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mikej
Mar 31, 2006, 5:54 PM
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In reply to: Ha! I don't want to call anybody a liar, but I am hard-pressed to believe the posters who say they have 2, 3, 4 % body fat. That is exceptionally low, elite/professional athlete low, and probably low even for many athletes (Lance Armstong-studly cyclists excepted). Many standards of measuring body fat %-age are notoriously flawed, especially calipers. 'Course, I am not an expert on nutrition etc., but I am sure one could be conjured up *cough*
Someone's just bitter. :wink: I'm 6'2 and 130. Look at my pics and tell me where my fat is. When I was injured and bed ridden for about 2 months and completely inactive for another 4 after that I started to lose a little tone, but gained it back the second I touched rock again. At 11 I had a 6 pack without even exercising, it just appeared one day. My body just doesn't retain fat <----Why I live in az . Anyone betting that I'm above 5% body fat would be a loosing deal. I will never get fat either and my family is proof. I try not to eat fast food and fried stuff, but besides that I eat pretty normal stuff like beer and steak. I do get low blood sugar and dehydrated easily, so I bring snacks and water with me, not so difficult. I'm usually hungry every 1/2 hr or so anyways. I used to backpack regularly, from weekend trips to 2 weeks at a time and never had any problems in any variety of conditions. I don't really get sick either, so :lol: to anyone who's said low body fat is unhealthy. I'm gonna have to agree with the peeps that are talking about genetics having a big part though. That's where all the difference is. I'm not a big advocate of eating less to get healthier for obvious reasons, just eating better/more well rounded and activity. You don't need to try to be a freak of nature like me, just keep it simple and have fun, don't obsess.
I think we're forgetting that most regular climbers are somewhat freaks of nature when it comes to muscles. Many of the guys I know climbing v6+ would have a hard time getting up to 10%bf and are easily as ripped as some pro athletes (not as big though), even some of the chicks.
:shock: Just realized I quoted someone from over 2 years ago. YOU GOT TO WARN ME PEOPLE! Note to self, just cause quote is on same page doesn't mean its the same year.
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md3
Mar 31, 2006, 6:53 PM
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I would second that last post to some extent, just to rebut the various presumptions people have about low body fat being unhealthy or unlikely.
The first time I was dip tested as part of an exercise physiology experiment at around age 22 I was at 4.8%. (They also made me run lots of VO2 maxes, took muscle samples right after exercising and shot me up with epinephrine to ultra sound my heart at fast rates – all for about $50.00.) Up till my current age of 40 my weight and body fat has remained almost exactly the same, with caliper tests by other people giving between 4.5% and 5.5%. (If in doubt, check the two pics I have posted, taken last year.) I haven’t had any problems with either sickness or endurance events. I also have never had any problems with low blood sugar – I can go all day without eating and I usually don’t bring lunch for a day of cragging. I do eat pretty well and exercise regularly, but neither fanatically. I drink a lot of beer and eat out a lot at non-health food restaurants. I run and bike pretty regularly, but never to the point where I am not enjoying it. I have never thrown up from working out or anything similar. My muscle mass has remained good, despite a mostly vegetarian diet. And – I think this is important – I am not that different from many of the people I climb with or see regularly at local crags – people who are around my age, lean and fit without working out constantly and not being sick a lot or anything.
I think the deal is consistency. You have to have enough respect for yourself to avoid ever sitting around eating crap and doing nothing physical for multiple days on end.
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tim
Mar 31, 2006, 6:57 PM
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In reply to: As for "how thin is too thin" the general concept is one of body fat percentages. For men, anything less than 5% is potentially harmful.
I've been at 5% body fat before. A long, long time ago, when I was wrestling in high school and college. At that point, your strength-to-mass ratio is about as good as it's going to get, but you'll be cold pretty much anytime the temperature drops below 70. That kind of sucks. But I also beat the crap out of most of the guys I wrestled. The guys I lost to were either faster, stronger, or both, and had similar bodyfat levels. It was not pleasant to go running twice a day and have an orange for lunch in-season, and I have never managed to drop down that low since I quit wrestling.
That said, nothing has ever increased my lead ability as much as losing 10 pounds a few years ago. (went from 5.10a to 5.11b in 2 months on bolted routes) I'm pretty much convinced that, below about 5.12, technique and body composition are the primary determinants of success. (eg. John Dunne has excellent technique, mental strength, and enormous power, which makes up for his body weight) If you're fat, you're putting yourself at an enormous disadvantage -- think "cement loafers". Every time I put on some weight, "easy" 5.10- routes become tough again, and every time I lose the weight, they go back to being easy.
