Jerry Brainum clears the air on the truth of a bodybuilder’s fat percentage and debunks common weight loss tricks.
Jerry Brainum has been a science writer, researcher and lecturer for more than 30 years in the bodybuilding industry. Throughout those 30 years he’s amassed a superset of knowledge. He’s shared that knowledge in our original series Straight Facts in the past and continues to do so with his Applied Metabolics newsletter. That’s why we wanted to sit down and talk with Brainum about the realities of bodybuilding weight loss and cutting – a vital part of the competition prep process. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Jerry Brainum details the realities behind body fat percentage in bodybuilding and weight loss tips.
A bodybuilder needs to do two major things with their physique – build up massive muscle and then cut it down into a dry and conditioned aesthetic. The ultimate goal is to have the largest size and shape of muscle possible while also getting the skin as thin as possible. This allows the judges (and audience) to see the true extent of their physique without and water weight softening things.
Cutting down body fat percentage for a bodybuilding competition is a delicate thing. It can also be dangerous. That’s why in our video interview, Jerry Brainum breaks down the truth about pro bodybuilder body fat percentages.
Brainum claims that the usual body fat percentage of a pro bodybuilder falls around 5%-7%. In some extreme cases, a bodybuilder might be able to go down to 3% overall body fat percentage. He stresses that this is extremely rare. He also stresses that any bodybuilder that claims to have less than 3% is lying. Brainum states that it’s humanly impossible to achieve that low of number.
Jerry Brainum also discusses just how vital genetics plays a roll in how a person can gain or lose weight. The unfortunate truth is – some bodybuilders will have to struggle a lot more to bring their body fat percentage low enough to compete successfully. Every body is genetically different. But in a world of bodybuilding where physiques need to all match the same standard, some competitors will struggle much more than others.
Jerry Brainum details the specific genes that determine such fate for bodybuilders (and any person really). He also spends some time debunking popular weight loss tactics such as fat freezing and liposuction. The overall truth is one many probably don’t want to hear. These medical procedures don’t always work. They can also damage your cells permanently. Ultimately, there is no easy way to lose weight. If you are someone who struggles to lose weight – you just have to work harder on good nutrition and exercise.
You can see Jerry Brainum explain in detail by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
