Varying Degrees of Body Fat Percentage for Men and Women

When people hear the term "body fat percentage", they normally associate the term with professional bodybuilders. This is because much ado is made about low body in body building circles. Professionals must have a very low body fat percentage (5% or so) in order to compete. While this raises awareness towards developing low body fat, it also creates a somewhat limited perception. Body fat percentage means different things on different levels. Actually, 5% body fat can cause serious health problems for the average person. Conversely, 25% fat can either be healthy or unhealthy depending upon your age and gender. In order to provide clarity, it's best to look at a scale of body fat percentages and what they represent.

It is important to note the differences between men and women when it comes to determining healthy body fat percentages. Mainly, women are healthier with higher body fat percentages than men. This is because women require higher fat levels for safe pregnancy. As a result, different body fat percentages will be provided with the same health assessment for both genders.

For women between age 20 and 40, 19% to 26% body fat is generally good to excellent. For women age 40+ to 60+, 23% to 30% is considered good to excellent.

For men between age 20 and 40, 10% to 20% body fat is generally good to excellent. For men age 40+ to 60+, 19% to 23% is considered good to excellent.

If the body fat percentages for both age groups are higher than the highest listed healthy percentage or lower than the lowest healthy percentage, the result may be considered fair or poor. As such, seeking a way to lose fat is necessary. Fat loss is not that difficult, but does require some sort of exercise program, diets alone will not help with fat loss.

In order to ascertain your body fat percentage, you need something to figure it out. If you want a general idea of what your body fat percentage is, an online calculator can be helpful. By providing the body fat calculator with information about age, weight, gender, the body fat calculator can provide general information on body fat percentage. There are several different formulas, you can try the army body fat calculator for a different estimate.

Body fat scales and body composition monitors can help you monitor your fat loss. Many scales will record data over time and will work for multiple users. You can easily determine if your diet and workout is helping you lose fat. You can get more information on body fat scales here.


More body fat information can be found here.

Another important measurement for you to consider is you body mass index, also known as BMI, you can find out your body mass with our BMI Calculator
Want to know how many calories do I burn a day? This is your basal metabolic rate, our BMR calculator will tell you the answer.

Calculator Source: Created by the U.S. Marine Corp, Navy, Army and YMCA
How to Set Your Target Body Fat Percentage

One of the first things you’ll hear about when starting your fitness, nutrition, and health journey is goals.
I’m all about setting goals, but today I want to get specific and talk about a certain kind of goals: aesthetic goals pertaining to numbers. And we’re going to get even more granular than that, and talk specifically about setting a target body fat percentage goal.
When working with all of my clients, we rely on several key progress tracking mechanisms:
Measurements in inches
Pictures
Clothing Feel
Sometimes body fat (if I train them in-person, or if they have the means to accurately get measured)
Sometimes we also use scale weight, but most of the time, I work with women looking to both lose fat and maintain or gain muscle definition, so this number is less important.
Notice I said I use progress tracking mechanisms rather than goals. I actually very rarely ask a client what bodyfat percentage she wants to get down to.
baseline801
How to Set Your Target Body Fat Percentage
First answer: consider not setting one.
Say whaaat?
You heard me right. I’m not a big fan of setting a target body fat percentage.
Like I said, I’m all about goal-setting, but when it comes to setting a specific number for your target body fat percentage, I leave this one out – for two reasons.
1. Not everyone looks the same at a certain BF %.
I was actually just talking about this with a client on Tuesday (which, coincidentally, lead to my writing this post!)
We’re taking her BF % reading today, and she was telling me what it was the last time she had it measured, along with her other physical markers, and how she’d like to get it back down to about that number.
Do you think this is realistic, she asked?
My answer was yes, because of her body type, build, nutrition habits, and our training together, that’s an obtainable goal.
But I also told her that 19% is very lean – in the athlete range (which is leaner than the ‘fitness’ range) and many women are surprised that they’re completely happy a few points higher than that.
As a personal example, I am naturally lean through the mid-section, and if I get down to 19% body fat, my energy drops, my regular hormone functioning is thrown off (i.e. I’d lose my period which is NOT GOOD, people.)
Where 19% BF can be completely healthy and look great on some, it looks and acts a completely different way on others.
1a. Which brings me to personal preference.
Let’s say you set a goal to get down to 20% body fat, and then once you reach 23%, you realize you’re happy with how you look at this point. Do you stop your fat loss goals and transition into maintenance? Or do you keep going to get down to that 20%….?
Which brings me to…
2. It’s a numbers game.
2082431_Numbers-700x450
source
Numbers can mess with our mind, especially when we have a goal weight or body fat percentage in mind.
I have worked with many, many women who have this scale weight number in the back of their mind. Typically, it’s the lowest weight they’d ever been down to in the last 10 or so years.
That number lingers, and it taunts them. Even if they now look better through increased muscle. Even if their body fat is actually lower than it was at that time. Because we tend give the scale too much power – and we do the same with any numbers pertaining to our bodies.
So when you set a target body fat percentage, you can see how that would tend to f*ck with your head.
Additionally, fat loss is not linear. You won’t lose the same amount of BF every single time you go to get measured. Some weeks you’ll lose more, some weeks you’ll lose less, and some not at all. (The goal is always for that line to travel downward over time – if of course, fat loss is your goal.)
How to Set Your Target Body Fat Percentage
2d363b6f-a8af-4e4b-b6f9-fdf5b1ab6f11
Of course, some just really like to set goals, and having a number to aim is a great motivator for them. And I’m cool with that if it doesn’t mess with your head.
In order to do this, I have a few suggestions:
a) work with a trainer or fitness professional (please)
if that’s not an option for you right now for one reason or another:
1) get your current BF tested by a professional – either via hydrostatic weighing (most accurate,) bod pod (sometimes accurate,) or calipers (accurate depending on calipers and who is using them)
1a) don’t put too much stock in this number! It’s not a value of your worth, and it might be a couple % points off.
2) Check out a body fat percentage chart.
Screen Shot 2016-02-24 at 7.23.38 AM
3) do some basic math figure out how many pounds of lean mass and fat mass you have from that number
If you’re at 30% BF, and you’re 150 pounds, then you have 45 pounds of fat mass and 105 pounds of lean mass. Fat’s crucial for daily function, existance, hormonal function, and general health, so work with a professional when coming up with this number.
4) Remember that fat loss isn’t linear
Some weeks you might decrease half a percent. Others you’ll remain the same. The idea is that the line trends downward (or upward, if that’s your goal!) over time.

