What's a good Body fat % to be healthy?

[ballmode]

how can you calculate it?

 

[Legend]

8-14% for men. 8-10% is when your 6 pack shows up.

The most dangerous fat is the visceral fat, which you want as little as possible.

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by: Papagayo
Thanks..
I am trying to lose some of the fat. I do consider myself pretty good fit. But losing less than 20% seems to be hard..


My abs are starting to show through my tummy fat..

I wouldn't think your abdominals would be anywhere close to being noticable at 20%. Most men store fat first on the abs, but some people start storing it on the legs, like women.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Legend
8-14% for men. 8-10% is when your 6 pack shows up.

The most dangerous fat is the visceral fat, which you want as little as possible.

Unreasonable. It takes SERIOUS time and dedication to get down to single digit BF% without completely wasting yourself and all your muscle away. And even then genetics can still prevent a six pack. I was running over 100 miles a week with body fat in the 6%-7% range and still couldn't get my abs to really show. Even at that level of fitness I still had some abdominal fat that I just couldn't get rid of. Genetics. Simple as that.

For your average person that works 40 hours a week has has a family, it's just not practical to try and dedicate the time needed to get to those levels. High to mid teens are a very healthy range and something to shoot for.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: makoto00

Originally posted by: Koing
10-15% is something to shoot for. If your 15-20 you should be definately within that range. If your 21-25% you should be just about there or 16-18% but it really should be lower.

Having your bf% too low for long periods is not good for you. You will be more suspectible to getting ill!

Koing

my bodyfat % is about 8% the last time i measureed with caliper. i'm 5'10" 150 lbs, but i consider myself to be athletic/cut. i've never been healthier, so i guess it depends. low body fat is definitely bad if you are a woman, or a guy who doesn't excercise (aka geek skinny). but if you hit the gym often, and you control your eating, then it should be fine. good job on the weight loss.

Most people who stay 6-7% for too long do end up getting more a ill then if they were up at the 10-11% range. But yeah your mile may vary.

Koing

 

[azoomee]

Originally posted by: ballmode
how can you calculate it?

Best way is putting you in a dunk tank. Water tank, with a scale. You blow every last bit of air out, and they weigh you.

Next best (I think) is calipers.

Unsure of how accurate the elctronic ones are -- which probably measure some combination of resistance and capacitance.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: Legend
8-14% for men. 8-10% is when your 6 pack shows up.

The most dangerous fat is the visceral fat, which you want as little as possible.

Unreasonable. It takes SERIOUS time and dedication to get down to single digit BF% without completely wasting yourself and all your muscle away. And even then genetics can still prevent a six pack. I was running over 100 miles a week with body fat in the 6%-7% range and still couldn't get my abs to really show. Even at that level of fitness I still had some abdominal fat that I just couldn't get rid of. Genetics. Simple as that.

For your average person that works 40 hours a week has has a family, it's just not practical to try and dedicate the time needed to get to those levels. High to mid teens are a very healthy range and something to shoot for.

He's talking crap.

Your 'abs' will show when you have developed abs and a low ish bf%. Definately do not need his % ranges.

http://heangkoing.homestead.com/files/me_ns.jpg

Thats me with ~ 14%, probably no lower then 13% at most. I'm pretty lean but not ripped up by any means. Not much fat anywhere but some fat on me.

Train smarter and you can have developed abs that will show at 14% or so. Harder ab exercises per rep for say 6-8rep range, and not 100's of reps will be better to develop them to show.

Koing