I went into a shop at lunchtime and used a little hand held body fat sensor. I'm not gonna say what my reading was as it might be really bad then I'd get all embarrassed Does anyone know what's good, average, bad etc etc just as a guide?
depends who you ask: The American Council on Exercise says that for men it's as follows: 2-5% Essential; 6-13% Athletic; 14-17% Fitness; 18-25% Acceptable (yeah, right!); 25%+ = Obese. Keeping yourself below 10% on a regualr basis is tough, and according to the research, it's not healthy to maintain the lowest for an extended period of time. I'm sure other folks will come up with different studies later in the day.
Agreed, from what ive read below 10% is basically athletic level but its unhealthy, around 15% is the normal and its a lil higher, possibly 18%, for chicks. www.menshealth.co.uk can usually find all sorts of info on dieting, weight loss/gain etc
Just a quickie to mention that those little hand-held BF sensors aren't necessarily all that accurate, so I wouldn't take the results too seriously.
actually, from what I've read, the % for women is significantly higher than for men. I can't remember exactly, but it's in the 20's somewhere. My body fat is still a little high, at 21%. I've dropped 15 lbs since November and still have about 10 lbs to go before I get to the 15% - 17% range. I want to be a svelte 185.
Right you are CF! And Gangrel has the numbers down! Use BF%, however you get it measured, as a tool in your workout arsenal! Like your weight your BF% can and does change. Don't get stuck on it. Just keep a sensible diet and a balanced fitness program.
Yes it is quite a bit higher I can't remember the figures off the top of my head though. And no those machines aren't too accurate. There's quite a few different methods of measuring though if you're that interested maybe find a more accurate one. I suggest google for information on different methods
HANDHELD BODY FAT SENSORS?!?!?!? man im behind the times..... i thought the only real way to test BF was do that water test......
It is the most accurate but it too depends on a crtical variable; the person being submerged has to exhale as much air as possible. Not many people are comfortable with this so.... Accuracy is not 100%. Again, just use the number as a guidepost, don't get fixated on it.
Actually, the skinfold test is the most common anymore. The water test is the most accurate, but the skinfold test is pretty good. There is a 3point test and a 7 point test. The 3 point test is fine for most... get's pretty close and only takes a few minutes. Hurts a little when they pinch your fat with the calipers, though! Yow! And I'd just like to put out, as a public service announcement, that I've spent a lot of time admiring the female form, and in my well-educated opinion even athletic women should have a little meat on their bones! Not only is it healthier, but a little junk in the trunk is hot!
my understanding is that the dual xray thingie (dxa, i think) is more accurate than hydrostatic weighing.
I wouldn't imagine that this thing was all that accurate like you say - it was only £6.99 after all! I was just interested to see where I was and the answer, based on what you guys have said so far is "not as bad as I thought I might be, but with a little room for improvement" which is kind of what I knew anyway. Cheers all.
if your BF drops below 5% it's unhealthy and your body will start attacking other things to find it's source of fat and protein
Okay. According to the chart I got at the gym: Essential fat: men: 2-4% Women: 10-13% Athetic: men: 6-13% Women: 14-20% Fitness: men: 14-17% women: 21-24% Acceptable: men: 18-25% women 25-31% Obese: men: 25%+ Women: 32%+
I shouldn't worry too much about bodyfat accuracy, the mirror can tell you all you need to know. Each person stores fat differently anyway, so two people with the same bodyfat% can look very different.
LOL... but we're not used to listening to you yet! Honestly, i was really posting that for the female percentages... just added the male for good measure and to highlight the differences between women and men.
LOL, yeah, you guys have to get used to me being back, lol. I know I pay more attention to the BF than I do weight, but as someone said, you'll see your body change. I'm starting to see a lot of definition in my abs (not a six pack just yet, but...), and honestly have no idea where I'm carrying 15 pounds of body fat.
