Why I hate Body Fat Percentage!

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  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I think what Vismal is saying (and he can correct me if I am wrong) is not so much omg don't do this its a waste of time so much as he is saying that too many people become myopically focused on achieving the magic number of 10% or 18% and ignore other factors that are arguably more important like...how much energy do they have....how strong are they feeling....how far can they run....what is their functional strength....how do they look.

    That said I think its perfectly fine to measure bodyfat percentage and have a goal in mind, just as long as you are rational enough to realize that measurements aren't 100% accurate and your goal might end up needing to shift as you learn more about your own body.

    That can be said about everything. Don't focus only on scale. Don't focus only on body fat. Don't focus only on looks (this can be one of the worst). There are tons of goal posts people have in fitness or weight loss and they let those determine their worth.

    Well yeah but if we distill it down like that then really the answer to every question ever posed on MFP is "Don't be dumb".

    I've seen you ask the same question that you have previously answered for others.

    So...you are saying don't be dumb? :-). Not sure what you are referring to unless you mean early on when I found for 6 weeks my scale weight wasn't decreasing. I wasn't so much worried about it (didn't change my routine) as I was just surprised by it. If you are referring to something else not sure what perhaps be more specific.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    this is why the number that's most important to me is the number of lbs on the barbell.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    very interesting read about how much muscle one can expect to naturally build (with out steroids, HGH, etc) till they reach thier genetic limit
    NOTE: All the formulas to arrive at your maximum muscle potential in this article are based on natural male bodybuilders who are extremely dedicated individuals and have lifted for oftentimes 10+ years.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2011/03/30/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain-naturally/
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    number of holes down on the belt
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    very interesting read about how much muscle one can expect to naturally build (with out steroids, HGH, etc) till they reach thier genetic limit
    NOTE: All the formulas to arrive at your maximum muscle potential in this article are based on natural male bodybuilders who are extremely dedicated individuals and have lifted for oftentimes 10+ years.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2011/03/30/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain-naturally/

    lol thanks i'm a little off today
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    this is why the number that's most important to me is the number of lbs on the barbell.

    Not for me as my progress increases much faster during a bulk, and I would also like to remain relatively lean. I would be fat as fvck, with a lot of hidden muscle, if the weight on the bar was my main goal.

    I like seeing the number on the bar go up while scale stays relatively stable with slight downward trend, while looking better in the mirror, for a cut. When bulking I like the gain in the bar with scale moving slowly up, and looking jacked in the mirror. We all have different goals, and as such how we track progress will probably differ as well.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
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    this is why the number that's most important to me is the number of lbs on the barbell.

    Heh. Those vary too.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    this is why the number that's most important to me is the number of lbs on the barbell.

    LOL for me that like 25%. Appearance is like 25%. Clothes is like 25%. Scale weight is like 5%. Getting the girls I find attractive is 20%.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    I'll obsess if I darn well want to obsess, so there!
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
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    Late, but in because vismal's posts are always good.
  • HardyGirl4Ever
    HardyGirl4Ever Posts: 1,017 Member
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    Good to know. My scale tells me my percentage. It depresses me.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    very interesting read about how much muscle one can expect to naturally build (with out steroids, HGH, etc) till they reach thier genetic limit
    NOTE: All the formulas to arrive at your maximum muscle potential in this article are based on natural male bodybuilders who are extremely dedicated individuals and have lifted for oftentimes 10+ years.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2011/03/30/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain-naturally/

    How close are the men's numbers to women, in your opinion?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    very interesting read about how much muscle one can expect to naturally build (with out steroids, HGH, etc) till they reach thier genetic limit
    NOTE: All the formulas to arrive at your maximum muscle potential in this article are based on natural male bodybuilders who are extremely dedicated individuals and have lifted for oftentimes 10+ years.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2011/03/30/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain-naturally/

    How close are the men's numbers to women, in your opinion?

