Body Image and Fitness

[mongers]

I don't work out, but do things that requires me to be relatively fit or more accurately, at my age not actually falling apart.

Never been bothered about 'looking' good for others, my body's the way it is as a result of what I get up to. 

As CdM and others have mentioned, muscle for muscle own sake is a future problem, plus you have to carry the enhanced things around; personally I think that's a waste of effort. 

[Valmy]

I have no time to work out.  But I really need to.  I finally had my first week when I can wake up early and hit the gym before work/school but that involves getting up at 5:30 and so far it just ain't happening.  But tommorow will be different!

I cannot even imagine have 7% body fat.  I would be very happy to have twice that.

[Jacob]

I'm too lazy to work out consistently.

Occasionally my wife will drag me to some sort of yoga or we'll go swimming. I do that because I think I need to exercise more, and because it's good to indulge my wife.

Mostly I walk the dog, because she needs walking and because I enjoy it.

I probably ought to do some core strengthening exercises from all the sitting-around-at-the-computer; my back is more sore more often than it ought to be.

[crazy canuck]

As CdM and others have mentioned, muscle for muscle own sake is a future problem, plus you have to carry the enhanced things around; personally I think that's a waste of effort.

Really?  I am nothing more than an "and others"! 

[mongers]

As CdM and others have mentioned, muscle for muscle own sake is a future problem, plus you have to carry the enhanced things around; personally I think that's a waste of effort.

Really?  I am nothing more than an "and others"! 

Well I meant "others" in a wider than languishit sense, it's only common sense, we only need to look at most former NFL players to know the meaning of pecs going south, stopping at the belt border.

[11B4V]

So for the past year or so, I've been on a health kick, and it's shown a marked improvement. I can bench double what I used to (150, but hey, I'll take it), I can run 8 miles consistently, etc.

But can you maintain that? Are you shooting for a lifestyle change or are you just on a kick?

[Josquius]

Yes, so that they don't have time to make bizarre pronouncements like "Muscles aren't cool."  Or at least, if they do, they'll be somewhere that no one can hear them.

Its true. Fashionable body types these days are far more towards the slim and toned than the big and beefy. It isn't the 80s anymore.

[Eddie Teach]

 

The 80s had tons of teen movies with stick figure protagonists with big hair, they epitomize the decade more than ahnold Imo.

[Brazen]

Muscle doesn't "turn to fat", it's a physiological impossibility. Muscle mass can decline if you stop exercising and body fat can increase if you eat more than you burn, simple as that.

"Toned" isn't really a valid fitness term either. You can have body fat low enough to show your muscles whatever size those muscles are.

As far as fashionable builds go, we need more Jason Statham body types and fewer Robert Pattinson IMHO, or everyone in our media will end up looking like this:

I apologise for the pop culture reference with a very limited Languish audience. Mart, Google Rylan Clark, you'll enjoy him.

[Josquius]

"Toned" isn't really a valid fitness term either. You can have body fat low enough to show your muscles whatever size those muscles are.

We're not speaking in terms of fitness magazine language though. In general practice toned is a perfectly valid term for somebody in good shape with only a bit of visible muscle.

The 80s had tons of teen movies with stick figure protagonists with big hair, they epitomize the decade more than ahnold Imo.

The 80s did of course have its fair share of girly men but they were fairly outside the mainstream. Its only really with the 90s that the thing to aim for moved away from super maculine, as much muscle as you can get, moustaches totally acceptable, etc... and towards guys who just look after themself and keep it all in proportion.

Of course, I can't speak for all women/gays. There are a lot of girls into beefy guys, hell, there's girls into chubby guys too, but the ideal body type these days seems to be pretty firmly more in the Christiano Ronaldo sort of direction than yeah, the 80s Arny sort of look that teenage boys dream of having.

[Drakken]

As far as fashionable builds go, we need more Jason Statham body types and fewer Robert Pattinson IMHO, or everyone in our media will

You know that it is the sort of declaration that encourages bigorexia, right?

[Drakken]

Not sure if this goes in the Fitness 2012 thread, but what the hell.

So for the past year or so, I've been on a health kick, and it's shown a marked improvement. I can bench double what I used to (150, but hey, I'll take it), I can run 8 miles consistently, etc.

But, I've been told by a few people that if I want to "improve", I should gain some weight to acquire more muscle mass. My body fat percent is somewhere between 6 and 9%, so they're right that there's really a way to build muscle without gaining weight. But is there a point to doing it?

What makes you want to work out?

I work out pro-am because I'll need to be stronger to work on construction sites, I like the challenge, I want to improve myself and push my limits, and yes because I want to look the best I can physically. 99% of guys would be hypocritical if they said they never do it to impress the other gender - especially guys. We all do it, ultimately, because a lot of girls feel entitled to movie-star types of beefcakes (or Jason Statham body types).

You will gain fat if you seriously train for muscle mass and bulk, it's inescapable. You need that calorie surplus, and with it comes gaining (a little) fat. However you can minimize it by clean bulking, moderate cardio, and good sleeping habits. Been bulking since April and I've gain 15 pounds, 11 pounds of which are LBM and 4 pounds of fat, I'm now at 200 pounds for 16.7% body fat (from 185 pounds and 15.8% in April). Nothing to be alarmed of, the fat can be lost within a month of cutting, and at 10% body fat I would be between 181 and 185 pounds for 5' 11".

Finally, accept that if you are natty you are in for a VERY long haul. That's why most gym rats use the easy way out and take juice or growth hormones, to YOLO at 20 looking jacked, but at the expense of their health later in their life. If you eat, train, sleep/rest consistently you'll slowly see results.

Also, how did you get your BF readings? Hopefully not from an electronic weight machine. I get mine measures through calipers using ISAK, every three weeks, and even then it can be off by 1-2%. 6% body fat is bodybuilding-stage thin, your veins would pop out and your skin would be paper-thin.

[Faeelin]

Calipers gave me a low number of 6%, the electric machine gave me 8%.

[Drakken]

Calipers gave me a low number of 6%, the electric machine gave me 8%.

Then kudos. 

That said, if you train for muscle mass/bulking you will kiss this 6% goodbye, at least for a while, but you'll still be looking great at 8-11%. If you keep it under control it won't be too hard to cut back to a lower body fat percentage when you are ready.

[crazy canuck]

Muscle doesn't "turn to fat", it's a physiological impossibility.

You dont have many American football players - or CFL types - do you