Normal fat mass in men. Ideal fat percentage

What do most women do when they want to evaluate their figure? That's right, step on the scale! So what is next? The current weight is compared with what it was a year ago, five, ten... Such a comparison can indeed say something, but very, very approximately. The fact is that body composition changes with age, muscle gradually replaced by fat. And if so, then stable weight over several years may not be a sign of well-being.

Let's say the muscles decrease, but the fat increases by exactly the same amount - what's good about that? In other words, simply weighing yourself cannot be your compass in the world of beauty. We need a much more precise tool. What if we use a table of height-weight ratios? You've probably seen something like this. In one column, look for your height, and in the other, accordingly, find your optimal weight. Then all you have to do is step on the scales, and the picture of your own condition seems to become clear.

Meanwhile, not everything is so simple. And the Americans were the first to discover this Insurance companies. At one time, they actively used height and weight tables to determine the degree of their risk when insuring a client’s life. After all, the higher the excess weight, the more more danger cardiovascular and other diseases. However, even clerks far from medicine, after several years of experience, it became clear: there is no direct connection between height and weight. Addition types need to be taken into account.

Thus, a table was born that claims to be the most accurate. This is a table from the American insurance company Metropolitan. Since 1983, it has taken into account appearance client: fragile, medium or large. With the same height, weight discrepancies of 3-5 kg are obtained. However, this table cannot be taken as the ultimate truth. In the end, she only says one thing - how many kilograms you should have.

Such information, of course, is not useful, but it is clearly not enough. Agree, for a woman with developed muscles, 65 kg can be an ideal weight, but for an untrained woman, it can be a dangerous signal of obesity. In addition, the “extra” kilogram (judging by the scales and the table) can “grow” not due to unhealthy fat, but due to useful muscles. In other words, ordinary weighing cannot be used to evaluate your figure, so how can you evaluate it? You need to calculate the specific fat content in the overall composition of your body! In short, you need to know exactly how much excess fat carry it with you!

How much body fat should you have?

It was previously noted that some amount of fat (12 to 15% of total body weight) is vital for the normal functioning of the body. Anything that you have accumulated in excess of this norm is harmful to your health and, of course, your figure. Here is an approximate breakdown of the proportion of fat in body weight for women:

How to find out your fat percentage?

One of the most accurate methods is to analyze body composition, estimate the waist/hip ratio, and measure skin folds. Body composition analysis shows the distribution of your weight: what proportion of it is fat, and what proportion is everything else. Such an analysis can be done in many sports and health centers and fitness clubs. Some methods of performing this test are quite simple, others are much more complex. We will return to this later.

Measuring skin fold thickness. This method is quite simple. Using a special instrument resembling a caliper, they pinch a fold of skin and immediately find out its thickness using a scale on the instrument itself. “Tucks” are made in the abdomen, upper back, chest and hips. Then the obtained data is substituted into special formulas and the specific percentage of fat accumulation is obtained. Of course, this technique is much inferior in accuracy to the latest high-tech methods of analysis, for example, computed tomography.

Compare, a computed tomograph gives a clear visual image of adipose and non-adipose tissue, so no method can compare with CT in terms of reliability of assessment. However, for the sake of truth, it is worth saying that the procedure itself is so expensive and so complicated that it is almost never used in sports practice. The accuracy of measurements by pinching a skin fold largely depends on who is performing the procedure. Of course, it is better that you are in the hands of an experienced person rather than a novice trainee.

In any case, measurements must be taken by the same specialist. In the end, even if it is not the best, you will at least get results with the same degree of error. Next, you will have to compare the results of different measurements to understand whether there is real progress in fat loss. We repeat that simple weighing will not give you the answer to this question. If you exercise, your weight may increase due to muscle growth. And then weighing yourself will give you a reason for unnecessary panic: they say, I’ve been training so much, and my weight has increased even more!