Women have it "easier" in some respects -- if you stop getting your period and start getting stress fractures, you can safely say that you're pushing it too far. I guess guys will have to stick to the "if you're cold all the time and constantly hungry, you're probably too skinny" method.
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tim
Mar 31, 2006, 7:05 PM
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In reply to: My muscle mass has remained good, despite a mostly vegetarian diet. And – I think this is important – I am not that different from many of the people I climb with or see regularly at local crags – people who are around my age, lean and fit without working out constantly and not being sick a lot or anything.
This is anecdotal, to be sure, but the times when I have been in my best shape, I was eating a lot of vegetables and salads and such for my primary meals, and then when I felt like going out, I did. But it's hard to get fat if you're staying active and eating a reasonable diet. One or the other by itself doesn't seem to do the trick, but both together, do. I lost 10 pounds in a matter of a month or so (no strength decreases) while drinking on a regular basis, 2-3x a week, but also biking to and from work, swimming, etc. regularly. I'm doing pretty much the same thing once again, just keeping at it, and lo and behold, I'm losing body fat again. Who'd a thunk.
My experiences mirror yours -- consistency is key.
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climbsomething
Mar 31, 2006, 9:53 PM
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In reply to: Someone's just bitter. :wink: |
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mikej
Mar 31, 2006, 10:54 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Someone's just bitter. :wink: Bitter? That is such a typical internet response to women when it comes to discussions on body types and images. But for the record, I weigh 100 pounds. It's hard to be bitter about the little toned people when you're one of them.
Umm, don't get me wrong, but when you call a bunch of people liars when there's quite a number of us that fall into the discussed category, you sound bitter. I hope you realize its also quite typical to call a male typical. Just for the record, I didn't even realize you were a woman to begin with. I thought your menstruation comment was a joke. No kidding. I remember laughing and thinking it was funny as I read it. No, I'm not very observant, but then again, what male is? :?
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iamthewallress
Mar 31, 2006, 11:07 PM
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In reply to: Women have it "easier" in some respects -- if you stop getting your period and start getting stress fractures, you can safely say that you're pushing it too far.
Yeah, lucky us. :lol:
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lhwang
Mar 31, 2006, 11:08 PM
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In reply to: I've read a few posts of people saying they're really skinny, and can gain weight if they really want to... I wonder if they've actually tried. Because I'm 6'4" and about 160, and about as skinny as a rail, and try as hard as I want to, eating junk food and stuff, it seems i can't gain weight very well... (I just forgot what else I was going to say...) -Dan
I'll second that... I come from a long line of small-boned Asians and have never been able to gain much weight.
I don't think eating junk food is necessarily the quickest way to pack on the pounds... probably high protein, high calorie is the best way to go (based on what the hospital dietician put one of our patients on).
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tim
Mar 31, 2006, 11:53 PM
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In reply to: Just realized I quoted someone from over 2 years ago. YOU GOT TO WARN ME PEOPLE! Note to self, just cause quote is on same page doesn't mean its the same year.
Just FYI, I did the same thing, so I went and added a piece of code that warns you (or me, or anyone else, as the case may be) when you're about to reply to a thread that hasn't had the dust blown off of it for several months.
It's not foolproof, obviously, but it should lead to less embarrassing "nuh uh, Maestri did so climb to the top!" blast-from-the-past type incidents. (This was Hillary's idea, incidentally)
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mikej
Apr 1, 2006, 12:01 AM
Post #60 of 128
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In reply to: In reply to: Just realized I quoted someone from over 2 years ago. YOU GOT TO WARN ME PEOPLE! Note to self, just cause quote is on same page doesn't mean its the same year. Just FYI, I did the same thing, so I went and added a piece of code that warns you (or me, or anyone else, as the case may be) when you're about to reply to a thread that hasn't had the dust blown off of it for several months. It's not foolproof, obviously, but it should lead to less embarrassing "nuh uh, Maestri did so climb to the top!" blast-from-the-past type incidents. (This was Hillary's idea, incidentally) |
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hugin
Apr 3, 2006, 5:00 PM
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In reply to: Just FYI, I did the same thing, so I went and added a piece of code that warns you (or me, or anyone else, as the case may be) when you're about to reply to a thread that hasn't had the dust blown off of it for several months. It's not foolproof, obviously, but it should lead to less embarrassing "nuh uh, Maestri did so climb to the top!" blast-from-the-past type incidents. (This was Hillary's idea, incidentally)
AS a point of reference, other fora I've been known to read do things like auto locking threads after a month of inactivity.
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cheesegrater
May 21, 2006, 8:27 PM
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I think that people should remember that people can develop eating disorders when they care this much about improvement.
