Body/Muscle Fat %

katmariew
katmariew Posts: 87 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I used my mom's scale (it's a bit old so I don't know how accurate it is) and it told me I have a 35% muscle, and 31% fat.

The calculators online tell me that my fat is at the upper normal, and that my muscle is high. I'm about 6 pounds overweight according to BMI.

I have no idea how to interpret these numbers. I know fat should not go below 21% for women. Is there a standard for muscle? I'd like my muscle to be a bit more than my fat, but I don't want to take it too far! Let me know what you think. These are just random arbitrary numbers as far as I'm concerned. I don't know much at all about body composition.

Thanks for your input! :)

Replies

  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    Lower body Fat % the more shape and toned look your going to have in your body..There is no such thing as too much muscle. if your above the recommended bf%
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Your body fat% number is the most important number. Read this:

    http://www.builtlean.com/2010/08/03/ideal-body-fat-percentage-chart/
  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 924 Member
    Nice link deksgrl!
  • katmariew
    katmariew Posts: 87 Member
    Amazing link, thank you! Looks like I need to trim off some of the fat, but I am not too terribly over. I'd like to aim for the 15-20% category, as I am an athlete by nature but I really have let myself go since college...
  • iarelarry
    iarelarry Posts: 201 Member
    I don't trust the bf% readings so much, but i do trust the fact that it shows the direction of your body composition trend. If i'm getting fat, the % will go up and vice versa.
  • aviduser
    aviduser Posts: 208 Member
    The BF% measured by electrical resistance (like on a scale) can be affected by the time of day, your hydration, etc. If you weigh first thing in the AM, your BF will be higher than if you weigh even 30 min after you get up (or so I have read). My experience is consistent--the BF % is more accurate later in the day after you have re-hydrated yourself, while the weight is more accurate upon waking.
  • jtbroussard
    jtbroussard Posts: 6 Member
    bump

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