Body fat % in women
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@sunflowerhippi , your transformation is amazing! You look fab! I think the 10% body fat result must have been off because that is essential fat level for women. But, you are def under 20%. Looking lean!0
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Reaching out to the best forum in MFP! Have you badass women done much bodyfat testing?
I'd love to see more pictures of female athletes and their various bf%. The photos online are either oiled/tan bodybuilders in competition or non-athletes, and so I have a hard time understanding what the numbers mean. What percent do you normally carry? At what numbers do you perform best? What percentage are you after a bulk or a cut? Are you willing to share pictures?
We get hydrostatic done at our gym with the mobile dunk tank every few months. According to the test I have gained 10 lb of lean mass over 2 years and gone from 24% down to 16%. I am assuming it's not accurate- I'm not that lean, but it's a good tool to see trends in my training and diet. I'm 5'7" and around 149 lb currently. Right now I'm getting lighter because of summer running, but I'll probably bulk in the fall (I want bigger arms!)
Thanks for any insight or experiences you want to share.
Actually the dunk tank is one of the most accurate. The bioscans that you can pay to have done that give you your breakdown of bf% water % muscle mass etc. Everyone looks different depending on where the hold the majority of fat. Some women have abs at 15% while others may need to get lower its what you feel comfortable at,me personally I like around 12 so I can still build but remain lean. By the way good work from 24 to 164 -
Checking back in with this thread. You all are amazing!0
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Reaching out to the best forum in MFP! Have you badass women done much bodyfat testing?
Actually the dunk tank is one of the most accurate. The bioscans that you can pay to have done that give you your breakdown of bf% water % muscle mass etc. Everyone looks different depending on where the hold the majority of fat. Some women have abs at 15% while others may need to get lower its what you feel comfortable at,me personally I like around 12 so I can still build but remain lean. By the way good work from 24 to 16
Thanks, @msfitmj15! Now that I have looked at some action pictures where I'm flexed rather than relaxed, I can see that the test was probably pretty accurate! I'm thinking I'll keep working down to 13/14% and then will bulk. You look amazing, btw!
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You ladies are amazing Amazon warriors!!!! Well done!
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Wow. Looking at these pictures makes me think I have a way higher body fat percentage than I thought....Sigh. So much work to be done!0
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Reaching out to the best forum in MFP! Have you badass women done much bodyfat testing?
Actually the dunk tank is one of the most accurate. The bioscans that you can pay to have done that give you your breakdown of bf% water % muscle mass etc. Everyone looks different depending on where the hold the majority of fat. Some women have abs at 15% while others may need to get lower its what you feel comfortable at,me personally I like around 12 so I can still build but remain lean. By the way good work from 24 to 16
Thanks, @msfitmj15! Now that I have looked at some action pictures where I'm flexed rather than relaxed, I can see that the test was probably pretty accurate! I'm thinking I'll keep working down to 13/14% and then will bulk. You look amazing, btw!
Ty. Keep killing it0 -
Tested twice now a couple of months apart - first was 20.01%, second was 20.58% (I was told the gain was down to 'that time of the month', so carrying more water). Still want to lose more but it's a damn slow process
What you do with your body is your business, but you look very lean to me.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy but there's always room for improvement
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My cheap Omron puts me at approx 23%. I have my first Dexa test today. Will see where it puts me but thought
is 23% is about right.3 -
Hard to tell @Ironandwine69. You look pretty lean, but you also look to have considerable boobs. It'll be interesting to see how the Dexa comes back. As you can see from pictures here, people with the same BF can look drastically different depending on their amount of muscle mass and BF distribution. I would guess closer to 20% just from your pic.1
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Tested twice now a couple of months apart - first was 20.01%, second was 20.58% (I was told the gain was down to 'that time of the month', so carrying more water). Still want to lose more but it's a damn slow process
What you do with your body is your business, but you look very lean to me.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy but there's always room for improvement
I hear ya... I feel the same way about my booty. I am not sure I will ever be satisfied 0 -
mom23mangos wrote: »Hard to tell @Ironandwine69. You look pretty lean, but you also look to have considerable boobs. It'll be interesting to see how the Dexa comes back. As you can see from pictures here, people with the same BF can look drastically different depending on their amount of muscle mass and BF distribution. I would guess closer to 20% just from your pic.
Yeah boobs...story of my life lol.
I think I look leaner than I really am because I've been lifting for a while and have a decent muscle mass. I just started a cut a month ago. Am planning on continuing for another two months and see what happens.0 -
Too much boobage will never be my problem. It was really nice having them back for a few months over the winter.1
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One thing to remember, is you can't carve a stick, but you can carve a log. Meaning you need low bodyfat AND muscle mass. To see the muscle....you need to have muscle. Don't be afraid to lift heavy! Don't be afraid of high reps! And LOVE doing heavy weights FOR high reps!5
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Thanks @Gimsteinn1 that is interesting. Sounds like Model Fitness is similar to bikini. Sometimes I think I would love to compete but honestly I could not imagine dedicating that much time, money and leaning out that low. It's just not something I think I can do. Maybe in 6-7 years and a few more bulk cycles later, I will give it some more thought
A lot of our local bodybuilding feds have both bikini and fitness categories. In the feds with both, bikini is generally less muscular, and softer, but still lean. Shape is important, but not so much definition. Fitness girls have more muscle, definition, often do 2 rounds (bikini and sportswear), and need abs. There is also fitness atheltic/performance which is like figure but with an acro/dance routine.
Ifbb/npc only has bikini, they are harder and more defined than other feds "bikini" categories...2 -
gym4life64 wrote: »One thing to remember, is you can't carve a stick, but you can carve a log. Meaning you need low bodyfat AND muscle mass. To see the muscle....you need to have muscle. Don't be afraid to lift heavy! Don't be afraid of high reps! And LOVE doing heavy weights FOR high reps!
