Off-season or Maintenence Bodyfat`

[Girlie]

Hi! A lot of posts seem to deal with cutting down to 7% bodyfat for a competition (naturally since this is a bb site ). I was wondering what most of the girls here maintain at when they aren't cutting? . . . since I assume no one tries to stay at 7% bodyfat year round . . . though I guess it's possible?

[someday]

i got down to 10% for figure, it's been 3 months of bulking during off season and i'd say i'm up to at least 18%. i've gained a good solid 20 pounds and i estimate about 3 pounds for every % point. i can't wait to start cutting in january. right now, i feel like stuffed turkey.

[TrishB]

I like to stay between 17-20% during this time of year. Since I am not longer looking to compete...I now start cutting every January, so that I will be around 13% from April to September.

For a female to stay in single digit BF% for extended periods of time is dangerous.

[Girlie]

Thank you for replying! I realized that I was basing a lot of my goals and expectations for myself based on the posts of individuals preparing for competition. Right now I'm working primarily on lifestyle adjustments and I realized that aiming for the same weight as a woman who is only a week out from competition or trying to live permanently by a cutting diet is/was a bad idea. Thanks again!

[alphafemale]

It's such a refreshing to change to finally see some females who are not afraid to put on a little fat in order to gain some quality muscle!

It seems from most posts I read, no female gets above 15% - ever. I admit, I'm just as guilty, and have been 9-14% for over a year. But this winter I'm looking forwarded to getting "fat" and making some serious gains!

Major props to you girls!

[SuperBBGirl]

i was 8-9% fo rfigure comp

building at about 13-14% i refuse to gain more becasue my goal is to look good year roudn and compete for fun , not look great oen day a year and fat the rest of the time

[rainbowbrite]

I used ti keep my bf% low all yr, but I found I didnt gain as much msucle that way. Now I eat to build muscle, though I gan more weight, Ilift heavier and ahve gained alot more muscle since changing my diet.
RB

[Girlie]

i was 8-9% fo rfigure comp

building at about 13-14% i refuse to gain more becasue my goal is to look good year roudn and compete for fun , not look great oen day a year and fat the rest of the time

I'm not really sure it's quite accurate to call someone at 17-20% bodyfat "fat." Sorry to be anal. . . I think it's awesome that you keep yourself in great shape year 'round. . . I just think that it's dangerous to say anyone is "fat" unless he/she is obese to the point of being unhealthy.

[someday]

I'm not really sure it's quite accurate to call someone at 17-20% bodyfat "fat.".

i agree! granted i was a size 2 at 10% when i lean and now i'm in a six at 18%. i don't concider myself fat. i wouldn't get up on stage now, but like rainbow my strength gains have been awesome! (for example -ten plates on the leg press for 3 sets of six compared to 4 plates or less when i was dieting) it's amazing what food can do for your body and i have to believe when i diet down for next season i will have made some great gains!

[ChocoChick]

I'm not really sure it's quite accurate to call someone at 17-20% bodyfat "fat."

Bump, bump, bump!

In fact, given how prone women are in general to having body image problems (not to mention a few women here who have eating disorders), I think you really have to be careful about using the word 'fat.'

building at about 13-14% i refuse to gain more becasue my goal is to look good year roudn

I think women can look quite beautiful with bf%'s higher than this even.

[SuperBBGirl]

I consider it "fat" for ME i look stocky at 17-20%

i dont' judge other people

i worked my ass off to drop 70 pounds and i like my look at 13-14%
my strength does not improve with body fat

my heaviest squat 315 for 9 and leg press 14 plates for 15 was while comp dieting and before it is asked i am natural. i actaully feel stronger and more energy when i am lean

[Emma-Leigh]

I think the key is for each individual to maintain at a BF% that is HEALTHY FOR THEM.

If SuperBB can stay at 13-15% year round whilst maintaining her period, maintaining her health and not over-training, being overly restrictive on her diet or impacting negatively on her total well-being then, if that is what she wants - she can. She may not want to gain anymore lean mass (as this is basically impossible at really low BF%) and therefore it may not really impact on her at all.

If other people feel that they are more healthy at 15-18%, or that they gain more strength/lean mass at the BF%, then that is fine too. Just as long as they are happy with how they look, and they are not over-training, over-dieting and if they are maintaining their hormone cycles as per normal!!

