Is my body fat % too low?

BinaryPulsar

Your personal trainer is not a doctor.

glennstoudt

In short, your trainer is a kook. Those bf calculators are notoriously inaccurate. One of the handhelds once told me I was around 8%. I was sitting at about 14%. Looking at your pics, you look in the neighborhood of 25%. I think you should concentrate on building muscle. But you don't even have abs. No way is your body fat too low.

Agree bad approach by trainer. And that your BF % based on your photo can not be an issue.
Disagree only on the fact that some handhelds, over time, can be accurate if used in similar exacting conditions

ndj1979

Drop the trainer and find another one. Unless your trainer is also a doctor that has performed blood work and other tests on you, it is impossible to "look" at someone and diagnose them medically. This trainer obviously has no idea about nutrition or the body, and to blindly throw out how many calories you should consume, scare you, and tell you to drink Ensure between meals is just dumb and unprofessional. This "trainer" probably took an online course, paid $50 and got a certificate printed on the spot.

My suggestion: Always consult a physician before starting a weight training or exercise program. After that, do some research on beginner lifting and strength gaining programs. Determine your optimal caloric and macro goals based on your fitness, health and strength goals. Seek help from other's IN THE KNOW and learn from them, while also understanding that you will need to encounter trial and error before you start to feel comfortable with your results. Don't waste your time or money with fake guru trainers spouting nonsense.

this just about expresses my sentiments perfectly...

QuietBloom

In short, your trainer is a kook. Those bf calculators are notoriously inaccurate. One of the handhelds once told me I was around 8%. I was sitting at about 14%. Looking at your pics, you look in the neighborhood of 25%. I think you should concentrate on building muscle. But you don't even have abs. No way is your body fat too low.

Did you look at her before pics, or her after pics? There is NO way she is 25% now.

The problem with those pictures is that the women above 22% have very little muscle, while the women below it have a lot. What does a muscular woman at 25% look like? How about a non-muscular woman at 22% (I'd guess the OP)?


It's possible she's around 25%. Can look great at that level, and women carry their fat so differently. Talking 6 pounds between 25% and 20% for her. Would be interesting to see a more reliable test result.

Anyway, she's obviously not in danger of being underweight and the trainer is nuts.

The problem with those pictures is that they lean women have much more muscles than the others. What does a non-muscular woman look like at 20%? Or what does a woman with muscles look like at 25%?

I think the biggest difference you are seeing (with the exception of the women competitor at 10%) is the ability to see the muscles underlying the fat layer. As you get leaner, you will appear more muscular simply because you will have better definition. I personally don't see huge differences in ACTUAL muscularity between the 25 to 15% examples in these photos. It is all about perceived vs actual muscularity here.

My upper arms don't carry a lot of fat, and I have always had well defined deltoids and biceps. People assume I am stronger than I really am. I haven't lifted heavy in YEARS.

KyliAnne26

One of my biggest pet peeves is trainers playing the role of registered dietitian. More often than not they have absolutely no clue what they're talking about.

Also, I second the comment about your trainer possibly feeling threatened? Not sure what the reason may be, but I can't imagine any other reason why a trainer would say such things to you and freak you out. Sounds like it might be time to move on, or at least be aware to take everything else she says with a grain of salt until you check it out for yourself.

QuietBloom

I disagree with the pictures. My BF is around 10-11% and i dont look like those pics !!!! No crazy six pack either... It's about YOU and how you feel.

You look pretty darn low body fat in your photo. If you haven't specifically built up your abs, are not tanned, oiled (and dehydrated) you aren't going to look like that fitness competitor.

MrGonzo05

In my opinion, no. But I think your opinion is more important in this case.

norcal_yogi

no.... 19-21% for a woman is fine... great even.

djeffreys10

In short, your trainer is a kook. Those bf calculators are notoriously inaccurate. One of the handhelds once told me I was around 8%. I was sitting at about 14%. Looking at your pics, you look in the neighborhood of 25%. I think you should concentrate on building muscle. But you don't even have abs. No way is your body fat too low.

Did you look at her before pics, or her after pics? There is NO way she is 25% now.

After. If you think there is no way she is 25%, the problem lies not with my approximation, but rather with your perception.