Another case is also possible. You train, but methodically incorrectly, as a result, the fat layer continues to increase, and you attribute the weight gain to muscle growth. Here's the bottom line: Although the skinfold measurement method may not be as accurate, it can still be a real help in assessing the correctness of your athletic efforts.

Ultrasound

This research method is carried out using special equipment, similar to that found in ultrasound rooms. Ultrasonic waves penetrate deep into the skin and show the thickness of the fat layer on a measuring scale. Typically, ultrasound scanning is performed in several places. The data obtained in this way is used to calculate the total percentage of fat in your body.

Oddly enough, opinions about this method paradoxically differ. Some experts consider it very accurate, others argue that the device is, in principle, not capable of producing the correct result. The arguments here are as follows: fatty tissues have different densities, sometimes very close to muscle tissue, but the device is not able to “see” this difference and often mistakes one for another, sometimes there are absurd results: for example, it shows excess fat in an athlete who has There was not a drop of fat under the skin!

Method for measuring bioelectrical impedance (BER)

When using the BES method, a weak light is passed through your body. electricity. No more than a tiny pocket battery. The current is supplied through electrodes attached to the arms and legs. Adipose tissue, unlike muscle ones, do not conduct current. It turns out that the faster the current passes through the body, the less fat it contains. The obtained data is substituted into formulas that take into account height, gender and age. Thus, the percentage of fat in total body weight is calculated.

Recently, very simple and convenient devices using the BES method. Outwardly, they resemble ordinary floor scales - you simply stand on a small platform and in a moment you receive a detailed report on your weight, fat, muscle mass and water contained in the body. The disadvantage of this method is that the current easily passes through the limbs, but “gets stuck” in the depths of the body itself. Therefore, the error in determining the specific proportion of fat in the torso area is very large.

Weighing in water

This time-consuming and inconvenient method is used exclusively for research purposes. In addition, when weighing women, it is not particularly accurate due to the fact that formulas that work well for men give significant errors here. The reason is that there are large differences in the density of bone and muscle tissue between women - some have dense ones, while others have loose ones.

If you don't have a chance to use any of the described methods for determining body composition, you can do it differently, without resorting to any abstruse methods. The first one is: you measure yourself using a regular tailor's meter at the waist and hips. The ratio between these two “risk zones” is an accurate indicator of your condition. If the ratio increases, then you are gaining fat; if it decreases, then you are losing. It is calculated as follows:

Measure your waist just above your navel.
Measure the circumference of your hips at the widest point (place your legs apart. Do not pull your stomach in, but, on the contrary, relax).
Divide your waist circumference by your hips.

Ideally, the resulting number should not be more than 0.8. Otherwise, you need to seriously invest in training!

Another simple way is pinching the skin fold with your fingers. The method is again very simple: pinch a fold of skin (only skin!) on the back of your shoulder, just above the armpit, with your thumb and forefinger. Then, without spreading your fingers, release the fold of skin and fat. Measure the distance between your fingers with a ruler. If the distance between your fingers is more than 2.5 cm, you have excess fat under your skin, and you're heading to the gym!

Types of addition

However, there is no more accurate and honest method in the world than simply standing in front of a mirror. Yes, yes, undress and look in a large, full-length mirror. How would you describe your body? How feminine, with graceful hands, slender legs and decent curves? Or like shapeless, swollen, in which there is clearly too much fat? Or maybe it seems athletic and strong to you even without playing sports? You have read descriptions of the three main body types, which are scientifically called: ectomorphic, endomorphic and mesomorphic.

In the 1940s, Dr. William G. Sheldon created his classification of people by body type, which later became widely accepted among scientists. After photographing and measuring 46,000 men and women, Sheldon first identified 88 types. A bit much, right? To simplify the system, Sheldon subsequently classified all types into three main groups: ectomorphs, endomorphs and mesomorphs.

Within each of these groups there are different "degrees of dominance". In human terms, none of us are purely any of the “morphs,” but rather a combination of all three types. But, as a rule, one of the main types “dominates” your figure, and that is why each person can be classified into one group or another.

