The fact that for many men it is a mental block that is probably preventing them from getting really, really lean.

In fact, sometimes a mental block can be a bigger culprit then either their diet or exercise program for preventing guys from getting lean.

Here’s a perfect example.

I use to see this in bodybuilders all the time:  They would spend an entire year (maybe more) ‘bulking’ enjoying the feeling of hitting milestone weights like, 200, 225, 250, even 275 pounds…every time a bodybuilder hit one of these weights it was a giant feeling of achievement.

But, when it came competition time these same bodybuilders could never get truly shredded because they had a mental block that would keep them from getting below 200 pounds..Even if they weren’t competition ready, they simply could not get passed the mental block of dropping into the 190′s especially after being so large beforehand.

In other words, they would rather LOSE THEIR COMPETITION then drop below 200 pounds!

I was thinking about this other day when it suddenly hit me…this doesn’t just effect bodybuilders…it effects a lot of men.

It even effects me too.

If I want to get leaner than I am now, I’d have to drop below 170.

Honestly, this is a fact that I’ve never really considered.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am extremely happy with my weight (175ish) and my  body composition. But the fact remains, If I did want to get leaner, I would also have to get lighter.

I know my lean body mass is between 150-155. I also know that I’m an experienced lifter in my thirties who has been seriously lifting weights for more than 15 years. My bench, squat and dead lift are not going to increase by more then ten to fifteen pounds in the next year.

I’ve also tracked my weight for years…so I know (obviously) I’m way leaner in the 170′s then I was in the 180′s and 190′s (again obvious, but needed to be stated).

This means that my Lean Body Mass is A) not going to change quickly and  B) Will most likely never to go outside of this 5 pound range.

So based on these facts if for some reason I wanted to drop into TRUE single digits for my percent body fat (7 or 8%), I’d have to weight between 165 and 170 pounds.

(The whole ‘gain 20 pounds of muscle and lost 20 pounds of fat at the same time’ thing only really happens when you are young (17 to 25), just started training, or are on steroids)

The bottom line is that weight can be a GIANT mental hurdle for guys who want to get lean. We’re often misled by the padded stats of professional athletes and celebrities, and have a very strong aversion to being “too light”.

If you want to get truly lean, then you may benefit from ignoring the scale and just go by your body measurements and how you look in the mirror.

BP