I love that!1 -
I used the Navy BF% calculator. Based on my neck, waist, hips, height and weight. It gave me 14.5% body fat.
Is 14% accurate?1 -
tiggs862017 wrote: »I used the Navy BF% calculator. Based on my neck, waist, hips, height and weight. It gave me 14.5% body fat.
Is 14% accurate?
First, you look incredible! I would suggest getting a caliper, they are inexpensive and that way you can check monthly. Then just compare month to month, to make sure you are going in the right direction.1 -
@gym4life64 Thanks! I saw that GNC sells calipers. I thought at first they were only for people trying to lose weight.
Last month I unintentionally lost 6 lbs taking me down to 89lbs at 4'11". That's alot for me .
I started lifting again after almost 15 years of not, and doubled my caloric intake.
I have gained 5lbs in 2 weeks. Hoping to be a lean 105lbs by October. Fingers crossed.1 -
tiggs862017 wrote: »@gym4life64 Thanks! I saw that GNC sells calipers. I thought at first they were only for people trying to lose weight.
Last month I unintentionally lost 6 lbs taking me down to 89lbs at 4'11". That's alot for me .
I started lifting again after almost 15 years of not, and doubled my caloric intake.
I have gained 5lbs in 2 weeks. Hoping to be a lean 105lbs by October. Fingers crossed.
Calipers will help you as well, because while you are trying to gain weight (muscle) you don't want to put on too much fat in the process. They are just a tool to gauge your eating and training. So, train heavy! Chase the pump also! Then eat clean healthy food.1 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Thanks @Gimsteinn1 that is interesting. Sounds like Model Fitness is similar to bikini. Sometimes I think I would love to compete but honestly I could not imagine dedicating that much time, money and leaning out that low. It's just not something I think I can do. Maybe in 6-7 years and a few more bulk cycles later, I will give it some more thought
A lot of our local bodybuilding feds have both bikini and fitness categories. In the feds with both, bikini is generally less muscular, and softer, but still lean. Shape is important, but not so much definition. Fitness girls have more muscle, definition, often do 2 rounds (bikini and sportswear), and need abs. There is also fitness atheltic/performance which is like figure but with an acro/dance routine.
Ifbb/npc only has bikini, they are harder and more defined than other feds "bikini" categories...
Also one has bikini athletic too, NSL I believe in between bikini and figure which is nice.0 -
Ironandwine69 wrote: »mom23mangos wrote: »Hard to tell @Ironandwine69. You look pretty lean, but you also look to have considerable boobs. It'll be interesting to see how the Dexa comes back. As you can see from pictures here, people with the same BF can look drastically different depending on their amount of muscle mass and BF distribution. I would guess closer to 20% just from your pic.
Yeah boobs...story of my life lol.
I think I look leaner than I really am because I've been lifting for a while and have a decent muscle mass. I just started a cut a month ago. Am planning on continuing for another two months and see what happens.
How did it go Dexa wise?0 -
sunflowerhippi wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »mom23mangos wrote: »Hard to tell @Ironandwine69. You look pretty lean, but you also look to have considerable boobs. It'll be interesting to see how the Dexa comes back. As you can see from pictures here, people with the same BF can look drastically different depending on their amount of muscle mass and BF distribution. I would guess closer to 20% just from your pic.
Yeah boobs...story of my life lol.
I think I look leaner than I really am because I've been lifting for a while and have a decent muscle mass. I just started a cut a month ago. Am planning on continuing for another two months and see what happens.
How did it go Dexa wise?
It was not too far from the cheap Omron monitor.2 -
Welp my cut has been meh, but no mater what I have a DEXA set for for June 19th when I am off work and will see where I am at. Will take pictures before hand too go with it, might schedule a follow up for Sept (they do a discount for 2 scans)1
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sunflowerhippi wrote: »Welp my cut has been meh, but no mater what I have a DEXA set for for June 19th when I am off work and will see where I am at. Will take pictures before hand too go with it, might schedule a follow up for Sept (they do a discount for 2 scans)
Don't be too hard on yourself, life happens right. I am sure you are doing amazing and have made progress since your bulk, then it will be really neat to see your results from June DEXA to September. Can't wait to hear/see how it goes0 -
I know from my previous post some of you will find this interesting so I thought I would share it in this group as well.
Dexa Scan results
21.3% body fat
Was 22.4% at 144lbs last year this time via bodpod so would have been higher if dexa then obviously. (probably closer to 25%)
17.2% upper body fat
34.7% lower body
16.85 lbs of fat on my legs vs 13.02lbs on my upper body (includes breast tissue) give or take as the one area overlaps a bit.
Not bad, and not shocking the major difference of 17% vs 34% as I carry so much heavier on my lower half.
Goal is now to continue lifting heavy, work on cutting down probably another 7-10lbs and it should put me at my goal of 15-16% Then do a follow up once that is reached and then set my stage goal for a figure comp next spring if I don't chicken out. hahaha4 -
Great results @sunflowerhippi thank you for sharing. You look fantastic! And that is really awesome you should definitely compete.0
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Yeah my scale said 147 today so once I hit 138-140 we will see. The idea of cutting down to 132-134 while only 5lbs more those last 5lbs I know how hard it was to hit 134 last fall. A friend says once you pick a date it really becomes easier to stick to the diet but I'm not sure competing is for me and that doubt could be my kicker.0
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I agree picking a date would probably help you stick to a deficit. I had no problem losing when I had a bet going with my son. Without that, I tend to say, "ehhhh..."
And also second that you would look amazing if you competed. However you look fabulous now, you are super strong, and probably at a very easily maintainable leanness. So don't get down on yourself if you decide to hang out at that weight.1
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