    I ran mine and I think over a lifetime of lifting it is fairly close. I'm about two solid years in with about 133 pounds lean mass and it says my max is about 158.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Options
    very interesting read about how much muscle one can expect to naturally build (with out steroids, HGH, etc) till they reach thier genetic limit
    NOTE: All the formulas to arrive at your maximum muscle potential in this article are based on natural male bodybuilders who are extremely dedicated individuals and have lifted for oftentimes 10+ years.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2011/03/30/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain-naturally/

    How close are the men's numbers to women, in your opinion?

    I ran mine and I think over a lifetime of lifting it is fairly close. I'm about two solid years in with about 133 pounds lean mass and it says my max is about 158.

    That's what I was thinking. I'm at about 129 pounds of lbm (hydrostatic assessment)and I'm hoping to get to 133 with a 12 week bulk this winter. Of course, my bf is and will be way higher than yours - you look awesome!
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
    Options
    very interesting read about how much muscle one can expect to naturally build (with out steroids, HGH, etc) till they reach thier genetic limit
    NOTE: All the formulas to arrive at your maximum muscle potential in this article are based on natural male bodybuilders who are extremely dedicated individuals and have lifted for oftentimes 10+ years.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2011/03/30/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain-naturally/

    How close are the men's numbers to women, in your opinion?

    I ran mine and I think over a lifetime of lifting it is fairly close. I'm about two solid years in with about 133 pounds lean mass and it says my max is about 158.

    That's what I was thinking. I'm at about 129 pounds of lbm (hydrostatic assessment)and I'm hoping to get to 133 with a 12 week bulk this winter. Of course, my bf is and will be way higher than yours - you look awesome!

    Thank you! My body fat is higher now than in the picture. I'm trying to gain. One thing to remember when gaining is that just like fat loss, lean gains are not linear. (Note: These are all approximates based on a wide variety of data) I gained 3 pounds of lean mass in my first 8 week coming off a strict diet. I gained 1 pound of lean mass the next 8 weeks and half a pound in the next 8 weeks. I'm going in for another weigh in next week.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    Good post. I personally track caliper measurements (with pro ones) but don't worry about the %'s it gives as they are likely BS. But if the caliper readings are trending down, waist measurement down, clothes fitting loosely and scale similar or down then that is a pretty good indicator of fat loss.

    The other thing I've seen is people have some random bf% they want to achieve, they get a dexa scan and it doesn't come back where they wanted to be. The day before they were happy with the progress they were making but when a number is put on it, they are disheartened. Not good for motivation generally.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
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    Consumer grade .. BIA scales can be out as much as 8%.

    So .. yes, even in the manuals .. they say to monitor the trends and not the numbers

    But myself .. I totally believe in monitoring your body fat % and skip the stupid scale.
  • briansyuki
    briansyuki Posts: 11 Member
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    I agree with you but this only applies to people who are not overweight or obese. I think if you are overweight it is important and necessary to keep track of your BF%.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    very interesting read about how much muscle one can expect to naturally build (with out steroids, HGH, etc) till they reach thier genetic limit
    NOTE: All the formulas to arrive at your maximum muscle potential in this article are based on natural male bodybuilders who are extremely dedicated individuals and have lifted for oftentimes 10+ years.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2011/03/30/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain-naturally/

    How close are the men's numbers to women, in your opinion?

    I ran mine and I think over a lifetime of lifting it is fairly close. I'm about two solid years in with about 133 pounds lean mass and it says my max is about 158.

    That's what I was thinking. I'm at about 129 pounds of lbm (hydrostatic assessment)and I'm hoping to get to 133 with a 12 week bulk this winter. Of course, my bf is and will be way higher than yours - you look awesome!

    Thank you! My body fat is higher now than in the picture. I'm trying to gain. One thing to remember when gaining is that just like fat loss, lean gains are not linear. (Note: These are all approximates based on a wide variety of data) I gained 3 pounds of lean mass in my first 8 week coming off a strict diet. I gained 1 pound of lean mass the next 8 weeks and half a pound in the next 8 weeks. I'm going in for another weigh in next week.

    I just tried and failed at a 12 week bulk. I'd go up a couple of pounds and then drift back to where I was. 4 1/2 pounds of lean mass is completely awesome, especially with your base.

    Consistently overeating is WAY harder than people think it is. I think more people eat at maintenance and then gain through binges than consistently adding too much to their plate

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