When talking about higher body fat, I’ve heard many lifters say that “you only look bigger because you’re fluffier! Obviously, you’d shrink if you were shredded so it’s not muscle and you’re simply tricking yourself into thinking you’re big”. Upon hearing such comments, I have to laugh because what these individuals just admitted is that raising the body fat makes you look more swole.
Now my question is, does it really matter that it’s not muscle mass? Seriously, if your measurements go up substantially and you still look decently lean but are 10-20 pounds heavier, who the heck cares if it’s not muscle? It had the desired effect of looking massive (relaxed state and in clothes) plus people are literally saying you look bigger! This is fantastic, especially for skinny guys who are tired of looking small. Now am I suggesting you become fat? No, and Bear Mode was never about being overly fluffy. 15-20% bodyfat is the ideal range for maximizing fullness and leverages while not over-compromising leanness. In other words, you are becoming naturally enhanced through the addition of extra cushion which surrounds your muscles/frame.
That said, even 12-15% is fine for looking leaner but still having some fluff. The only point I’m trying to stress is that it doesn’t matter that the extra size isn’t muscle. It’s like saying “oh you only look better because you bought better clothes and got a nice beard lineup with haircut”. My response is, so what? It works, so do whatever maximizes your look! Why not make use of these things? Like why wouldn’t you? You already have the body down, and can only gain so much muscle naturally before progress begins to slow down, so you might as well incorporate illusion strategies. You won’t use drugs, so this is the next best choice. Be smart my friend, improving your appearance is not always about acquiring more lean mass. At the end of the day, many techniques make you look more muscular and that’s all that matters.