Ectomorphy- this is, simply put, thinness. Ectomorphs have narrow bones, long arms and legs, and little fat and muscle. Their metabolism is very fast, so there are usually no problems with fat deposits. However, it is also more difficult for them to build muscle.

Endomorphy- the opposite of ectomorphy. Typical endomorph - fat man, which has a relatively high percentage of fat compared to muscle. Such people gain weight quickly and easily. As a rule, their fat is deposited on the hips and buttocks.

Mesomorph- an athlete from birth. A strong person with wide bones and strong muscles is a typical mesomorph. Of course, this classification gives an idea of only three “poles”. Most of us are of the mixed type, combining all three elements.

Just a few years ago, health status was determined using body mass index (BMI). Today the indicator appearance and general well-being is the percentage of body fat - the amount of fat as a percentage of a person’s total body weight.

For those who watch their figure and strive to always have a slim and toned body, you should know that the ideal body fat ratio cannot be calculated. Normal body fat percentage varies markedly between individuals and is determined by factors such as genetics, body type, age, an individual's activity level, dietary habits, and others.

BMI and body fat percentage are not the same thing

Many people often confuse concepts such as body mass index and body fat content, but these are two completely different indicators.

BMI stands for a number that represents the ratio of a person's weight to their height. Anyone can calculate their BMI by dividing their weight in kilograms by their height in meters; this can be done either independently or using an online calculator. You can determine your BMI in another more popular way: measure your height in centimeters and subtract one hundred from this number. For example:

Height – 180 cm – 100 = 80 and another – 10 = 70 – ideal BMI for women in kilograms.

Body fat percentage means a person's total weight minus the weight of fat in their body.

For example, with a weight of 68 kg and 6.8 kg of body fat, the percentage of body fat is 10% (6.8/68).

This figure may vary as a person gains or loses fat. This percentage can also change as a person gains muscle or loses muscle mass.

Eating right and doing strength training to increase your weight, for example from 68 to 78 kg, usually leads to an additional 2.2 kg of fat gain. In this case, the fat percentage will already be about 12% (9/78).

As you can see, the percentage of body fat can change depending on the changes that occur in a person’s constitution.

Another important difference between BMI and percentage body fat is the fact that body mass index is useful and effective for analyzing broad populations, while calculating percentage body fat is better suited for assessing the physical development of each individual.

Normal body fat

There are many opinions about the normal amount of fat that should be contained in the body of non-athletic people. For women, 16-20% and 20-21% body fat is considered acceptable (taking into account the age category), and for men - 8-14% and 10-14% (see Table 1). The presence of such indicators ensures a thin physique. How this looks visually is shown in the picture below the table.

For excellent health, 10-15% fat - great option for the strong half of humanity, which is worth striving for. However, men who want to define six-pack abs should control their fat content within 10-11%; the abdominal region is the very place where fat deposits “like” to accumulate.

Women aiming for six-pack abs may need to lower their body fat percentage to between 14 and 16. It should be noted that for some representatives of the fair sex this figure may be too low. And a lack of body fat is fraught with adverse consequences for women's health.

How to determine your body fat percentage?

There are several methods for determining the amount of fat in the body: simple ones that you can do yourself, and complex ones that require special equipment.

So, you can determine the percentage of subcutaneous fat using a regular ruler, caliper or caliper, an instrument used to measure the thickness of the skin fold.

To take measurements, you need to stand up straight, pinch a section of skin 10 cm to the right of the navel with your fingers, grabbing fat deposits, and set the thickness of the resulting fold with one of the tools (caliper, ruler, caliper).

Then the age and the resulting figure (in mm) must be compared with the table showing fat levels.

Fat percentage can also be estimated using measuring tape: First, body circumference is measured, and then body fat content is calculated using special formulas.

