How to find out and change your body fat percentage

What does body fat percentage mean?

In its most general form, the percentage of body fat is the ratio of the 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 reserve source of energy, and performs many other important functions.

How much fat do we need

This table lists the generally accepted body fat percentages for men and women.

	Women	Men
Essential fat	10–12%	2–4%
Athletic physique	14–18%	6–13%
Athletic physique	21–24%	14–17%
Normal physique	25–31%	18–25%
Obesity	32% or more	36% and more

The fat you need 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 exercise effectively.

If you're aiming to be thin, target your 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 of a normal physique or becomes obese, you might not hurt to reduce this figure.

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

Men:

Women:

It is important to understand that body fat only reflects body 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

There are seven main methods that differ from each other in accuracy, simplicity, and cost.

1. Visual method

It consists in comparing yourself with the pictures above and determining who you are approximately similar to. A very imprecise way.

2. Using a caliper

Pull back the skin with subcutaneous fat, grab it with a caliper and find the percentage of fat that corresponds to the caliper reading in the table. As a rule, calipers show a lower percentage of fat than they actually are.

3. Using the formula

For example, you can use the US Navy formula or the YMCA formula. This method usually goes wrong in a big way.

4. Using electrical monitors

A weak electric current is passed through the body, and then a "biometric resistance" analysis is performed. Practice has shown that this method gives very inaccurate results.

5. Using Bod Pod System

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

6. Water displacement method

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

7. Scanning DEXA

This method is considered the most accurate and consists in a complete study of body composition using an X-ray. Also a very expensive way.

Whichever 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 if there is any progress.

How to reduce the percentage of body fat

Calorie deficit

Spend more than you consume. But keep in mind that if you are not doing strength training and limiting yourself in carbohydrates, then along with fat you will lose muscle mass. This is not the best way, but fat loss is guaranteed.

Pull iron

When you train with weights (as well as during intense training with body weight), you maintain muscle mass, as well as speed up your metabolism and achieve a "afterburn" effect, where calories continue to be consumed after the workout.

Short distance running

Sprints also have a calorie-burning effect.

Eat no more than 100 grams of carbs per day

By limiting yourself in carbohydrates, you deprive the body of its favorite source of energy. In this case, he has to extract it from fat reserves.

Exercise on an empty stomach

Your first meal will only be after your workout. Hard, but effective.

How body fat differs from body mass index

BMI takes into account your weight and height and, based on this data, decides if you are thin, slender or overweight. Body mass index does not correlate with body fat percentage. BMI doesn't care what your 90 kg is made of: meat or rolls.

However, BMI will do just fine to draw attention to the problem. If you have over 30% body fat, then both your BMI and your body fat percentage will indicate that it's time to lose weight.