How to get to 10% body fat and what does the journey to single digit level of body fat look like?
In today's video, I'm here with a special guest, coach Alberto Nuñez from Team 3DMJ and we're going to discuss the topic of getting shredded and the various tools to help you get there.
Make sure to check out 3DMJ at on YouTube and follow Alberto Nuñez on Instagram.
Alberto is lifetime natural bodybuilding. He first stepped on a competitive stage in 2007, and he earned his pro status in virtually every major natural organization.
Also, Alberto is one the most shredded people I've ever seen, and it's an absolute honor to have him on the channel to share his experience on the topic of getting ripped and lean.
Getting To 10% Body Fat (Ft. Alberto Nunez)
Here is the full list of the topics we covered in the video:
- The story of Alberto Nuñez
- How to transition a lean gaining phase or bulk to fat loss?
- Extremely low levels of body fat and health
- If one has 20 lbs to lose to get to 10% body fat, how long would they diet?
- Should you start dieting with an aggressive calorie deficit?
- Recommended rates of fat loss
- Tools to measure diet progress to stay as objective as possible
- How to know if you're in a weight loss plateau?
- How to break through a fat loss plateau? (Introducing diet breaks)
- Refeeds vs. Diet Breaks
- Getting stronger on a cut and how does training change in a caloric deficit
- Maintaining Volume (Sets and Reps) vs. Strength (Heavy Load and reducing volume) for maximum muscle retention on a cut?
- Alberto's thoughts on Intermittent Fasting
- Meal Frequency Recommendations and Dealing with Hunger
- Building the “emotional” immune system and mental toughness through dieting
- Getting very lean without tracking calories or macros
- How to get rid of the last 5 lbs of stubborn fat?
- How does Alberto lose body fat on a very high-calorie intake?
- Using bland diets to stay in a calorie deficit easier and
- Future trends in the fitness industry
- Alberto's words of wisdom for new lifters
My thoughts on the strategies to getting to 10% body fat
Staying a caloric deficit for an extended period to get very lean is as much of an art as it is a science.
And achieving an extreme level of body composition requires more than just conscious effort and will-power. It will take strategy, planning, mental resilience and knowing yourself.
As you have heard us discuss this topic in the video, it's clear that cultivating patience plays a key role in successful dieting.
It's difficult to stay objective if your goal is to get to the result as fast as possible. You start making mistakes and lose objectivity.
The reality is, sometimes it takes a whole month to see whether you've made any fat loss progress.
The scale number won't go down, and you'll be confused. What happened? Why has the calorie deficit stopped working?
Now, while you might truly be in a fat loss plateau (where you need to adjust energy balance) more often than not it's water retention that's masking progress. I've talked about the difference in this video:
In a caloric deficit to get to 10% body fat, cortisol goes up which increases water retention.
When people don't see the scale moving down, they instinctively cut calories fast instead of waiting to confirm if they're actually in a plateau.
Rushing progress with rapid adjustments often compromises diet adherence.
You get hungry, start “cheating,” your IIFYM diet becomes a bit too flexible, you start eating food from a friend's plate at a restaurant, late night binges, and of course, you soon wipe out your weekly deficit.
And you find yourself at maintenance calories while mentally still being “on a diet.”
This is usually accompanied by guilt followed by periods of severe dietary restriction which can turn into a negative cycle.
And a lot of people just give up on fat loss completely.
The truth is, it might have just taken 1-2 more weeks of data to see results.
Lesson: When in doubt, gather data and practice patience.
Otherwise, as in the example above, you might end up gaining and losing the same 10 lbs of fat for a whole year.
Aside from that, make sure to check out these related videos:
- Getting to 10% body fat for the first time (My experience)
- Valuable lessons learned from getting to 8% body fat
- The effects of getting to 6% Body Fat (My Experience)
- How long does it take to get a six pack?
Thank you reading and watching!
For more evidence-based fitness, nutrition, and personal development:
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And for online coaching check out http://www.mariotomic.fit
Talk soon!
Your coach,
Mario Tomic, M.S.
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