visual bf% check please

misnomer1
misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
Im 5'11. Lost weight from 84 to 78.5kg in 2 months while running stronglifts 5x5. I reckon im between 15-20%. what do you think? im hoping to stop at 74-75 and start a bulk.

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Replies

  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    edited September 2017
    yeah i do look more like that 20-24% guy or maybe 25-29%. but why does navy method put me at 16.5%? or is that something totally different?
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    Based on above chart, 25-29% is what I'd say tbh. You have no lower V lines like the guy in the picture above, but maybe that's just me.
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    aeloine wrote: »
    Based on above chart, 25-29% is what I'd say tbh. You have no lower V lines like the guy in the picture above, but maybe that's just me.

    truth bomb haha. i dont have it in me to keep cutting for 3-5 more months. this logging thing just sucks.
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    aeloine wrote: »
    Based on above chart, 25-29% is what I'd say tbh. You have no lower V lines like the guy in the picture above, but maybe that's just me.

    truth bomb haha. i dont have it in me to keep cutting for 3-5 more months. this logging thing just sucks.

    I'm sorry! I think you look great just as you are!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    yeah i do look more like that 20-24% guy or maybe 25-29%. but why does navy method put me at 16.5%? or is that something totally different?

    You may just have less muscle than those guys so look like a higher BF% compared to them. I would have said high teens.
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    edited September 2017
    erickirb wrote: »
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    yeah i do look more like that 20-24% guy or maybe 25-29%. but why does navy method put me at 16.5%? or is that something totally different?

    You may just have less muscle than those guys so look like a higher BF% compared to them. I would have said high teens.

    That is true. I have been very skinny when I was younger, did nothing more than pull ups, push-ups and jump rope till I started barbell training 2 months back.

    The thing is, if I drop too low, say 10 more kgs from here, I'm going to look pathetic. Like a sucked out mango. I definitely like where I am and am willing to lose 5kgs more, but not more.

    I want muscle mass much more than aesthetics anyway.
    aeloine wrote: »
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    aeloine wrote: »
    Based on above chart, 25-29% is what I'd say tbh. You have no lower V lines like the guy in the picture above, but maybe that's just me.

    truth bomb haha. i dont have it in me to keep cutting for 3-5 more months. this logging thing just sucks.

    I'm sorry! I think you look great just as you are!

    No offense taken. It's good to keep getting reality checks. i did the same at 82kg as well to make people stop me from bulking too soon lol.
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    @sgt1372 why do these ranges look different?
    zvda61f54x7t.jpg
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    aeloine wrote: »
    Based on above chart, 25-29% is what I'd say tbh. You have no lower V lines like the guy in the picture above, but maybe that's just me.

    truth bomb haha. i dont have it in me to keep cutting for 3-5 more months. this logging thing just sucks.

    If it's more the logging than the calorie restriction that bugs you remember you can lose weight without logging - it's what people used to do before the internet and food labelling.

    You can also take maintenance breaks from cutting to refresh yourself mentally and physically.

    You also don't need a calorie deficit every day - that just sucks all the joy out of food and social life for me. A weekly calorie allowance for example.


    PS - unless you have very lean legs/lower body then I would guess over 20% at the moment.
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    @misnomer1 - if you don't want to spend the money on a DEXA scan you could order a set of calipers online. They are cheap even for the good ones. If you use them properly you can get a fairly accurate idea of where you really are. It doesn't look like you are carrying a lot of visceral fat - which can throw calipers off. You are lucky in that you carry your fat pretty evenly over your upper torso and I'll assume your lower body as well. A lot of us just get a disconcerting chunk right around the middle. lol

    I'd put you at around 20% as well.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Hard to tell with a cropped pic with no side view.

    First glance guess 25%
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Hard to tell with a cropped pic with no side view.

    First glance guess 25%

    well im definitely not 25% and on the cusp of obese territory. here are 2 more pics.
    ri5qldbbjptn.jpeg
    adqh3ipv866q.jpeg
  • I'd say you're definitely in the 20-24%. You could always take a diet break
    http://leanmuscleproject.com/are-you-ready-for-a-diet-break/
  • ent3rsandman
    ent3rsandman Posts: 170 Member
    Get some calipers and test it out yourself. Everyone looks different at a specific BF% based on how trained they are. I would say 20% personally.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
    If you are tired of logging, what was your plan going into a bulk..? The see-food diet?

    I think 10% is generally recommended for guys to start bulking.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    aeloine wrote: »
    Based on above chart, 25-29% is what I'd say tbh. You have no lower V lines like the guy in the picture above, but maybe that's just me.

    truth bomb haha. i dont have it in me to keep cutting for 3-5 more months. this logging thing just sucks.

    I would say take a diet break vs. jump into a bulk with too high bodyfat%. Will you have your dream physique when you cut down before you bulk? Probably not.. but that is normal. This is a process that can take many years.

    Bulking is no picnic either. If you are tired of logging, bulking won't really help that...unless you want to dirty bulk (which I would not recommend) or you have great calorie awareness and control and want to intuitive bulk (this can be pretty tricky though).
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    If you are tired of logging, what was your plan going into a bulk..? The see-food diet?

    I think 10% is generally recommended for guys to start bulking.
    sardelsa wrote: »
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    aeloine wrote: »
    Based on above chart, 25-29% is what I'd say tbh. You have no lower V lines like the guy in the picture above, but maybe that's just me.

    truth bomb haha. i dont have it in me to keep cutting for 3-5 more months. this logging thing just sucks.

