When someone comes to me for help they are almost always looking for some sort of radical transformation. For general population folks, this often means losing some weight and getting in better control of their health. For athletes this often means re-structuring their entire training system from top to bottom. Without fail, the two types will almost always have some focus on aesthetic results.

People love to pursue the lean, perfectly chiseled physique. They look at instagram models thinking that is what they want to be. I’m going to challenge you today and ask one very important question: do you REALLY want to be 6% body fat?

Here’s the thought: every action in life comes with a tradeoff. When it comes to your health you want to make sure the commitment you put in is worth what you get out. So first, we have to ask ourselves what is the commitment required to get to 6% body fat?

EXAMPLE

I currently work with an athlete who weighs 215lbs and last time he did skinfolds he was at 10% body fat. This means that he is carrying roughly 21.5lbs of fat on his frame. To get down to 6% body fat he would need a combination of weight loss and re-conditioning.

This is roughly what the breakdown of his diet would look like:

2400 calories

Macro	g/kg recommendation	total cals
Protein	2.2	853.6 (36%)
Carb	2.0	776 (32%)
Fat	1.88	770 (32%)

This is roughly what that breakdown would look like in practice:

This is a rough idea of what it would take from a nutrition perspective. Some would even argue I have allocated too much in terms of carbohydrate. I’d like you to remember this would be required day in day out for months at a time with very few mistakes. On top of this you can expect to do 4 very tough strength sessions and potentially 1-2 conditioning sessions at a minimum. This pursuit is a commitment.

My point:

When I coach someone I always think about the concept of “deep health.” This means considering the broader physical, mental, social, and emotional aspects that make up a well rounded and healthy individual.

If your diet is so time consuming that it stresses you out and takes away from other aspects of life, then is it really worth it?

I would challenge people to really think deeply about what they truly desire out of their body. Are you trying to reach a certain aesthetic so you can make nice posts on instagram? Or at the end of the day, do you just want to feel better and live longer?

If it’s the former, I have full respect, and I hope you find a way to get paid to do it. If it’s the latter, instead of thinking about a body aesthetic, think about performance. What can your body actually do (strength, power, mobility, etc)? When you focus on performance you will feel better, live in deep health, guess what- your body will inevitably take an amazing shape in the process.