Is skinny the new jacked?

I actually had this picture of Sean Connery in mind about the time he came in 3rd at Mr Universe.



That is an extremely muscular, but it still looks good.
I guess the standards have adpated to the fact that everyone is much fatter than they should be.
Skinny (bar extreme cases) is actually the healthier option.

Originally Posted by why

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Also, protein and fats raise insulin anyway. The whole idea that being low on the glycemic index will keep insulin levels from rising and therefore keep glucagon levels high is flawed. While keeping insulin in check is necessary for fat loss, insulin is also a) necessary for maintaining muscle and b) most ***** and protein-rich foods elicit a much higher insulin response than alluded to by the glycemic index due to gluconeogenesis.

Does gluconeogenesis actually produce that much of an insulin response?

Originally Posted by Walter

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That is an extremely muscular, but it still looks good.
I wouldn't call that extreme.

Originally Posted by Walter

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I guess the standards have adpated to the fact that everyone is much fatter than they should be.

This statement is utterly nonsensical in the context of this tread. Obesity is a huge problem but that is not what is being discussed here.

Originally Posted by Walter

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Skinny (bar extreme cases) is actually the healthier option.

Replace skinny with lean (as in low bf%) skinny people can and often do have a higher bf% than people who are in shape but have more lean mass.

There is nothing healthy about being skinny because you waifishly lack lean body mass and , the functional strength and health benefits that come along with it.

Originally Posted by smw356

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I wouldn't call that extreme.

+1 That isn't extreme at all. A ton of people who aren't even body builders have significantly more muscle than that.

Originally Posted by Dedalus

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Yeah, I noticed that after doing cardio/low-fat for a few months, I got skinnier all around but not any less skinny fat, which was even less desirable for me than if I had not worked out at all. It looked a little sickly.

I might try this out starting on Monday, given that I just polished off a couple slices of leftover pizza.

I'd stop following the scientific training crowd unless you're waaaaaaaay serious about this. Just eat healthy meals in reasonnable portions and go running regularly and you will loose the extra fat.

Originally Posted by Fuuma

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I'd stop following the scientific training crowd unless you're waaaaaaaay serious about this. Just eat healthy meals in reasonnable portions and go running regularly and you will loose the extra fat.
THANK YOU. Most of the guys here and in real life take **** way too seriously. I mean, if you're trying to get in impeccable shape or are training, then yea, go scientific. If you're just trying to maintain solid cardiovascular shape for say playing casual sports and to keep a decent looking body for the ladies/self confidence it's not rocket science. -Don't regularly eat bad foods like pizza or burgers. -Watch your portion control as most people eat way more than they need to at meals out of habit and american servings at restaurants. -Don't drink your calories with tons of sodas, juices, and sports drinks -Alcohol is really bad for you and regular drinking will certainly affect your bid to get in shape -Try to regularly run. Maybe mix in some sprints in there too. -Situps, pushups, and weight lifting are great for helping get in shape. Building muscle helps with the tone and to burn fat faster. It's no where near as hard as people make it out to be. You just have to be self motivated and have some will power (which i don't have). All this said, i think i'm going to try to do some good stretching, sprints, maybe some box jumps and other stuff to try to get a little quicker. Freshman year i was in great shape and playing the best basketball of my life. I was even able to dunk for a few months. Then the girlfriend happened and i stopped playing every other day. I just want to dunk one more time in my life since i know i'm eventually going to be too out of shape to do so.

Originally Posted by smw356

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Does gluconeogenesis actually produce that much of an insulin response?

Gluconeogensis itself? I don't know. The only data on the subject is part of the study done for the Insulin Index. I don't without-a-doubt know about why the insulin levels rise when protein and fat-rich foods are eaten, but assuming insulin is regulated entirely by blood glucose levels, that would be the only mechanism I can think of that would trigger the insulin response.

Originally Posted by MetroStyles

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Not so fast...I'm 5'11'' and 158 and girls love me =).
Lol, you're FAT!

Originally Posted by Dedalus

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That's me.

I'm 5'10"-5'11" and 160 lbs. I'm slim everywhere except my stomach, and I can't shake the love handles for the life of me. I don't drink, either. I blame trans fat.

Do you take a fish oil? If not, that's the first place I'd start. Just make sure it's a good one. I noticed a big difference in belly fat when I started mine.

Regardless of what the fashion industry is doing, what seems to look best in the real world for average guys is roughly along the lines of:

5'8 - 140-145

5'10 - 153-158

6' - 165-170

At those weights and 5-10 % body fat, men have a fairly perfect body, not jacked, not super skinny, just fit and healthy IMO.

Originally Posted by Fuuma and chronoaug

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advice

Come to think of it, I actually tried that lifestyle once and it was ridiculously difficult.

Originally Posted by ken

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Do you take a fish oil? If not, that's the first place I'd start. Just make sure it's a good one. I noticed a big difference in belly fat when I started mine.

Really? I don't know, that sounds specious.

Originally Posted by ken

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Do you take a fish oil? If not, that's the first place I'd start. Just make sure it's a good one. I noticed a big difference in belly fat when I started mine.
Are there any side effects such as a fishy taste in ur mouth or burping, anything. Do u take capsules or straight?

Originally Posted by chronoaug

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THANK YOU. Most of the guys here and in real life take **** way too seriously. I mean, if you're trying to get in impeccable shape or are training, then yea, go scientific. If you're just trying to maintain solid cardiovascular shape for say playing casual sports and to keep a decent looking body for the ladies/self confidence it's not rocket science.
You're right, and this is perfectly good advice, but for my part, it was a natural progression. I started off wanting to get more fit and muscular, then my focus changed from "what do I look like" to "how do I drop my mile time/increase my bench/squat/deadlift" and now it's entirely about challenging myself and making progress. My body doesn't seem to like making a lot of progress on its own, so I started researching, one thing led to another.... Think about it: this is a forum for people who spend WAY too much time thinking about the clothes they wear. You could just as easily say "just buy your size, don't mix colors that clash, and you're good to go", but I don't think any of us are satisfied with that wardrobe. It's probably a good bet that a lot of us get a bit obsessive about our interests.

Originally Posted by Saucemaster

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You're right, and this is perfectly good advice, but for my part, it was a natural progression. I started off wanting to get more fit and muscular, then my focus changed from "what do I look like" to "how do I drop my mile time/increase my bench/squat/deadlift" and now it's entirely about challenging myself and making progress. My body doesn't seem to like making a lot of progress on its own, so I started researching, one thing led to another....

Think about it: this is a forum for people who spend WAY too much time thinking about the clothes they wear. You could just as easily say "just buy your size, don't mix colors that clash, and you're good to go", but I don't think any of us are satisfied with that wardrobe. It's probably a good bet that a lot of us get a bit obsessive about our interests.

Maybe but he needs to get started and his goals are reasonnably easy and he might not be in it that much (I'm the same). Just eating well and doing some cardio is fine and too much people start with a trainer, some weird regime and 2 hrs of exercises a day and stop after a month. You don't see many people here having never worn any interesting clothes and cared buying 3 dior leather jackets in the first month do you? Same for that ****.

Originally Posted by ken

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Do you take a fish oil? If not, that's the first place I'd start. Just make sure it's a good one. I noticed a big difference in belly fat when I started mine.

I often wonder why supplements and diets are as trendy as clothing. I need to be on the lookout for the next big thing in fitness so I can cash in better.

Pretty soon fish oil will be endorsed by Ponce de Leon before quickly becoming passà when isometrics come back into style.