So I remember Alex framing himself as lean but lack muscle from his SMV vid where he was 170lbs 6'0 and doing well with the shirtless pic but I don't feel that size with 8% bodyfat would be maximizing physique for myself. At the moment I've bulked up to 193lbs at 1.82m and initially planned get to 197lbs (27 BMI) to theb cut down to 190lbs (26 BMI). Seeing how a Greek god looks, I'm thinking I still need to put on 20-30lbs and then cut 5-10lbs to truly get into that lean muscular category. I'm not so sure I'm gonna have that size to actually look like someone who can assert dominance if I keep to my initial route. I suspect I'm 15-20% bodyfat which I'll cut down to 8-12% when I've achieved a foundation I'm happy with. Would going for extra size boost online matches?
1
393 Posts (+1.3K), 15K Cmts (+5.3K)
The issue is that you wont look lean. Like right now your abs and chest arent really visible. I think you need to lift heavy but also get rid of the extra fat. Maybe 180lb is your ideal weight if you have a lot of muscle, but not 195lb (unless you take steroids, in which case that can totally work)
70 Posts (+3), 68 Cmts (+10)
I'm not so confident 180lbs has the room to generate enough muscle to achieve a 1.6 shoulder to waist ratio (research shows it's part of the optimal build) seeing how I'm 193lbs and still don't feel that big, but in the same token I don't think I have to do aggressive cutting either as I've always had a fast metabolism. I think I'll first see what getting to 197lbs and then cutting down to 190lbs does (loses about 3.6% bf).
393 Posts (+1.3K), 15K Cmts (+5.3K)
I guess to each thier own. But when I was 175lb I was look ripped. But again that's single digits body fat which is important
18 Posts (+2), 35 Cmts (+6)
I would just recomp so you maintain your weight and lose body fat. Progressive overload on your lifts and you’ll still add muscle mass. Not sure if it’s the pose but chest looks a bit underdeveloped compared to your shoulders and arms. What’s your current routine?
70 Posts (+3), 68 Cmts (+10)
At the moment, from highest to lowest priority my muscle groups go: shoulders, chest, back, arms, legs, abs. I've always focused heavily on shoulders because they're the main factor in achieving the v-taper which seems to be the most noticeable attribute to lean, muscluar bodies. My bench PR is 225lbs though I'm not certain what that would look like. I'm trying to get that to 315lbs by the end of summer though.