Health (both mental and physical) is the key!



ps: Although I agree that the use of the word 'fat' was probably not the best choice... It is a loaded word in these types of circles...

[SuperBBGirl]

I think the key is for each individual to maintain at a BF% that is HEALTHY FOR THEM.

If SuperBB can stay at 13-15% year round whilst maintaining her period, maintaining her health and not over-training, being overly restrictive on her diet or impacting negatively on her total well-being then, if that is what she wants - she can. She may not want to gain anymore lean mass (as this is basically impossible at really low BF%) and therefore it may not really impact on her at all.

If other people feel that they are more healthy at 15-18%, or that they gain more strength/lean mass at the BF%, then that is fine too. Just as long as they are happy with how they look, and they are not over-training, over-dieting and if they are maintaining their hormone cycles as per normal!!

Health (both mental and physical) is the key!



ps: Although I agree that the use of the word 'fat' was probably not the best choice... It is a loaded word in these types of circles...

I still have my period at 8% for comps right on schedule the entire diet because i have a nutritionist /trainer that does not starve people lean
i also gain muscle easily and while lean i have gained muscle during a comp diet while lean a doing 2 hours a day of cardio near the end
i do restrict what i eat, i eat clean and have one cheat meal per week, to me it is worth it, i choose to look a certain way an dlove my diet i eat fruit and corn tortillas along with my lean proteins and good carbs
i never restrict sodium til one day before comp
i feel fantastic throughout my entire comp diet

I am maintain 13-14% right now while building lats, delts and upper chest and both caliper bf% reading and pictures show tha i am indeed increasing these muscle and it has only been 6 weeks

[Girlie]

I didn't mean to infer that there was anything wrong with your staying lean! I'm sorry if my comment came across this way. I think it's an amazing accomplishment!

Mostly I am very cautious about using the word "fat." There are many women I know (including myself sometimes ) that go into a spiral of despair if they hear that word. It also has taken on implications of "unhealthy" in our society and I just didn't feel that a slightly higher bodyfat than your preferred level was necessarily unhealthy or unattractive. I see now that you were not referring to other women and I apologize for misinterpretting your comment.

[SuperBBGirl]

I didn't mean to infer that there was anything wrong with your staying lean! I'm sorry if my comment came across this way. I think it's an amazing accomplishment!

Mostly I am very cautious about using the word "fat." There are many women I know (including myself sometimes ) that go into a spiral of despair if they hear that word. It also has taken on implications of "unhealthy" in our society and I just didn't feel that a slightly higher bodyfat than your preferred level was necessarily unhealthy or unattractive. I see now that you were not referring to other women and I apologize for misinterpretting your comment.

no i didnt' take it that way

it frustrates me when everyone thinks you cna't can muscle lean, no some people cna't but i bet more can that just don't know it

you don't have to get 20, 30 , 40 pounds above comp weight jsut to add more muscle

some people look better with a lower bodyfat fat espeically ones liek me very short 5'1 and muscular

[Hibiscus09]

I'm at 17% right now, 43 years old, 5'3.5", 117 to 118lbs. Works for me -- I wear a size 2. I will lean out some for summer, but prefer to maintain this size for the most part.

[SuperBBGirl]

I'm at 17% right now, 43 years old, 5'3.5", 117 to 118lbs. Works for me -- I wear a size 2. I will lean out some for summer, but prefer to maintain this size for the most part.

this is exactly my point
when i am 5'1 117 i am a size 1-2 but 8% , i dont' want to be a size 6 to me for my hieght that is too big so that is why 13-14% is tops for me

on the other hand i have had pt clients that are size 2 but almose 30% bf cuz they have no muscle

[TrishB]

I would love to stay 13-14% year round....which I think is perfectly healthy.

But those holiday goodies just seem to do me in, year after year. I've just given up trying to combat them.
So I make sure I never throw out my size 4 "fat" jeans. But once they start getting tight (around 18%)...it is time to get my butt in gear again.