A scale with a fat analyzer will help you determine your body fat percentage.. Before stepping on the scale, the user must enter his data: gender, height, age. Then stand barefoot on the device. An electrical signal passes through the feet, measuring the resistance of the body. User data and resistance level allow the device to calculate your body fat percentage.

There are a huge number of sites on the Internet that provide online calculators.. By entering your parameters, you can easily determine your body fat content. This is what it looks like

Determining your body fat percentage is the only accurate way to assess the effectiveness of or. At the same time, the “usual” number on the scale and weight in kilograms can distort the real situation, since, for example, during a period of weight loss, the body tends to replace part lost fat to the water.

Calculating the percentage of body fat is simple - to do this you need to divide the amount available in the body fat mass for total weight. For example, if you have 10 kg of fat at total weight 70 kg, then the fat percentage will be 10/70 = 14.3%. However, the key difficulty is that you need to know exactly how much fat you have.

Ideal fat level

For men, 6-13% body fat means a toned, athletic physique and fairly defined abs, 14-17% means good physical shape with a small amount of fat reserves in the body. problem areas, 18-25% is the average level of shape, above 25% is obesity.

For girls, the figures for the level of body fat are slightly higher - an athletic physique is characterized by 14-20%, good physical shape - 21-24%, average fat level - 25-31%. It should also be noted that fat levels below 10% are quite dangerous for the female body and lead to the cessation of the menstrual cycle.

Electronic body analysis systems

Action electronic systems analysis of body composition and determination of the percentage of body fat is based on passing extremely weak and safe electrical currents through the tissues and subsequent analysis of the speed of passage and the percentage of signal loss. Fat tissue delays the signal, while water and muscles transmit it almost entirely.

In fact, this method does not determine the percentage of fat in your body, but only compares the indicators with the average numbers stored in the device’s memory and shows an approximate result. The final error depends both on the number of measuring electrodes and on the body temperature, the presence of food in the stomach and other factors.

Bathroom scales for body composition analysis

Bathroom scales with body composition analysis function are one of least accurate methods for measuring body fat. By sending a weak current through one leg, the scales “wait” for it on the other and determine the percentage of losses. Unfortunately, the resulting signal loss can be caused by a variety of factors other than actual body composition.

It is also interesting that many similar scales (both expensive and cheap) record the results of the last weighing in memory - after taking a second measurement a few minutes later, they only return the old number. Since the fat percentage value does not change, a person mistakenly believes that the scale has determined it accurately. This is the manufacturer's intention.

The most accurate electronic scales

Unfortunately, most electronic scales for determining the level of fat in the body show an extremely inaccurate figure - in some cases, the result may differ from the real one by several times. The only reliable way to use electronic scales is to track the trend - let the number lie, but what is important is its increase or decrease over time.

The presence of additional handles significantly reduces the error and allows you to determine the body fat content more accurately - however, such scales are much more expensive than regular ones. The price of professional scales from the Tanita brand can reach up to 200 thousand rubles, while home models from this brand cannot cost less than 15-20 thousand rubles.

Measuring body fat with a caliper

The simplest and accessible method Determining body fat involves measuring the folds of subcutaneous fat with a caliper-like device (“caliper”) and comparing the result with a calculation table. This table compares the thickness of the fat fold in millimeters and the estimated percentage of body fat.

Despite the fact that caliper measurements are more accurate than measurements with simple electronic scales with a body analysis function, this method does not take into account the presence of. But, again, to assess the progress of a fat-burning diet or during cutting training, measuring your fat level at home with a caliper is the simplest.

How to measure fat level with a caliper?

The measurement technique for determining the level of fat using a caliper is simple - you need to stand up straight, determine a point 10 cm to the right of the navel at a height of 3-4 cm from the edge of the protruding femur, then pinch the skin and fat in this place, and then measure the thickness of this clamping using a caliper (or, in its absence, a caliper).

The measurement result in millimeters and your age are compared with the table below - at the intersection there is a number showing the predicted fat content in your body. The table also shows whether the indicator is in the high, medium or low zone. As FitSeven wrote above, these data are different for men and women.

