What's the optimal body fat limit to reach in the offseason?
Breaking It Down
The male body is most anabolic around 8–12% body fat. On gear, that range probably extends to 6–12%. Above that range, your rate of aromatization to estrogen starts climbing and your insulin sensitivity starts to drop. Below it, hormone production decreases (which is why you can go lower when on gear). That's really the range you want to stay in. Start the offseason near the bottom and try not to exceed 12% by the end.
Now, that's 12% by calipers — which is how nearly all historical data measured body fat until modern methods developed — so it's a rough gauge, but a useful one. If you can't see even a faint outline of a single abdominal muscle, you're too fat to grow properly.
The Bottom Line
The fundamentals rarely change. If you understand why something works, you can adapt it to any situation. That's the difference between following a plan and owning your process.
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