don't just rely on BF%

chrisdavey
chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
http://forum.maximumfitnessconsulting.com/blog/?p=796

Great article here on the different looks at the same BF%'s. Remember that it is a ratio of fat mass to total mass.

So don't just rely on the scales, don't just aim for a certain number but use these to head towards your goal physique. (and measurements)
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Replies

  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    Coincidentally I included this article in my Good Reads blog post tonight.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I never seem to fit into any of those as I am a different body type.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
    10-14% for a man and 18-20% for a women....those look the best to me!! :)
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Tagging to check out a bit later.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    10-14% for a man and 18-20% for a women....those look the best to me!! :)

    10% on the right looks like a skeleton to me! That is the point, 10% differs between people.

    Credit to Stroutman for linking this one up BTW :smile:
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    Thank you. I monitored my BF this year as a means for a different measurement. I carry weight much differently than someone else and that's true for anyone. Someone with my BF will definitely be more cut or even on the opposite end of the spectrum. Percentages are not a one size fits all deal. Also this isn't a thread over what looks better to someone or not, it is clearly informative.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    interesting read...I saw something similar on nerd fitness or something like that...lol
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    women-both-15.jpg
    Yep, after looking at so many peoples %s I've noticed they can looks significantly better then me at a higher fat percentage yet look more chiseled. Even ones in the same weight and height range. Jelly.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    You've got to take into account hydration and water manipulation too as to how some of those ultra lean looks appear.
  • RandiLandCHANGED
    RandiLandCHANGED Posts: 630 Member
    This is an interesting article, thanks for posting :)
  • lvtruu1
    lvtruu1 Posts: 211 Member
    Body fat % will look a lot different on people with different amounts of muscle/LBM. That being said, 10% is still 10%. Skinny 10% is better than not quite so skinny 15 or 20% with the same LBM. Yes having more muscle is better and you will look obviously look a lot better but Muscle takes time to develop.
  • lvtruu1
    lvtruu1 Posts: 211 Member
    women-both-15.jpg
    Yep, after looking at so many peoples %s I've noticed they can looks significantly better then me at a higher fat percentage yet look more chiseled. Even ones in the same weight and height range. Jelly.

    95 out of 100 men ask to choose. would choose the lady on the right.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    women-both-15.jpg
    Yep, after looking at so many peoples %s I've noticed they can looks significantly better then me at a higher fat percentage yet look more chiseled. Even ones in the same weight and height range. Jelly.

    95 out of 100 men ask to choose. would choose the lady on the right.

    No one asked.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    95 out of 100 men ask to choose. would choose the lady on the right.
    Glad to know I'm one of the 5 out of 100, then. That's almost as good as being a special snowflake.

    [ETA:] But I agree - no one asked. That was not the point of this thread at all.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I wanna know what a woman in the low 20s for body fat with a good deal of lean mass looks like.

    I think it looks like me but I'm not sure. For some reason those picture collages never include "fatter" women with muscles.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Yep, this is not a what BF% do you prefer thread. If anything, the article is explaining why these numbers are not even that important in the context of things.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
    ooops didnt scroll down enough!! yes 10% for the man looks bad on the one on the right...but I actually prefer the Right side 15 to the other for the woman!

    10-14% for a man and 18-20% for a women....those look the best to me!! :)

    10% on the right looks like a skeleton to me! That is the point, 10% differs between people.

    Credit to Stroutman for linking this one up BTW :smile:


    but yes...no one did ask...I was just correcting my earlier mistake :)
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
    I wanna know what a woman in the low 20s for body fat with a good deal of lean mass looks like.

    I think it looks like me but I'm not sure. For some reason those picture collages never include "fatter" women with muscles.


    first of all...I don't think you look fat at all!! But I think we may have simliar body types...I am 5'3" 127lbs and 23.8% bf (30lbs of fat and 97lbs of LBM)....and not sure if you can get in my profile pics...but that is what it looks like!! (minus the excess skin of course)!!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Oh, yeah, I didn't mean I'm "fat", just "fatter" than 15-18%.
  • STurbs33
    STurbs33 Posts: 134 Member
    I wanna know what a woman in the low 20s for body fat with a good deal of lean mass looks like.

    I think it looks like me but I'm not sure. For some reason those picture collages never include "fatter" women with muscles.

    Seconded. I think I'm around 25%, but I definitely have more LBM than the body in that picture.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
    Oh, yeah, I didn't mean I'm "fat", just "fatter" than 15-18%.

    I personally havent met many women that are 15-18%....and the girls who I know that are skinny...are fat skinny so to say!! so I am totally not sure where their bf% lies...but I think the point is...if you are happy with how you look to YOU, then bf% and weight doesn't make a damn bit of diff!! they are all just numbers :)

    it's all about healthiness and happiness :)

    good luck all!
  • pinkyleigh83
    pinkyleigh83 Posts: 148 Member
    I'm at about 15% with a good amount of muscle & don't look like either of those women. Interesting how different we can be despite our weights/heights, bf% etc being nearly the same.
  • astrovivi
    astrovivi Posts: 183 Member
    I keep trying to explain this to people. The important thing is to look at the raw numbers (kgs) of lean mass, fat mass etc and know where you are relative to the range you are aiming for (and what is healthy).

    I'm 21% BF but that's because my lbm is still low. I am still in the very lean category and can't afford to lose much more than 2-3kg of fat mass.

    % are very deceptive if you don't know what underpins them :)

    good read.
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    Very good red, thanks!
  • ramonafrincu
    ramonafrincu Posts: 160 Member
    good post guys! thanks a lot!
  • kieranjlee
    kieranjlee Posts: 4
    Since I'm less concerned with aesthetics (both girls in the 15% picture look great to me), body fat percentage is more important from a health point of view in terms of visceral fat leading to a poorer health prognosis. I'm not sure where my body fat measure lies at the moment but I've lost about six inches around the middle in about 9 months.

    My primary goal is to get to 25% (I may be there already as I have not measure this) and ultimately 17% for health reasons. I don't need to look like either Neo or The Terminator
  • Doctorpurple
    Doctorpurple Posts: 507 Member
    18-20% body fat for female is my ideal. All the body fat measuring devices said that I'm around that right now. But since they are inaccurate, I guess I will never know. I even tried dexa and hydrostatic and they gave me completely different results:noway:
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    women-both-15.jpg
    Yep, after looking at so many peoples %s I've noticed they can looks significantly better then me at a higher fat percentage yet look more chiseled. Even ones in the same weight and height range. Jelly.

    95 out of 100 men ask to choose. would choose the lady on the right.

    No one asked.
    ^This, 'ladies' aren't pikachu.
  • cerealaddict
    cerealaddict Posts: 20 Member
    Interesting, thanks!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    So the weight on the scale isn't a good measuring criteria, BMI is irrelevant and now BF % shouldn't matter either....

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