Body Fat Analysis, BMI questions?
Hello,
I just had a friend use her Omoron Body Fat Analysis machine on me so that I can guage how much more lbs. I can safely lose.
Here are my current stats:
Age 42
Male
Height 6'3"
weight 180
BMI: 22.5
17.7% body fat
32 lbs of fat mass
My question is: What type of body fat percentage do most people train at? I remember way back when I was in High School/College, I was lucky to get over 7% body fat, and weighed 165 lbs soaking wet.
I am thinking I could stand to lose another 10 lbs which if I did my math right, would put me at 12% body fat?
What is the haus's thoughts on that?
Thanks,
Scott
0
Comments
My winter weight is in the low 150s with ~9% body fat - my lean mass this winter has been consistently 136-138 (using a Tanita, and subtracting out the BF%). I've just started trying to cut my weight back this last month, and I'm down to 148 and 7-8%. Last year, I bottomed out at 143-144 lbs and felt fine, though it wasn't possible to stay quite that low all season for me. I didn't record BF from the Tanita, but it had to be in the 5-6% region. At 148, my ribs are visible; at 143-144, what little 6-pack I have is pretty visible.
I would think you'd be safe 10 lbs down from where you are. (I was heavier in college than I am now. I was not that caliber of an athlete.)
Good question - and perfect timing! I'm literally finishing up a newsletter article on this very topic - so I'll cut paste that section below and hope it helps. If you want to get the whole discussion via email - you can sign up for the (free) newsletter at www.shawntalbott.com
What’s a Target Weight?
Your target weight is typically the weight you have in mind that you want to achieve at the “end” of your diet. Whatever that weight is – forget about it. Instead of an arbitrary target weight on the scale, I’d rather have you achieve your optimal “wellness weight” – which is the weight at which you FEEL BEST. This weight is almost certainly not the lowest body weight that you “could” achieve – it’s probably a few pounds higher. If you were a boxer, you would have a “fighting weight” – at which you’re at you peak fitness, strength, vigor. If you’re a triathlete or marathoner, you probably have a “race weight” at which you’re most likely to have a personal best performance. If you just want to feel good on a daily basis – you need to have a “wellness weight” to strive for – and you need to realize that it might take weeks or months or even years (yes, years) to achieve. The amount of time and effort to hit (and maintain) your wellness weight will be partly determined on your starting point. Are you just a few pounds away after an “off-season” with too much fruitcake – or are you 50 or more pounds overweight after years of neglect?
To use myself as an example, my “race weight” in college (as a lightweight rower and a member of the US National rowing team) was an emaciated 143lbs and 4-6% body fat. At 5’10” this is “too low” for maintaining wellness – but I could hit that weight every week during the season and still race well – but I was also moody and grouchy and had trouble concentrating on school work. Now, as a knucklehead who does Ironman triathlons and 100-mile ultramarathons, I feel much stronger, and happier, and vigorous racing at 158lbs and 9-10% body fat. Right now, I’m at about 165-166 and 13-14% body fat – so I have a few pounds of fat to drop in the 8 weeks until my first event of 2001 – the Umstead 100-mile trail run in Raleigh, NC. So I’ll be following the SENSE program right along with you…
Second, %BF is a very individual thing. There are general guidelines out there. What Shawn said is right on. You should set your number at what feels right. I know this is hard for a lot of "Type A" triathletes, but it is true. It is kind of a "you'll know it when you see it" thing. I wouldn't go less than 5% for guys.
I'm not a huge fan of BIA for measuring body composition unless you have one that does all four compartments. I don't think the handheld ones get into the legs enough, the ones with only feet may not get into the trunk/upper body enough. BIA is also sensitive to hydration status. Some of the monitors will tell you hydration status. If you are outside of the reference range, then don't count that measurement.
If you want to get clinical, you are actually below your "Ideal Body Weight" of 196 pounds. (For guys, start at 106 and add 6 pounds for every inch over 5 feet; for women it is 100 pounds and add 5 pounds for every inch over 5 feet.) I don't put a lot of weight on IBW either because it isn't realistic or appropriate for a lot of people. But, it is what they would use if you ended up in the hospital.
My $0.02: take it as a reference number and use it to monitor yourself. Don't get too wound about it. A lot of times I have athletes go by feel and look. I don't always think we see ourselves properly in the mirror. Take a picture of yourself in your swimsuit and see what you think. I've had athletes who have a number in their head but end up stopping their weight loss before they reach that number because they are happy with how they look and are able to perform.
Cheers!