Unpopular Opinion: I feel muscles are overrated.

[jimwho]

Fasting/keto helps my mental health and allows me to work long periods focused, really fires up my brain. I also manage stress a lot better and problem solve/find solutions quickest. Although that could also be because I’ve stopped drinking and smoking. Fasting also allowed me to destroy my cravings for carbs/alcohol/drugs.

This is exactly me also. I dig not cooking so often, and the clean-up. I notice people overeating during the day now.

If you eat very little to stay lean, unless you are genetically gifted going to the gym once per week, will not be good, because there is not a stimulus for the body to retain the muscle, the body wants to retain fat, not muscles, therefore eating that low will make you lose a ton of muscle.

I can verify. Now I have Dumbbells all over the place and a cheesy-bench in the living room. I use no system, just
Keep muscles constantly on the go. This is a good thread.

 

[Barrister]

Its a combo of diet, exercise and rest. Hitting the muscle groups at least 1 time per week is good, best is 2 times. But you need to rest well for them to recover.

If you eat very little to stay lean, unless you are genetically gifted going to the gym once per week, will not be good, because there is not a stimulus for the body to retain the muscle, the body wants to retain fat, not muscles, therefore eating that low will make you lose a ton of muscle.

You want to stay lean: hit the gym hard 3 x week and eat in a caloric deficit or at maintenance

You wanna build muscle: hit the gym hard 3 x week and eat in a caloric surplus.

My workout/diet regime has been fairly consistent for a number of years now but I workout either running or lifting 6 days a week. I am always lean and toned and the women always are complimentary. I am definitely not nearly as muscular as I was back in my college/law school days, but the interesting thing is the women don't care at all. I have been through more women in the past 4 years than in the rest of my adult life combined. Hence my original post in this thread that women care very little about how big your muscles are if you simply maintain good physique.

 

[DonJuanjr]

Yeah everything is about genetics, I used EQ and didn't do $hit for my legs, and besides the beta male will be the only one judging another guy for his legs and the disproportion of his upper body, that's more like women saying "oh look her shoes don't match her dress"

II don't know if I agree about the judging aspect. That's half the point of bodybuilding. To obtain balance that surpasses scrutiny.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Yeah everything is about genetics, I used EQ and didn't do $hit for my legs,

That’s cope. Until you can squat 400 lbs without using drugs there are no excuses about shvtty leg genetics.

 

[DonJuanjr]

That’s cope. Until you can squat 400 lbs without using drugs there are no excuses about shvtty leg genetics.

Good. You agree that genetics play a large role in leg development... Who says rangermike's rooster frame friend wasn't squatting 400?

 

[lost_blackbird]

I've gotten pretty fat over the last few months. 6'0 and 15st 2lbs. Mostly beer and inactivity but
quitting weed and tobacco has seen a definite fast upswing in weight, plus Christmas gluttony.
I'm on day 6 without booze, prior to that I've had one day where I haven't consumed alcohol in
the last 3 and a half years. I'm going to see how much difference OMAD and cutting the booze
out completely makes in the next month. The only reason I'm doing this is because I've outgrown
my motorcycle leathers and I don't want to buy more.

 

[Snag87]

No one is overweight because of working out. They are overweight because they eat and drink too much. Or have a bad diet of junk food and garbage.

The most successful diet book anyone could ever write would be one page and contain the sentence "Stop eating too much cr@p."

I know people who look great and all they do is practice yoga every other day. They look great because they eat well.

Agreed. If the average American had that regimen with no modification to their diet, essentially none would lose weight. Changing your diet requires far more discipline than going to the gym 3 hours a week.

 

[DonJuanjr]

Nobody in here is a bodybuilder bro what are you saying? Don't confuse the typical guy wanting to be somewhat big and lean with bodybuilding. Judging is for bodybuilding hows, but if you go to a gym and start judging a big guy with skinny legs, why the do you care in looking other mens physique if you're not competing? Its like saying "oh look I lift more than this guy even though he's bigger than me"

Because bodybuilding is the act of increasing lean muscle mass while minimizing fat. Doesn't matter if one is at stage level or not. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Who the fvck cares about how much you squat? Is that your ego typing? That you squat 400 lbs without drugs?

No, let me rephrase this:

You have no right to complain about leg genetics if you can’t squat at least 400 lbs. You haven’t earned the right to complain. You need to lift more weight.

I have a friend who squats 305 and his legs are skinny as $hit, weights don't equal muscles a lot of times.

305 is peanuts. No wonder his legs are skinny. His form is probably crap too.

Wrong. Strength = Size.

 

[DonJuanjr]

Wrong. Strength = Size.

This statement is true, but not the only truth. Many guys got bigger when they were forced to go lighter due to injuries...

 

[Fortune_favors_the_bold]

This statement is true, but not the only truth. Many guys got bigger when they were forced to go lighter due to injuries...