    I would say take a diet break vs. jump into a bulk with too high bodyfat%. Will you have your dream physique when you cut down before you bulk? Probably not.. but that is normal. This is a process that can take many years.

    Bulking is no picnic either. If you are tired of logging, bulking won't really help that...unless you want to dirty bulk (which I would not recommend) or you have great calorie awareness and control and want to intuitive bulk (this can be pretty tricky though).


    the deficit doesnt bother me; its weighing & logging that just sucks. but im still doing it because i know it works and will make the cutting process quicker. ill figure out a way to wean off MFP over the next 6 months. i was very skinny till 6 years back, so im more anxious of being too skinny vs too fat.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    @sgt1372 why do these ranges look different?

    Because they are not realistic, especially at the low end.

    Anyone can crop together some pics, attach #'s to them and post them on the Net, but that doesn' t make them accurate.

    I chose the set that I thought was most accurate and realistic. You can choose to believe it or not.
  • Kane121c
    Kane121c Posts: 2 Member
    Dont get to hung up on the number mate. If your not happy with how you look diet more. If you get to where your happy great. The number makes no difference.
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    Get some calipers and test it out yourself. Everyone looks different at a specific BF% based on how trained they are. I would say 20% personally.

    ordered a set.
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    Got the calipers delivered. 3 site and 4 site tests put me between 18% and 20%. Navy method puts me at 19.1%.
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    edited September 2017
    Follow up question. At 19% I'm 63kg lean mass and 15kg fat.
    How much lean mass will I lose if I drop to 74kg from 78kg at 500kcal (20% of maintenance) deficit while lifting progressively and 140gm protein intake?

    1kg muscle loss,less or more?
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    Follow up question. At 19% I'm 63kg lean mass and 15kg fat.
    How much lean mass will I lose if I drop to 74kg from 78kg at 500kcal (20% of maintenance) deficit while lifting progressively and 140gm protein intake?

    1kg muscle loss,less or more?

    No one can answer that unfortunately. You will always lose some unless you take drugs but how much depends on diet, training and genetics.
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  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited September 2017
    Yes, agreed (with @filbo132). Generally speaking, a woman should be at or below 20% body fat before going on a bulk and a man should be at or below 12% body fat before going on a bulk. Roughly. Give or take. A lot of the "roughly" depends on your cutting | bulking history.

    Going on a bulk at 20% or even 25% body fat for a man would likely not provide you the results that you seek. Sure, there would be some body recomposition (because of the weight training).....but there will still be additional body fat (that happens when you bulk....plain and simple - well, that *GENERALLY* happens....). And, I am quite clear that you would be disappointed. And that generally kills it for most people. So, let's set you up for success instead of failure, right?

    Another thing to consider is to simply take a break.....not sure what your history is but maybe just take a break. Someone else suggested that already....just agreeing with that as an option. It will be good for you, mentally. As well as physically. Now, two or three days might suffice. Or, maybe a week. Depends on how long and how intensely you have been doing things.

    Two months of Strong Lifts 5x5 is cool. What were you doing before that? And congrats on the 5.5kgs (roughly 12 pounds for those of us on this side of the pond). Losing another 3.5kgs to 4.5kgs (roughly 10 pounds) will not likely put you at 12% body fat......Hey, man! Just being honest. I am not close to 12% body fat, either! :wink:

    Continue on the cut until you are close to 12% body fat. Takes things slowly....I know that this is the "time that everyone is cuting". Well, do it when your body is ready....not because the Calendar says September/October. Cool?
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    Got the calipers delivered. 3 site and 4 site tests put me between 18% and 20%. Navy method puts me at 19.1%.

    OP: Believe what you will but calipers are near impossible to self administer accurately and BF calculators based on body measurements are just gross estimates st best.

    The most accurate methods of measuring BF are DXA scans and hydrostatic weighing but even these methods have some degree of error. However, it you REALLY want to know what your BF is, I suggest you get one or the other (preferably both) done.

    I have gotten both DXA scan and hydro test done quarterly over the past year snd have no doubt that my BF dropped from over 20% and 196# at the start and between 10-13% at 158# now.

    When I started I looked a lot like you in the 1st pics you posted and like the guy in the 25-29% range in the chart that I linked in. Now I've got visible abs and look like the 10-14% guy.

    Pics (and DXA scans and hydro tests) don't lie.

    i was just trying to figure out how much i should cut to for 12% so that i can start bulking. I dont think i need those accurate tests anymore. ill work with 18-20%. With the calipers, i took the most skin (and whatever was underneath) i could hold to get the highest BF numbers. so im happy with my assessment.
    Yes, agreed (with @filbo132).
    Two months of Strong Lifts 5x5 is cool. What were you doing before that? And congrats on the 5.5kgs (roughly 12 pounds for those of us on this side of the pond). Losing another 3.5kgs to 4.5kgs (roughly 10 pounds) will not likely put you at 12% body fat......Hey, man! Just being honest. I am not close to 12% body fat, either! :wink:

    Continue on the cut until you are close to 12% body fat. Takes things slowly....I know that this is the "time that everyone is cuting". Well, do it when your body is ready....not because the Calendar says September/October. Cool?

    I bulked once 6 years back because i was skinny. nothing much other than pullups and pushups since then till i started stronglifts 2 months back with the bar. Now my 5x5s are squats 160, deadlifts 200, overhead press 80, benchpress 132, pendlay row 140. im pushing myself pretty hard, also have 500kcal deficit.

    Im going to straight cut to 15-16% (4kg loss) and do a recomp. i cannot straight cut to 12% ( body weight 68kg) and see myself struggling with the weights as well as look like a squished mango.
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