# Have you even been physically ripped - ie pretty muscular with very low body fat - Did it feel good? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 21, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-even-been-physically-ripped-ie-pretty-muscular-with-very-low-body-fat-did-it-feel-good/650939 "2013-02-21T03:08:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-even-been-physically-ripped-ie-pretty-muscular-with-very-low-body-fat-did-it-feel-good/650939/21 "2013-02-21T18:20:28Z")
I was not maintaining bulky muscles, quite the opposite, but in my ballerina days I ws purely muscle and bones. It felt hungry. Really, really hungry. All the time. Like, totally exhausted but can’t fall asleep because I’m so hungry. Hunger pangs (stomach pain) were just a day-to-day constant. It was also wonderful though. Gravity had no power over me. I could jump a six-foot fence with my newspaper delivery bag slung over my shoulder. I could vault anything I coud reach with my fingertips. I could beat _anybody_ in a push-up contest. I could do pushups in a handstand position. That part I miss. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-even-been-physically-ripped-ie-pretty-muscular-with-very-low-body-fat-did-it-feel-good/650939/22 "2013-02-21T18:20:40Z")
I’m 6’ 2" and dropped down to about 150lb for my first Ironman, I did things a little different for my second and stayed above 155lb. Personally I think it felt awesome. There were a lot of times that I was exhausted, and times when I couldn’t eat enough to feel full. And I’m sure there is a bit of manorexia in there with it. There are a lot of days you want to skip workouts, or binge eat a lot of crap. In general, that’s part of the discipline that makes the process rewarding. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-even-been-physically-ripped-ie-pretty-muscular-with-very-low-body-fat-did-it-feel-good/650939/23 "2013-02-21T18:58:11Z")
those are contest photos which require the person really work on their electrolytes and fluid intake. nobody can sustain that and off season those lifters are far less ripped. I have known people who due to genetics could maintain bf around 4-7%year round and still be muscular. they said they got injured more easily in physical contact sports due to no fat cushioning the bones. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-even-been-physically-ripped-ie-pretty-muscular-with-very-low-body-fat-did-it-feel-good/650939/24 "2013-02-21T22:05:36Z")
“at my lowest weight/highest fitness I would sink in the pool” Wow, great. i go an 1/8 ton and I’ll sink in a pool. We will all sink in pools without air in our lungs; y converso, with air in our lungs we all float. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-even-been-physically-ripped-ie-pretty-muscular-with-very-low-body-fat-did-it-feel-good/650939/25 "2013-02-21T22:20:14Z")
[Tom Platz](http://www.tomplatz.net/) said in a seminar that, for bodybuilders, when you look your best, you feel your worst. I think your personal trainer was correct when it comes to bodybuilding competitive shape - it is not sustainable. You have to go on a zero carbohydrate diet and get all your energy from digesting proteins. Rather like **the\_diego** , when I was training five days a week in judo, I was as close to ripped as I have ever been. I was muscular and I had abs. But it was not exactly intentional - I was training a lot (and walking everywhere - I didn’t have a car). That was thirty five years ago. I don’t have a pot belly or love handles, but I don’t have a six-pack either. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-even-been-physically-ripped-ie-pretty-muscular-with-very-low-body-fat-did-it-feel-good/650939/26 "2013-02-21T22:23:26Z")
I was never anywhere near “ripped” but after getting pretty fat during the time I was married I lost a lot of weight once I was divorced. IMHO my ideal weght would be around 160 and I was right around there for a couple years. The main thing I remember was feeling my “butt bones”. Sitting on the floor or on hard chairs started getting more uncomfortable as I lost weight. Back to having plenty of cushion now! ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-even-been-physically-ripped-ie-pretty-muscular-with-very-low-body-fat-did-it-feel-good/650939/27 "2013-02-22T02:42:03Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > “at my lowest weight/highest fitness I would sink in the pool” > > Wow, great. i go an 1/8 ton and I’ll sink in a pool. We will all sink in pools without air in our lungs; y converso, with air in our lungs we all float. Chimps sink if they can’t swim. I sank and could walk on the bottom across the pool when I weighed 140, lungs full of air. At 180, I float on my back all day. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-even-been-physically-ripped-ie-pretty-muscular-with-very-low-body-fat-did-it-feel-good/650939/28 "2013-02-22T13:11:01Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Missed the edit window-[this is a competition pic](http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=ce270d38103a630c3181db372a25a052&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fboards.straightdope.com%2Fsdmb%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D15566478%23post15566478&v=1&libid=1361430627827&out=http%3A%2F%2Fi1281.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa513%2FATrophyGuy%2Ffrontdoublebiceps_zps7f17ded3.jpg&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fboards.straightdope.com%2Fsdmb%2Fsearch.php%3Fsearchid%3D9204022&title=Should%20I%20post%20a%20link%20to%20my%20competition%20video%3F%20-%20Page%202%20-%20Straight%20Dope%20Message%20Board&txt=this%20pic&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13614306301362) from last October. I was about 4-5% bodyfat here (please ignore the facial expression :o). It is impossible to ignore the facial expression. I have a friend who is a competitve bodybuilder. When he is slimming down to competion weight he becomes a total asshole. Moody, irritable and nasty. Lack of carbs and steroids. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-even-been-physically-ripped-ie-pretty-muscular-with-very-low-body-fat-did-it-feel-good/650939/29 "2013-02-24T01:14:28Z")
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