is that last 1-2% worth it? (berto reference)

[tumtum]

hey guys, i had some free time so i started questioning some things..

why do we strive to be so lean for shows?

now the answer appears obvious... but look a little deeper

everyone knows Berto looked insane for his last show, anyone that follows him on instagram knows that his progress pictures for his prep were both motivating and demotivating (do i even lift/diet)

but was there a reason for him to diet for something like 16 weeks starting from his starting condition? i just feel that a lot of our bathroom selfies, and up close gym pictures in great lighting dont translate.. i just dont think that once you are on stage, under the lighting, under the layers of brown paint, that you cant see those 1000 veins over abs, glutes, back, etc.. i feel like from 5 feet away you can really see the difference.. but what judge is 5 feet away? can they actually see the difference? could the judges see what the guys on IG see?

now i've yet to compete.. but i've followed a ton of competitors.. can you really see the difference in guys like berto that are insanely shredded and the other guys who are just absurdly shredded..

the more time we spend in a deficit the less time we have to build muscle in the long run.. so is it worth that extra 4-6 weeks of dieting to get to that extra peeled (that i feel) goes unnoticed once you are beyond 5 ft away?

i just feel like i see so many guys that have gone full retard with their conditioning and then when they get on stage it doesn't show

any one else feel this way or at least have given it thought? or have i gone full retard

#holdingbreathandpreparingfortheuproar

[AniMaLizTik]

Yeah, it matters.

Can the judges see veins, etc? No, but they, along with any other trained eye, can tell that "that" guy is more conditioned than the rest.

Its common knowlege that super duper ripped to shredz lean fuuuuark mind blown paper thin skin in the bathroom = "meh pretty ripped" under stage lights

however, the linear equation applies to everyone else. "meh ripped" in the bathroom = "did you even diet?" under stage lights

[Milone79]

what I ask is how much muscle are you prepared to sacrifice to lose that last few pounds of fat??? I often don't think it is worth it to lose 5 pounds of lean tissue to get from 7% bf down to 6%....

[tumtum]

what I ask is how much muscle are you prepared to sacrifice to lose that last few pounds of fat??? I often don't think it is worth it to lose 5 pounds of lean tissue to get from 7% bf down to 6%....

That's how I feel. Not worth droppings ten lbs for 1%.. In my opinion

My last prep I pulled out because I was too lean too far out and already felt death upon me at 13wks. This year I won't try to get too much leaner than I was at that point

[fltallpaul]

You can see it in person, when you are back stage or judging someone as lean as Berto gets there is a visual difference. It won't translate in pictures but in person....its very clear.

[red_cat]

The things is that Berto didn't really sacrifice much in terms of muscle to get those extra few pounds (at least not from what I could tell). His strength stayed up, the scale didn't move THAT much over his last few weeks, and those are both signs that point to him retaining most of his muscle.

I haven't seen any professional stage shots from his shows but I really doubt the ones that he posted on IG did him much justice. To me, the in person difference is worth reaching that level of conditioning (assuming you're not sacrificing THAT much muscle).

[jpfaherty]

You can certainly see it. That being said, I don't think the extra 1-2% is always worth it. Don't forget this is a bodybuilding show, no a see who can get the leanest show. You certainly need to get lean, very lean, but don't sacrifice the physique for that extra 1-2%

[red_cat]

You can certainly see it. That being said, I don't think the extra 1-2% is always worth it. Don't forget this is a bodybuilding show, no a see who can get the leanest show. You certainly need to get lean, very lean, but don't sacrifice the physique for that extra 1-2%

And there's where you have to evaluate what the mirror is saying. If getting that last 1-2% would make you look stringy/thin, and your current condition with the size you have is on point, then maybe it isn't worth it.

[tumtum]

This turned into a pretty good thread, thanks for the quality input guys

[CheslinK]

I'd say it depends on where you consider that last 1-2%.

If you're in the 6% range... most beginners are done here. Take it a bit further each year right? Try to progress slowly.

If you have never done a show before and think an 8% beach body turns shredded once you slap on some ProTan it's a rude awakening when you step on stage.

[demonwareltd]

I would also question the genetic potential to get SUPER lean and maintain as much lean mass as possible. Of course, the slower you progress, the better your odds of holding onto lbm, but I can't believe that it works the same in each person. I'm sure there are people out there with really ****ty genetics whose body will give them the middle finger if they try and dip into 4 and 5% bodyfat and say "I'm taking this muscle with me!"

Remember the people we see all over the interwebs and strive to emulate are usually high in the genetic potential ladder of things. There are just as many people who compete who are probably on the complete other end and life becomes a living hell when trying to get super lean...

[Pullup17]

Interesting you should start this topic as I myself have been thinking about it.

I placed 3rd in my previous comp due to not having enough mass. The 1 who got first had to much size for us (2nd place and me) to handle so when I compare myself to the 2nd placed guy, I was leaner while he was slightly bigger, turned out judges preferred size more so than conditioning.

I realized then that yes, this is BODYBUILDING afterall and not BODYSHREDDING. Might apply differently to different federations etc but for my upcoming competition, I have decided to bring a fuller, rounder package while giving up a little conditioning.

Do you guys think the more shredded or fuller physique will place better?