Logically everyone should be easily capable of maintaining a lean physique year round

[topazspindledirt]

Logically everyone should be easily capable of maintaining a lean physique year round....

But, it never happens! ??? or you at least don't hear about it much, Why?


Okay, now I'll explain this in english, From the way I've understood it, most of the people involved in fitness are capable of maintaining their bodyfat, especially if they are just trying to maintain their weight and not bulk at all or anything,

So, in order to maintain a lean physique the hard part i understand is 'getting lean to begin with'

So lets say someone wants to shred up. Lets say they spend many months going on a slightly reduced calorie diet, slowly earning that physique by losing 10-20 lbs of fat or so.

Okay, after they get done with their diet, all they have to do is maintain their weight, right? So lets say start eating their 'old' maintenance intake amount again, Because their new maintenance is lower now due to their drop in metabolism, and they want to eat closer to their former intake before they started dieting. Now granted if they do this they'll be taking an excess amount of calories, but it shouldnt be much extra as long as they cut down slowly. Now as long as they're lifting
wont these excess calories be used towards muscle growth, allowing their low bodyfat to remain where it is??

So even simpler yet---->

Someone cuts, and then they maintain, result being their lean physique is maintained eh?


So why is it that after everyone cuts, they never maintain their low level of leanness, and they always end up gaining some fat back??

 

[Nathan]

This is doable with gear. It is the route i prefer to take personally. Generally, if you wish to gain a lot of muscle then you have to concede that you will gain SOME fat, even with gear. Usually I gain a little bit but it only takes me 2-3 weeks tops to lose it dieting if that. So, basically with my approach, I gain about 20lbs at least a cycle (I also hold a lot of water), let my waist go up about an inch-1.5 inches, then bring my waist back down to below 30" post cycle or right at the end of my cycle. Works quite well. This allows me to stay lean and still gain considerable muscle. I could gain size faster though if I just said fuck it and bulked like crazy. The muscle would come faster but then I'd just have to lose more fat later, plus I'd have to deal with the overly bloated look which drives me crazy. So, I compromise this way and it works for me. Some can bulk and stay lean no problem, others can get away with what I do which is not too shabby I don't think, and then there are those who can't eat an excess of calories without putting on fat. I dunno. Also, I never eat junk food and always eat clean ewhich helps I think.

 

[topazspindledirt]

Alright,

I think I could have been more clear in my statement,

alright, now if someone wants to bulk later, they can do so eating clean foods can't they? and if they slowly raise their cals up, so their intake is never that much above their AMR, then they'll be bulking slowly. And if they do so while eating clean cals, they shouldnt gain ANY fat, right?

OR...

There's the other situation:

What if they are done bulking for awhile, and they just want to maintain?
Yes, maaiinnttaaiinn..... or MAINTAIN or maintain, u heard me. A rare word heard in the bodybuilding world.

But if their goal was simply to maintain, they could keep their lean physique pretty easily couldn't they?

 

[aalox]

So why is it that after everyone cuts, they never maintain their low level of leanness, and they always end up gaining some fat back??

I think that the body needs a minimum amount of fat tissue for proper vitamin absorption, hormonal balance, and other biological functions. If you lose too much fat (like for a bodybuilding contest) then, once you are done overtraining, your body's endocrine system or immune system or whatever will interfere with the usual muscle building processes and try to maintain this minimum amount of bodyfat.
...at least that is the vague impression I get from my reading. I could just be talking out of my ass!

 

[jeremys]

this thread is on at least 2 different sites now..weird

 

[topazspindledirt]

EDIT: whoops, posted here by accident again.
I'll use this blank for my next post