Excuse the noobness but I have noticed something here in this subreddit. I have seen individuals doubting claimed BF% of others based off pictures, and criticizing BF% testing methods.
Now I don't mind others offering advice for what they thing the best method is for testing BF% (that is why we come here) but I think when someone presents a data set of BF% decreasing and their progress pictures match a decline in BF%, does it really matter?
Here is a great post just a week ago on the subject where one of the main takeaways is, there is no BEST way to test.
I'm all for accurate testing but IMO it doesn't really matter what their actual number of BF% is if the manner in which they test is consistent every time and is also consistent with what they see in the mirror. Am I wrong? Or should I be super worried about which method I test my BF%? Is there a situation where having the correct BF% is crucial?



source by :https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator http://www.yourtrainerpaige.com/2016/02/how-to-set-your-target-body-fat-percentage/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/498jv2/body_fat_percentage_testing/
body fat percentage examples body fat percentage estimate body fat percentage equation body fat percentage explained body fat percentage equipment body fat percentage essential

body fat percentage

Varying Degrees of Body Fat Percentage for Men and Women

When people hear the term "body fat percentage", they normally associate the term with professional bodybuilders. This is because much ado is made about low body in body building circles. Professionals must have a very low body fat percentage (5% or so) in order to compete. While this raises awareness towards developing low body fat, it also creates a somewhat limited perception. Body fat percentage means different things on different levels. Actually, 5% body fat can cause serious health problems for the average person. Conversely, 25% fat can either be healthy or unhealthy depending upon your age and gender. In order to provide clarity, it's best to look at a scale of body fat percentages and what they represent.

It is important to note the differences between men and women when it comes to determining healthy body fat percentages. Mainly, women are healthier with higher body fat percentages than men. This is because women require higher fat levels for safe pregnancy. As a result, different body fat percentages will be provided with the same health assessment for both genders.

For women between age 20 and 40, 19% to 26% body fat is generally good to excellent. For women age 40+ to 60+, 23% to 30% is considered good to excellent.

For men between age 20 and 40, 10% to 20% body fat is generally good to excellent. For men age 40+ to 60+, 19% to 23% is considered good to excellent.

If the body fat percentages for both age groups are higher than the highest listed healthy percentage or lower than the lowest healthy percentage, the result may be considered fair or poor. As such, seeking a way to lose fat is necessary. Fat loss is not that difficult, but does require some sort of exercise program, diets alone will not help with fat loss.

In order to ascertain your body fat percentage, you need something to figure it out. If you want a general idea of what your body fat percentage is, an online calculator can be helpful. By providing the body fat calculator with information about age, weight, gender, the body fat calculator can provide general information on body fat percentage. There are several different formulas, you can try the army body fat calculator for a different estimate.

Body fat scales and body composition monitors can help you monitor your fat loss. Many scales will record data over time and will work for multiple users. You can easily determine if your diet and workout is helping you lose fat. You can get more information on body fat scales here.


More body fat information can be found here.

Another important measurement for you to consider is you body mass index, also known as BMI, you can find out your body mass with our BMI Calculator
Want to know how many calories do I burn a day? This is your basal metabolic rate, our BMR calculator will tell you the answer.