I got much bigger arms when I implemented machines and cables not to piss off an already pissed off elbows with free weights.

 

[EyeBRollin]

This statement is true, but not the only truth. Many guys got bigger when they were forced to go lighter due to injuries...

Yes, both statements are actually true:

Strength = Size
Size =/= Strength

You can be big and not that strong. However, moving big weight requires the muscles to grow in size. Hence, work on Squatting 400 lbs before bvtching about poor leg development.

 

[DonJuanjr]

@Pedrito0906
What we're dealing with is self-important nattys who think they're superior for not "cheating". As if juicing is akin to popeye eating a can of spinach. Not knowing (because they haven't done it themselves) is that one can juice to the moon, and still not improve if the other pillars (diet, training, recovery) are not in place and having GENETICS... Juicing only allows one to keep making newbie like gains. One still has to go just as hard as the nattys.....

edit: Changed nutrition to recovery

 

[EyeBRollin]

@Pedrito0906
What we're dealing with is self-important nattys who think they're superior for not "cheating". As if juicing is akin to popeye eating a can of spinach. Not knowing (because they haven't done it themselves) is that one can juice to the moon, and still not improve if the other pillars (diet, training, nutrition) are not in place and having GENETICS... Juicing only allows one to keep making newbie like gains. One still has to go just as hard as the nattys.....

Juicing is a personal choice. That’s not the issue in discussion. It is the copium “genetic” arguments. All able bodied (as in not physically disabled) men can achieve decent muscle aesthetic development. Few reach it, because most won’t put in the work.

 

[Gamisch]

This should end the conversation. Anyone with experience pre and post being fit with muscular definition (especially with noticeable shoulder to torso ratio) wouldn't seriously argue against this point.

Perfectly worded.

Maybe that's something that isn't mentioned. If you've never been ripped its easier to "carry yourself" when you are out of shape.

Going out of shape feels like going from having an abundance of money to completely broke. Someone who is always been broke will probably have more peace with that situation.

I also believe a good physique can be a great weapon in seduction. Makes you more eager to take your shirt off. Makes her more curious what's underneath your t shirt. Not much different from being eager to see what she looks like without those jeans.

This is an interesting video about one of the reasons why we have so much trouble with weight control nowadays; oil.

 

[nicksaiz65]

Yeah 72h fasts are the way to go, way more benefits than 48, but 48 has way more benefits than 24h.

All the lean people I know automatically eat smaller amounts and less carbs/sugar. Only when I started doing it myself and seeing results I was like damn, this is all it takes huh.

Fasting/keto helps my mental health and allows me to work long periods focused, really fires up my brain. I also manage stress a lot better and problem solve/find solutions quickest. Although that could also be because I’ve stopped drinking and smoking. Fasting also allowed me to destroy my cravings for carbs/alcohol/drugs.



No I enjoy making myself as healthy as possible. At 33 I’m not getting any younger and I want to be in peak condition, I abused my body with substances for years.

Yeah man, once you get to or above 48 hours those extended fasts just shred the fat off. It’s ridiculous lol.

Combine that with portion control/CICO and activity, and you really can’t lose imo. Nearly impossible to be fat, or fail at cutting.

Glad to hear you’re getting the mental clarity from your fasts. I’ve heard of people getting that benefit as well. I think it helps with work too cause when you don’t have to worry about eating you have a lot of time freed up to grind.

 

[Snag87]

You guys are debating max squats? If your primary reason for lifting is to attract women, your focus should be on aesthetics. Do you think a women is going to choose the guy with a higher squat or the guy with a more attractive physique?

 

[nicksaiz65]

This is exactly me also. I dig not cooking so often, and the clean-up. I notice people overeating during the day now.



I can verify. Now I have Dumbbells all over the place and a cheesy-bench in the living room. I use no system, just
Keep muscles constantly on the go. This is a good thread.

Yeah, not only does the fasting force you to eat in a deficit but it also minimizes your cooking and cleaning time. I find I don’t crave the junk food after a long fast. You can also eat big meals or go out socially while remaining in a deficit. So many benefits.

I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the old style of eating 5-6 small meals a day. Couldn’t pay me to do it lol

 

[EyeBRollin]

Partially true, the foundation is going up in weights, progressive overload. But genetics play a big role. 305 lbs is not peanuts, show me a video of you squatting that much, also show your physique.

My pictures are on this forum.

You guys are debating max squats? If your primary reason for lifting is to attract women, your focus should be on aesthetics. Do you think a women is going to choose the guy with a higher squat or the guy with a more attractive physique?

If body fat is equivalent, the guy with the higher squat will have the more attractive physique.

 

[Snag87]

My pictures are on this forum.




If body fat is equivalent, the guy with the higher squat will have the more attractive physique.

I don't buy it. I've heard multiple women state guys can be too muscular.