Bloom Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Ok what is body fat percentage?? My friend who is into body building said that when he competes it goes down to 4 !!! and I heard to healthiest is 20.. But then I heard females under 30 are underfat…. Oh my I’m so confused… and also.. I’d like to know what my body fat percentage is. Can you please tell me how to measure it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloom Posted November 1, 2006 Author Share Posted November 1, 2006 some one pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Last of the Sane Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 The average healthy adult woman has a bfp of 25%. (for a male it's 15) For a male it's considered unhealthy to go below 6 (pro athletes have about 8-10), I don't really know what's the healthy minimum for a woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Women and men have different ideal BF percentages. I think for women, the low end is around 14%. Lower than that, and there is a risk of losing ones period (which may sound like a good idea, but isn't, because it's also linked to an increased risk of osteoporosis and other problems). Body fat can be measured in several ways, most of which are not very accurate. There is the caliper method, where someone measure fat on the triceps, abdomanals and upper leg (for women) and averages the % to get your overall body fat. There are body fat scales that work by sending an imperceptible current of electricity through your body. Both are rather iffy. The most accurate are either a DEXA scan (the same machine used for testing bone density, which uses low level x-rays to check body composition) and underwater weighing. You can also do the old-fashioned 'pinch an inch' guesstimate. Pinch some skin (avoiding any underlying muscle) at your waist. If you can get more than an inch, you have too much body fat. (Not very accurate, but some other measures are just as innaccurate!). This site shows 'ideal' percentages:http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm And here's a method to estimate your BF%: http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-tools/body-fat-percentage.php If you do an internet search on "body fat percentage,' you can find other calculation sites and other info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloom Posted November 1, 2006 Author Share Posted November 1, 2006 thank you very much for all that INfo, i'm going to look into it! ... i think ih ave more then an inch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daywalker Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 I don't like the idea of estimating BF%.This link for example gives me 15% - no way man I go by my strength and by what the mirror (and pictures) show me to measure progress, and check the scales once in a while. Don't get to crazy about a number Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 in competition people need to be low...for normal healthy women you should be in the 18-24 range...women with really low body fat are normally athletes(its still not healthy...just often neccessary) are just naturally very thin...when a woman's body fat drops under 12%...hormone imbalances are almost guaranteed...which is what allows female sprinters to perform so well(high testosterone to estrogen levels even without steriods...more often with however) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princessbee Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 how do you tell the difference between underlying muscle and fat!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pelicanAndrew Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Flex the muscles in the area you're testing. That usually does it. However, it can also be skin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 I hate skinfold tests...they don't work unless you've always been lean or your at the highest BF measurement you've ever been at. From losing all the weight I've lost I'd probably measure in higher than I did when I had a good amount of fat...I was 32% when I was a fat freshman in HS...I'd probably read about the same or more than that now...but I know I'm probably around 8% at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bean Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 There is the caliper method... There are body fat scales that work by sending an imperceptible current of electricity through your body. Both are rather iffy. I have a $35 body fat scale by Tanita. It's not pinpoint accurate or anything, but it is relatively consistent and has been an invaluable tool for me. the initial results were within the same range as skin-fold tests by qualified trainers (first when i was at 27% bodyfat and later at 15%). My bodyfat reading on the scale can change by 1-3% from morning to evening, when obviously i'm not adding several pounds of fat every day and then sleeping it off. That said, I now record my weight and fat percentage at the same time every evening, and it's very helpful to gauge trends. saying, "oh, i lost one percent today" is as useless as "i lost half a pound today," but when you look at the results from week to week, it paints a more complete (and highly motivational) picture. These days, my goals are measured entirely in fat loss and specific fitness benchmarks (x lbs bicep curl, x lbs bench press, x:00 10k run, etc). Once I hit my targets in those areas, I plan to focus on maintenance, definition, and measurements. The scale is a proven component of this plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 I have used on of the scales and after a long workout where I sweat about 8lbs of water it said I dropped 7% bodyfat...it was my old roomates and it was pretty normal for me to get number like that...I could never trust it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bean Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 yeah, the trick is consistency in testing. i step on it first thing after getting out of my evening shower, around the same time every evening. this seems to work out whatever sweat/water/electrolyte changes would otherwise mess with the reading. i'm not saying it's perfect, but it has been very, very useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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