MinimalistShoeAddict

Drop the trainer and find another one. Unless your trainer is also a doctor that has performed blood work and other tests on you, it is impossible to "look" at someone and diagnose them medically. This trainer obviously has no idea about nutrition or the body, and to blindly throw out how many calories you should consume, scare you, and tell you to drink Ensure between meals is just dumb and unprofessional. This "trainer" probably took an online course, paid $50 and got a certificate printed on the spot.

My suggestion: Always consult a physician before starting a weight training or exercise program. After that, do some research on beginner lifting and strength gaining programs. Determine your optimal caloric and macro goals based on your fitness, health and strength goals. Seek help from other's IN THE KNOW and learn from them, while also understanding that you will need to encounter trial and error before you start to feel comfortable with your results. Don't waste your time or money with fake guru trainers spouting nonsense.

this just about expresses my sentiments perfectly...

I agree! Find a new trainer

jonnythan

Your trainer is a moron.

strikerjb007

Your trainer is a complete moron. That is all.

fitandgeeky

I agree with the others. Find a new trainer. I'm at about 17% and I feel great, haven't lost my period or anything. And for those who are saying you can't be that low, you don't have abs. That's rubbish. Everyone carries fat differently. You can't go by that picture chart. Every woman is different.

Honestly, I would go by how you feel. But, if you're concerned, see your family doctor. Otherwise, it sounds to me like you're on track.

Factory_Reset

IF you're happy with your bodyfat %, I say tell the trainer to fu*k off.

bcattoes

I'd ask your doctor (PCP or GYN) to run a simple blood test and check your estrogen levels. If they are fine, then it's unlikely that your BF% is too low.

QuietBloom

In short, your trainer is a kook. Those bf calculators are notoriously inaccurate. One of the handhelds once told me I was around 8%. I was sitting at about 14%. Looking at your pics, you look in the neighborhood of 25%. I think you should concentrate on building muscle. But you don't even have abs. No way is your body fat too low.

Did you look at her before pics, or her after pics? There is NO way she is 25% now.

After. If you think there is no way she is 25%, the problem lies not with my approximation, but rather with your perception.

Perhaps. It might be helpful if you were more specific about why you think I am wrong, but I will tell you my reasoning on the ~20 to 21%. I can see definition in her abdominal area, especially down toward her hips. I don't see that in the 25% model from the photos.

stumblinthrulife

Your trainer should consider removing her head from her *kitten* before meeting with clients.

stumblinthrulife

On a more constructive note -

If you are truly concerned and the feedback here hasn't put your mind to rest, consider getting a Bod pod test, DEXA scan, or submersion test to more accurately measure your body fat. Then discuss the results with your doctor.

Forcing your body fat too low is extremely difficult and takes either extreme dedication, an eating disorder, or horrible famine. It's not something that tends to happen accidentally.

sobriquet84

On a more constructive note -

If you are truly concerned and the feedback here hasn't put your mind to rest, consider getting a Bod pod test, DEXA scan, or submersion test to more accurately measure your body fat. Then discuss the results with your doctor.

Forcing your body fat too low is extremely difficult and takes either extreme dedication, an eating disorder, or horrible famine. It's not something that tends to happen accidentally.

x2.


Also, I personally will never make a claim on what my body fat % is unless I get an actual real test done (like a bodpod or DEXA scan.)

I've had bodpods done in the past. Callipers and equations are extremely unreliable.

thatonegirlwiththestuff

Our stats are almost identical and I am still within the healthy normal range, albeit low range, in both BMI and body fat %. A lot of those gym trainers are pretty incognizant. Like a few previous posters said, unless your doctor is concerned, I'd say you're doing just fine.

Sophianted

You should ask another trainer for an opinion. You look around 25%. Im 5'7 and 132lbs with similar build and my BF ranges from 19% BF to 27% depending on the machine. They are not accurate at all. I am eating 40% 40% 20% P/C/F though so I can add more muscle. I think you need more protein to build the muscle mass. My goal is to get to 18% BF which I have looked at pictures online and it does not look sickly. If you are dipping below the 130 that might be low. 130-132 should be a good goal.