please yourself not others.

You will look a hundred time better lean, especially in the face departement and even in a tshirt vascularity and cuts will stand out more than a pair or chubby arms any fat fuck have. hell i see some obese ladies with arms bigger than ronnie coleman, doesnt mean its muscle.

[ritch]

10% is my range too. Too low, my face gets way to skinny and even on bulks, it's kinda lean. Plus I don't gotta do shit to look this way, lol...

[Disco187]

so true but theres a fine line with it. when i am to lean i actually look skinny with clothing on . My shoulders are the first thing to shrink. but then if im to fat it goes right to my face and i get that linebacker look.  I can flucuate from a large to a 3xl t shirt with carb manipulation, but doe not always work for the best when im spilt.

Ive been from the low 190s looking skinny to 258 wide and full  as can be. 225 is my sweet spot to 230

[local hero]

Just found an old offseason pic, I was 24 and weighing 20.7 st, I actualy loved that look, I always had a thing about being over 20st.. , I've attached other pic 6months later 4 st lighter

This was 2005/6 hence the flip phone of peace...

[Jizmo]

thats a perfect example right there local hero...

i bet pic 1 looks pretty damn big in clothes but kind of sloppy when shirtless
pic 2 looks smaller but very lean in clothes but pretty damn ripped shirtless

where did you settle? id personally go for something in between

[equipoise]

thats a perfect example right there local hero...

i bet pic 1 looks pretty damn big in clothes but kind of sloppy when shirtless
pic 2 looks smaller but very lean in clothes but pretty damn ripped shirtless

where did you settle? id personally go for something in between

Tbh pic 2 would look very good in clothes as well. well-fitting suit, polo shirt, t shirt would all look good

[local hero]

I got tons of fanny being heavier, best years of my life... No injuries, training balls to the wall, eating all day long, on the pull most weekends.

You realy didn't have to try with the women, it was so blatantly obvious who was into you, not as many guys my age were into it back then so you stood out more.

To many positive memories associated with the heavy look, was all downhill after that last prep for me


I settled for getting in shape once a year, weight fluctuates between 16st to 17.7st ish, I've got two kids and a mortgage, priorities change as you get older

[heenok]

I think he will still you pretty damn big in clothes with the second pics. First one is just too chubby to me.
But obviously the conditioning is damn hard to keep if you have a life.

[Fuzzy Nuts]

Prefer the 1st look or slightly lighter. More strength and less dieting.