Calculator Source: Created by the U.S. Marine Corp, Navy, Army and YMCA
How to Set Your Target Body Fat Percentage

One of the first things you’ll hear about when starting your fitness, nutrition, and health journey is goals.
I’m all about setting goals, but today I want to get specific and talk about a certain kind of goals: aesthetic goals pertaining to numbers. And we’re going to get even more granular than that, and talk specifically about setting a target body fat percentage goal.
When working with all of my clients, we rely on several key progress tracking mechanisms:
Measurements in inches
Pictures
Clothing Feel
Sometimes body fat (if I train them in-person, or if they have the means to accurately get measured)
Sometimes we also use scale weight, but most of the time, I work with women looking to both lose fat and maintain or gain muscle definition, so this number is less important.
Notice I said I use progress tracking mechanisms rather than goals. I actually very rarely ask a client what bodyfat percentage she wants to get down to.
baseline801
How to Set Your Target Body Fat Percentage
First answer: consider not setting one.
Say whaaat?
You heard me right. I’m not a big fan of setting a target body fat percentage.
Like I said, I’m all about goal-setting, but when it comes to setting a specific number for your target body fat percentage, I leave this one out – for two reasons.
1. Not everyone looks the same at a certain BF %.
I was actually just talking about this with a client on Tuesday (which, coincidentally, lead to my writing this post!)
We’re taking her BF % reading today, and she was telling me what it was the last time she had it measured, along with her other physical markers, and how she’d like to get it back down to about that number.
Do you think this is realistic, she asked?
My answer was yes, because of her body type, build, nutrition habits, and our training together, that’s an obtainable goal.
But I also told her that 19% is very lean – in the athlete range (which is leaner than the ‘fitness’ range) and many women are surprised that they’re completely happy a few points higher than that.
As a personal example, I am naturally lean through the mid-section, and if I get down to 19% body fat, my energy drops, my regular hormone functioning is thrown off (i.e. I’d lose my period which is NOT GOOD, people.)
Where 19% BF can be completely healthy and look great on some, it looks and acts a completely different way on others.
1a. Which brings me to personal preference.
Let’s say you set a goal to get down to 20% body fat, and then once you reach 23%, you realize you’re happy with how you look at this point. Do you stop your fat loss goals and transition into maintenance? Or do you keep going to get down to that 20%….?
Which brings me to…
2. It’s a numbers game.
2082431_Numbers-700x450
source
Numbers can mess with our mind, especially when we have a goal weight or body fat percentage in mind.
I have worked with many, many women who have this scale weight number in the back of their mind. Typically, it’s the lowest weight they’d ever been down to in the last 10 or so years.
That number lingers, and it taunts them. Even if they now look better through increased muscle. Even if their body fat is actually lower than it was at that time. Because we tend give the scale too much power – and we do the same with any numbers pertaining to our bodies.
So when you set a target body fat percentage, you can see how that would tend to f*ck with your head.
Additionally, fat loss is not linear. You won’t lose the same amount of BF every single time you go to get measured. Some weeks you’ll lose more, some weeks you’ll lose less, and some not at all. (The goal is always for that line to travel downward over time – if of course, fat loss is your goal.)
How to Set Your Target Body Fat Percentage
2d363b6f-a8af-4e4b-b6f9-fdf5b1ab6f11
Of course, some just really like to set goals, and having a number to aim is a great motivator for them. And I’m cool with that if it doesn’t mess with your head.
In order to do this, I have a few suggestions:
a) work with a trainer or fitness professional (please)
if that’s not an option for you right now for one reason or another:
1) get your current BF tested by a professional – either via hydrostatic weighing (most accurate,) bod pod (sometimes accurate,) or calipers (accurate depending on calipers and who is using them)
1a) don’t put too much stock in this number! It’s not a value of your worth, and it might be a couple % points off.
2) Check out a body fat percentage chart.
Screen Shot 2016-02-24 at 7.23.38 AM
3) do some basic math figure out how many pounds of lean mass and fat mass you have from that number
If you’re at 30% BF, and you’re 150 pounds, then you have 45 pounds of fat mass and 105 pounds of lean mass. Fat’s crucial for daily function, existance, hormonal function, and general health, so work with a professional when coming up with this number.
4) Remember that fat loss isn’t linear
Some weeks you might decrease half a percent. Others you’ll remain the same. The idea is that the line trends downward (or upward, if that’s your goal!) over time.

Excuse the noobness but I have noticed something here in this subreddit. I have seen individuals doubting claimed BF% of others based off pictures, and criticizing BF% testing methods.
Now I don't mind others offering advice for what they thing the best method is for testing BF% (that is why we come here) but I think when someone presents a data set of BF% decreasing and their progress pictures match a decline in BF%, does it really matter?
Here is a great post just a week ago on the subject where one of the main takeaways is, there is no BEST way to test.
I'm all for accurate testing but IMO it doesn't really matter what their actual number of BF% is if the manner in which they test is consistent every time and is also consistent with what they see in the mirror. Am I wrong? Or should I be super worried about which method I test my BF%? Is there a situation where having the correct BF% is crucial?



source by :https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator http://www.yourtrainerpaige.com/2016/02/how-to-set-your-target-body-fat-percentage/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/498jv2/body_fat_percentage_testing/

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