[Hibiscus09]

Well, luckily I have some muscle Suzanne. I'm sure not as much as you do! LOL I think it all depends on the particular persons body. You are probably able to stay leaner because you have been able to put on so much muscle. I'm definitely a slow gainer in the muscle department. I do understand the height thing. I'm only 5'3.5" and I've always envied those who are taller. I figure they can eat more.

I don't think staying around 13 to 14% would be healthy for me and I doubt I could maintain that. I tend to be curvy and not ectomorphic, although I've certainly wanted to be ectomorphic at times .

[SuperBBGirl]

Actaully i gain fat super esy so i have to worik hard to stay lean i still do 40 min cardio 6 dyas a week i eat 1775 clean cals daily with one cheat per week. plus i do my wiehgts. i have to really try to stay lean and it is not easy but is worth it

[Hibiscus09]

Me too on the fat thing! LOL I'm eating 1,725 calories right now -- clean except for the cheat day. Gotta love the cheat day. I prefer to change the cardio up -- I start low, then build times, #s of days, then go back to low and repeat. I hate to do the schedule over and over as I feel my body adjusts.

[halo518]

I prefer to change the cardio up -- I start low, then build times, #s of days, then go back to low and repeat. I hate to do the schedule over and over as I feel my body adjusts.

Hibiscus - Not to go off the thread subject, but I was curious what exactly your cardio 'cycle' looks like ... when you start 'low', how much cardio do you do and for how many days? What increments do you increase it by? And how much are you doing on the high end of the cycle?

[someday]

I consider it "fat" for ME i look stocky at 17-20%

i dont' judge other people

i worked my ass off to drop 70 pounds and i like my look at 13-14%
my strength does not improve with body fat

my heaviest squat 315 for 9 and leg press 14 plates for 15 was while comp dieting and before it is asked i am natural. i actaully feel stronger and more energy when i am lean

do you have a jounal going here? just curious...315 is quite impressive i was pleased with my personal best of 225 the other day.

i joined this board in sept and have been waiting to start mine until i start cutting again in january.

you did say you were a figure not bodybuiling competitor, right?

[kariev34]

hi girls, i was just wondering at what intensity you perform your cardio in order to maintain where you are at now. What heart rate level?

[SuperBBGirl]

hi girls, i was just wondering at what intensity you perform your cardio in order to maintain where you are at now. What heart rate level?

i go 150-160 which is going HARD it takes alot for my RH to get that high
example level 14 on stepmill

[Emma-Leigh]

hi girls, i was just wondering at what intensity you perform your cardio in order to maintain where you are at now. What heart rate level?

I do short session cardio/HIIT cardio at a minimum of 80% MHR. Which is ~160 BPM. I try to keep it higher than this and aim for maximums/sprints at 90% MHR (which is ~180). I usually end up averaging about 165 and I can usually only hit miximums of 170-175 (about 85 to 87%) and it takes me EVERYTHING to get my HR this level (my resting HR is 40). It gets damn frustrating not seeing the numbers go higher, but at least I know that I am pushing myself when I get up that high so I am getting an effective workout.

Longer moderate cardio sessions I keep my average at 80% (160) but if it fluctuates between 155 and 165 then it is fine. I don't like it to drop below 150 (75%).

[Hibiscus09]

halo, I start with something like 20 minutes, 3X a week, then add 5 minutes per week up to 30 minutes, 3X a week, then add another day for a week, then another. After that, I start adding 5 minutes again, until I'm doing 45 minutes 5 to 6 times per week.

[kariev34]

thanks guys. i used to keep my hr at 170 for my entire 45 minute cardio session but i then figured that was way to extreme especially for someone just maintaining. i now hover around 160 and i feel much better once my workout is through.

[halo518]

Thanks hibiscus - that makes sense. Ive been hesitant to increase my cardio much because I know logically that I can't just keep increasing it forever (nor do I care to spend hours a day doing cardio!), but I think cycling it is a logical approach. Ironically I notice my weight on the scale goes down when I decrease my cardio and my weight goes up when I increase it ... I have no idea what's up with that - probably my body telling me it needs less ... you'd think I would listen to it! But I really enjoy that feeling of being totally spent after an intense HIIT session, so I guess my brain is working against my body

[Hibiscus09]

That's happened to before also, halo -- after cutting. It's kind of cool to eat more, do cardio less & not blow up! LOL