If you are hungry, eat. If you are not, don't. Don't make food a problem in your life.
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jaybro
May 21, 2006, 9:37 PM
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I've been climbing for a while and my weight has varied over the decades. Being at my light/normal ranges helps a lot in gym and sport climbing. It matters less for the more technical discipline of crack climbing. When I get too skinny I don't climb my best at anything.
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outsideguyzak
May 21, 2006, 10:22 PM
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how does 142 5'11 sound? Oh and by the way... Sharma is not lean. He probably weighs at least 180 if not 190!
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mikej
May 24, 2006, 4:42 AM
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In reply to: how does 142 5'11 sound? Oh and by the way... Sharma is not lean. He probably weighs at least 180 if not 190!
actually, sharma is no more than 5'8" and 135 tops. I've seen him up pretty close at a comp. I'm 6'2 and 130 and eat like a maniac. As long as you eat and don't yack it up, being skinny is good.
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aussieclimbingfreak
May 24, 2006, 6:33 AM
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This is something i've been thinking about a lot lately. I'm 22 yo, 6ft, and weigh bout 69kg... which is roughly 152ish pounds. I eat whatever I want, but dont get to eat as much during the day becuase i'm working full time. I dont excercise apart from just bouldering/climbing once or twice a week, and I cant pinch any fat on my stomach AT ALL... is this a good thing? I do get cold easily (especially down here in Victoria, Australia) and if i dont rest well I get sick...
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sidepull
May 24, 2006, 6:36 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: how does 142 5'11 sound? Oh and by the way... Sharma is not lean. He probably weighs at least 180 if not 190! actually, sharma is no more than 5'8" and 135 tops. I've seen him up pretty close at a comp. I'm 6'2 and 130 and eat like a maniac. As long as you eat and don't yack it up, being skinny is good.
My guess is that Sharma is almost 6'. I've met him a couple of times and I'm 6'4". I think he says something about his height Pilgrimage.
blah blah.
Get lean.
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voodoophantom
Jul 27, 2006, 3:43 AM
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Going back to how lean is too lean......It's a genetic predisposition, and it's different for everyone. Your body will let you know if you've become too lean or too heavy. For example, I'm 5'10" and weigh 225 pounds. Now, couple that with a body fat percentage of about 24% and that makes me sound pretty obese. Not exactly. The lowest weight that I have been at over the last 3 years is 200 with a BFP of 18%, and guess what? That moneymaker and the definition of my muscles were out in plain view. Now, being a little heavier (and fatter) covered them up again, but those muscles are still there.....I hope. Just remember that they're just numbers. Everybody carries their fat differently, and your body is the best judge of what works for it.
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big_red
Jul 28, 2006, 5:16 AM
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OK I think we're focusing on the wrong things here: are you trying to LOOK lean or to climb better? You just wanna look lean then go puke or something haha...you want to climb better don't worry about what your WalMart calipers say from 3 skinfold pinches. Your measurements ARE NOT accurate!!
For myself..I am 5'10" 205lbs ...but that's with a 32" waist, 43" chest, etc. I'm just a big guy...that's the way it worked out...but hey as long as I can still hold a one arm lockoff or a front lever who cares what the percentages say..
but back to the point of the thread...don't worry about it...you wanna climb light? take a dump and climb naked! Bigger gains that way than you can ever hope forr trying to lose another .5% body fat
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styndall
Jul 28, 2006, 6:03 AM
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But she has such nice hair...
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big_red
Jul 28, 2006, 6:08 AM
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I bet she can throw down at least 13b
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skinner
Jul 28, 2006, 6:33 AM
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I am sure you could belay her with 2 fingers.. on a shoe lace.
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curtis_g
Jul 28, 2006, 8:18 AM
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I'm pretty sure she could free solo 12c if only it wasn't for the rope drag
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curtis_g
Jul 28, 2006, 8:19 AM
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In reply to: My opinion is that you don't need to diet, i'm very against that, because if you have a diet, you mis a lot of essential Joules (or Calory, but i don't know if thats the english word for that :oops: ). Without these Joules you have a lot less energy, witch you need to climb.... I think the best way to be lean (if you wánt to be lean) is just to sport and climb a lot...The best way to become lean without making mussles (eeh....i hope i write it good :oops: ) is to walk, just walk, not hard, but far...then you don't create 'them' (Yeah, the mussles :P ) but you are becoming lean :). Greetz Sjoerd (Sorry for my bad English, i'm from Holland :D ) ps. Hmm....i see a SpellCheck....but its not working so good :P
so well. its not working so well
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