Body Fat question? And confusion

Sure, you're in what could be considered healthy averages of bodyfat. It honestly depends on how comfortable you are with your body and what you want, if you're looking to get down to a flat stomach/abs, you need to be anywhere between 8-14% bodyfat (depending on the persons build/height/muscle)

Your bodyfat is 22% so say you weighted 260lbs.
260-22%=202.8lbs <this would be lean muscle/mass.

that 22%=57.2lbs of fat. (realisticly the lowest anyone can go and steadily live at is around 4% bodyfat even then thats with a very strict diet, but the fat is nessecary to live.)

So with the example numbers above. 260lbs @22% bodyfat. to reach 10% bodyfat.

you would have to get down to about 234lbs (26lbs weight loss) or 10% bodyfat (+ or - lbs based on gaining or losing muscle mass, More muscle=less bodyfat/leaner body) which in theory would have you showing abs/really flat stomach (depending on genetic structure/build)

Hi everyone

I have a question about body fat? I have used the BMI as a quideline and am now after 41 lbs in the healthy range, but I was told to be more accurate get a body fat count, which I did today at the gym

The results are

Girth Measurements: (Shirt on)
Chest: 34
Waist: 29.5
Abdomen: 30.75
Hips: 38
Thigh: 19

Skinfold Measurement: (Right Side)
Bicep: 6.2
Tricep: 12.2
Subscapular: 12.1
Suprailliac: 8.2
Calf: 7.0

% Body Fat: 21%
Ideal % for Age: 16-21%

So should I loose some more weight or am I okay?
I don't understand all the numbers?

When I go online i find that the ideal fat should be 11-22%

Thank for your replies.

First of all, I have done over 10,000 skinfold body fat measurements and have never done one using the protocol you described. I can't even find it listed in any of my old textbooks. The most common skinfold protocol for males is to use chest, abdominal and thigh measurements. For individuals in your body fat range, the 3-site method, performed by a skilled operator, can be as accurate as any other method. Why someone chose the sites they did is puzzling... maybe those are the instructions that came in the box.

That being said, let's assume the numbers are accurate and interpret the numbers.

What does 21% body fat mean?

It depends on your criteria. Are you interested in health risk? appearance? sports performance? You might have different ranges of "ideal" for each of those.

Health risk: "ideal" ranges for health risk are usually determined by picking a point on the risk curve that is considered a "lower risk" for whatever risk you are measuring--diabetes, heart disease, mortality, etc. In other words, anything below that point is considered an acceptable level of risk and anything above that level indicates an increased risk that might support some type of intervention. Since that "risk point" is one spot on a continuum, it is not an entirely objective number. Different people might have different opinions on what level constitutes a more significant risk. So when you see a "range" like "12%-21%, it represents a consensus and a generalized recommendation.

You can chose a different point on the scale if your goals are different than "general health". For example, if you want a leaner, more athletic physique, 21% is too high--something in the 12%-15% would look better. If you want to excel athletically, 10%-12% might be more appropriate.

You also have to be aware of your body type. Not everyone can achieve 10%-12% levels of body fat.

Hope this helps.