***

To calculate your body fat percentage, you first need to determine the physical mass of fat reserves in your body. The only direct method for determining this figure is weighing in a special bathroom (this method is used in sports), and all other methods are indirect and may contain significant measurement errors.

In the very general view Body fat percentage is the ratio of available fat to everything else in the body (organs, muscles, bones, tendons, etc.). Fat is essential for survival: it protects internal organs, serves as a backup source of energy and performs many other important functions.

How much fat do we need?

This table shows generally accepted norms percentage of body fat for men and women.

Essential fat is the minimum you need to survive. For this reason, bodybuilders dry their bodies to this point only before competition. The rest of the time, they maintain a higher percentage of fat so as not to undermine health and effectively.

If you're trying to be thin, aim for an athletic body fat percentage.
If you want to look healthy and fit, aim for an athletic body fat percentage.

If your body fat percentage is approaching the maximum permissible value for a normal physique or falls into the obesity category, you would do well to reduce this figure.

What does this or that percentage of body fat look like?

nerdfitness.com

It is important to understand that body fat percentage only reflects the amount of fat and has nothing to do with muscle mass. Two people with the same body fat percentage but different muscle mass will look completely different.

How to measure body fat percentage

There are seven main methods, varying in accuracy, simplicity and cost.

1. Visual method

It consists of comparing yourself to the pictures above and determining who you are approximately similar to. A very inaccurate method.

2. Using a caliper

Pull back the skin with subcutaneous fat, grab it with a caliper and find the percentage of fat corresponding to the caliper readings in the table. As a rule, calipers show a lower percentage of body fat than it actually is.

3. Using the formula

For example, you can use the US Navy formula or the YMCA formula. This method usually errs on the large side.

4. Using electrical monitors

A weak electrical current is passed through the body, and then a “biometric resistance” is analyzed. As practice has shown, this method gives very inaccurate results.

5. Using Bod Pod System

With help special device The air displaced by the body is measured, and based on the data obtained, the mass of the body, its volume and density are calculated. This method is considered very accurate, but expensive.

6. Water displacement method

Very accurate (with an error of only 1–3%), but expensive, complex and inconvenient method.

7. DEXA Scan

This method is considered the most accurate and consists of a complete study of body composition using x-rays. It is also a very expensive method.

Whatever method you choose, try to take measurements at the same time and under similar conditions: for example, on a certain day of the week, in the morning, on an empty stomach. Even if the data obtained is inaccurate, you will be able to understand whether progress is being made.

How to reduce body fat percentage

Calorie deficit

Spend more than you consume. But keep in mind that if you do not exercise and limit yourself in carbohydrates, then along with fat you will lose muscle mass. This is not the most The best way, however, fat loss is guaranteed.

Pull the iron

When training with weights (as well as when intensive training with your own weight) you maintain muscle mass, and also accelerate your metabolism and achieve the “afterburn” effect, when calories continue to be consumed after the end of the workout.

What do most women do when they want to evaluate their figure? That's right, step on the scale! So what is next? The current weight is compared with what it was a year ago, five, ten. Such a comparison can indeed say something, but in many cases it is similar to fortune telling by tea leaves. The fact is that with age, body composition changes, muscle tissue is gradually replaced by fat.

For reference, a woman’s body weight consists of the weight of the skeleton (12%), muscles (35%), fat (24%) and the mass of other components of the body; for men, the mass ratios are slightly different - the skeleton accounts for 15% of the total mass, muscles - 45% and fat approximately 12%..

Let's say the muscles decrease, but the fat increases by exactly the same amount - what's good about that? In other words, simply weighing yourself cannot be your compass in the world of beauty. We need a much more precise tool. What if we use calculators to calculate our ideal weight? In one column, write your height, and in the other, find your optimal weight. Then all you have to do is step on the scales, and the picture of your own condition seems to become clear.

