12% Body Fat and not seeing the expected results

I just got measured at 12.4% body fat and I've noticed that I look better, but I don't see nearly as much muscle definition as I was expecting. So my question is do I just need to keep up my cardio and lose more fat? Or do I need to change up my lifting routine? My focus has been playing basketball to get my "HIIT" like cardio in order to burn fat, and for the last couple of months I've been doing heavy weight/low rep lifts. So I'm wondering if my lack of definition is just because I've put on bulky muscle with out "cutting" it or if it's just because 12% body fat just isn't quite what I was expecting it to be. Any ideas?

 

well alot has to do with diet, you can run and lift all you want but if your not eating right then you wont see what you want to.

that being said heavy lifting and getting cardio (loosing fat) are almost two opposite things.

when you run to loose fat you need to burn more then you intake

when you want to build muscle you need to break it down (the heavy lifting) and then give it all the nurtients needed not only build it back up but to build it better then it was before and the nutrients include more calories. Essentially eating more then you burned off. Healthy foods of course.

im not sure that that made any sense, but do you see the problem with how our bodies work?

what you can try is eating a bunch of high protein low fat/calorie stuff after you work out. your body should turn to using up the excess fat in order to get the calories you would of eaten, and since your eating the proteins, like fat free milk and egg whites for example your body wont break down muscle because your supplying all the amino acids already.

you kind of just have to find out how your body works everyone is different and find that right number of calories for the day.

once again i think that made sense.....

 

I mean I'm around 8% and I can't see my full 6 pack, only the full 4, and 1/2 of the lower abs.

Cut out all sodium since that makes you retain water and makes you look bloated ( 99% sure thats why people advise less sodium)

Cut out all soda, and snackin on candy....

Keep workin out, eatin lots of carbs and protein, but making sure to work out enough that you're burning off the carbs

 

what are your stats?
how long have you been training? (yrs, days, etc)
diet?

help me to help u

 

Thanks for the offer, let me see if I give you the stats you want.

I'm 6'5" 230lbs. 12.4% body fat which breaks down into 28.5 lbs fat weight and 201lbs lean weight. I got these numbers from this thing called a BodPod. Of course it has a margin of error but it's the best tool at my disposal.

I've been training off and on for years. I'm a former athlete. A couple of years ago I injured my knee and spent about 18 months on low impact activities and upper body lifting. For about the last 4-6 months I've been back to playing basketball using that as my primary source of conditioning. I play 3-4 days a week and then lift for the other 2-3 days a week. Currently, I'm lifting heavy weights and low reps teaming up chest/tri and back/bi.

As for diet, I do pretty well but I'm not perfect. I eat the same breakfast and lunch every day. 3 scrambled eggs and a fruit smoothie with pom juice, OJ, a banana, and frozen blueberries and strawberries. Lunch is a turkey/bacon/cheese sandwich on whole grain bread, a handful of almonds, piece of fruit (apple usually) and a piece or two of dark chocolate. Dinner is different every night, of course, and we usually eat meals revolving around chicken and lean beaf. I probably eat a few more sweets than I need to and I have a jack and coke on average about 3-4 times a week. I usually don't indulge in desserts much but when I do it's usually a s'more or small brownie or scoop of ice cream.

Thanks I'm looking forward to your input!

 

Yep, agree no soda. Lose 5lbs or so there. Watch your diet. Do exercises that workout your entire body and raise your heart rate more (deadlifts, platforms, dumbbell cleans). Cardio outside goes a long ways cause your not stuck on a stationary bike with no air flow or scenery to distract you. Dont overdo it at first or you'll burn out. Good luck!

 

12% body fat is pretty darn good...

I have been through this before...in 98 I was down to 5% body fat and was roller blading 25 miles three times a week (three seperate 25 mile sessions). But I was losing muscle mass...

Now I am 190 with better definition...I like the high protien bars and get 30 grams of protien at under 300 calories. One of those for breakfest with juice with psycllium husks and sometype of fruit, green salad with lowfat chicken or ham for lunch (no dressing), and protien based dinner is doing very well for me...

I need to rejoin the gym and add more muscle mass...and I just hit 50...

so 50 years old, 34" jeans, 190lbs at 5'8". I am doing so much better than my friends the same age. And my blood work from my last physical is fantastic.

 

Yeah I'm not complaining about the 12%. In fact I'm pretty happy. I guess what I'm wondering is what do I need to see better muscle definition? Do I need to lose more fat or change up my heavy lifting for endurance lifting? I've always heard the low weight/hi reps is what "cuts" you. But I don't know how much different muscle built from bulk lifting looks compared to muscle built from endurance lifting.

 

Just take some clen or other form of illegal cutting agents. Steroids are not the answer

 

sean266 i don't follow you on the 3 low 1 high... care to explain? if those are your results in the pics i'd be willing to try it.

 

how did you measure your body fat?

 

I'm stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH. In our Health and Wellness Center (HAWC) we've got this thing called a bod pod. It looks like an egg, you sit inside and it moves air around you or something. I don't really get how it works, but I guess it has like a 1-2% margin of error. If you google bodpod you'll find a bunch of stuff on it.

 

this^^^ carb depletion and loading works wonders. try to keep
the heavy carb up days on the days you hit the weights hard and consume them post work out, hit the weight with an empty gut, I
train at 4 am just for that reason.

 

Don't be fooled. A lot of the photos you see with moderate to extreme muscle definition are of guys who are carrying a lot less that 12% body fat.

And for contests and magazine shoots, they temporarily go down to an unhealthy low level of body fat for the duration of the contest or photo shoot. You can't keep your body at that low a level of fat all the time.

But men can carry less than 12% fat and still be at a quite healthy body proportion.

 

Swim