“Lean body mass” may sound like the amount of muscle you have, but that’s not quite true. More accurately, it’s the amount of weight you carry that isn’t body fat. Your LBM includes muscle, but also bones, water, connective tissue, and stored up glycogen and other substances. This calculator requires two inputs from …
What is a good “lean, but healthy and sustainable” body-fat percentage to aim for and live at most of the time? Plenty of lifters and athletes want to get ripped and shredded—and maybe even stay that way year-round. It’s tempting—especially if you’ve looked at countless photos of ripped people, or had a time in …
Imagine a typical hour-long strength-training workout. For argument’s sake, let’s say it’s 3-5 sets of 10 reps, for five separate exercises. How much time during that hour do you think you’d actually spending lifting? At most, it’s probably around 15 minutes—and that’s being generous. The rest of the time, you’re resting, moving equipment around, …
It’s easy to think that when it comes to adding muscle, you might as well eat anything you want because you’re going to gain body fat no matter what. Hey, that’s why they call it “bulking,” right? The more fat you’re adding, the more muscle must be coming along with it. Jim Stoppani, Ph.D., …
Q: It seems like no matter what I do, I can’t get rid of my extra belly fat. How can I get lean enough to have a six-pack? This is a fantastic question and a great way to kick off my new Gym2k.com column! If I could take a moment, I’d like to show …
Q: How do I go from lean to ripped—and should I even try? When most people think of being “shredded” or “ripped,” they envision a physique resembling a superhero’s in a comic book. They also think, “How does someone look like that and be healthy? And is that really healthy?” Ex …
Developing a physique that is well muscled and stripped of excess body fat is the main goal for bodybuilding success. However, no one should try to stay in contest shape year-round. It’s unrealistic and unhealthy. If your body-fat levels fall too low in the off-season, you won’t see the gains you need to improve. …
Sure, we would all love to be lean and ripped, not just for summer but all year long. But while some claim to relish the down-and-dirty, in-the-trenches hard work that such a physique requires, most of us aren’t quite ready for a 24/7, no-holds-barred commitment. Instead, we ask in all fairness: “Does it have …
After giving birth to six children, full-time mom Edna Boehmer, like so many women before her, spent hours on cardio machines trying to lose weight. She looked thin, but not healthy and strong. She lacked the toned curves and strong physique she desired. Then, a friend introduced her to weightlifting and hooked her up with […]
For years, Brandon Waggoner chased big numbers on the big three lifts and ate only with the goal of getting bigger and stronger. Was it healthy? Probably not, but for his sport, it worked. After an injury put him on the shelf, he realized just how much he’d let his body get away from him. […]
I used to only care about numbers on the scale, letting my weight motivate me rather than how healthy I felt. I dieted to lose weight on the scale, and exercised to burn calories rather than building calorie-burning muscle. At 5-foot-6, I set a goal of being 120 pounds. This number fell at the low […]
Let's take a trip back in time. How far? Back before the gym was cluttered with dudes with camera crews, and stick figure lifters who strain harder for a selfie than they do during a set of squats.Back then, before the … [Read More...]