Meanwhile, not everything is so simple (they are simply not taken into account fully). And American insurance companies were the first to discover this. At one time, they actively used body mass index (BMI) to determine their risk level when insuring a client's life. After all, the higher the excess weight, the greater the risk of cardiovascular and other diseases. However, even clerks far from medicine, after several years of experience, it became clear: there is no direct connection between height and weight.

How to find out your fat percentage?

One of the most accurate methods is to analyze body composition, estimate the waist/hip ratio, and measure skin folds.

Body composition analysis shows the distribution of your weight: what proportion of it is fat, and what proportion is everything else. Such an analysis can be done in many sports and health centers and fitness clubs. Some methods of performing this test are quite simple, others are much more complex. We will return to this later.

Measuring skinfold thickness .

To calculate the percentage of body fat, first of all you will need a thickness gauge - the device shown in the pictures. It can be purchased at any sports store. However, you can also use a regular ruler; to do this, you need to attach it to the fold, moving it a couple of centimeters to the base (as shown in the figure below.

Measurement Rules
Take all measurements while standing.
Take measurements on right side bodies.
Gather the fold with a large and index finger(as it shown on the picture). Grab the skin wide enough so that the fat layer is folded between your fingers. Squeeze the fold hard enough (slight pain) to expel water from the fatty tissue.
Place the ruler or thickness gauge 2 cm away from your fingers (between the peak and the base of the fold).
To improve the accuracy of your body fat percentage calculation, take 2-3 measurements, but do not take 3 measurements in a row in the same place. You should alternate the following places alternately: triceps - stomach - thigh - triceps and so on.
To maximize the accuracy of your body fat percentage, ask for measurements loved one and compare with yours. Enter average results into the system.
It must be remembered that after a while, repeated measurements should be taken by the same people who did it the previous time.

To more clearly follow the measurement rules, a picture is shown below

Ultrasound

This method of examination is carried out using special equipment, similar to that found in ultrasound rooms. Ultrasonic waves penetrate deep into the skin and show the thickness of the fat layer on a measuring scale. Typically, ultrasound scanning is performed in several places. The data obtained in this way is used to calculate the total percentage of fat in your body.
Oddly enough, opinions about this method paradoxically differ. Some experts consider it very accurate, others argue that the device is, in principle, not capable of producing the correct result.

Method for measuring bioelectrical impedance (BER)

When using the BES method, a weak electrical current is passed through your body. No more than a tiny pocket battery. The current is supplied through electrodes attached to the arms and legs. Fat tissue, unlike muscle tissue, does not conduct current. It turns out that the faster the current passes through the body, the less fat it contains. The obtained data is substituted into formulas that take into account height, gender and age. Thus, the percentage of fat in total body weight is calculated.

Weighing in water

The test goes like this: you sit in a chair suspended from a scale, exhale, and you are immersed in a tank of water. For about 10 seconds, while the underwater weighing is going on, you naturally cannot breathe. The whole procedure is repeated several times. Based on the three maximum results, the average value is displayed. Based on it, the percentage of fat in body weight is calculated using several complex formulas.
This time-consuming and inconvenient method is used exclusively for research purposes. In addition, when weighing women, it is not particularly accurate due to the fact that formulas that work well for men give significant errors here. The reason is that there are large differences in the density of bone and muscle tissue between women - some have dense ones, while others have loose ones.

Formulas for calculations

Body fat percentage - calculated using formulas for the body circumference method developed by Hodgdon and Beckett. Men and women require different measurement methods because men tend to store fat around their belly (apple shape) and women tend to store fat around their belly and hips (pear shape).
Formula for men:
Fat Percentage=495/(1.0324-0.19077(log(Waist-Neck))+0.15456(log(Height)))-450
Formula for women:
Fat Percentage=495/(1.29579-0.35004(log(Waist+Hips-Neck))+0.22100(log(Height)))-450

To determine the norm, data from the formulas are presented in the table below

It's time to pull yourself together and prepare for.....

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FAQ

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