Most people don’t even have a clue what there body fat percentage is because they have never had it tested or perhaps they have used a method that isn’t very effective. There is many options, but if you really want an accurate reading you really should leave home to get it unless you happen to live with a professional trainer.
(Photo: sunny daily)
[ Here is a really cool image of a girl that has been photoshopped. Although the photo has been altered she looks lean and has nice curves which most men and women can appreciate ]
You have probably seen these online calculators and all sorts of scales you can step on that aren’t very reliable. I have found most of this stuff to be pure garbage, but I will cover some more reliable methods that can be done quickly.
Healthy Body Fat Percentage
Men: 10-15%
Women: 19-25%
This is what men and women should be shooting for in a healthy body. You can be a little over or under, but in general if you shoot for these numbers you will be doing great. Things will vary from person to person, but I believe the above is a good standard.
If you want that super lean swim suit body stick to the lower end of the scale and even a bit below it and you will look great.
Reliable Methods to Measure Body fat
Calipers: Most gym’s will take your body fat with a set of calipers where they will pinch your skin on various parts of your body. Then take all the numbers and run them through a mathematical equation including your body weight to get your body fat percentage.
Hydrostatic Weighing: This method is quite accurate and the most common approach, but there is another option that maybe even more accurate called hydrostatic weighing which involves submerging your body underwater. Although very accurate it’s much harder to find a place that does this kind of testing, so you might have to settle for the calipers.
Lowering your body fat
In general all you are doing is lowering your calories or working out enough so at the end of the day you have a calorie deficit which means you have taken in or burned more calories then it takes to maintain your current bodyweight. I’m not talking about health here just the basics of lowering body fat, so yes you should be eating a healthier diet and taking in more water which will cause you to take in less calories.
I cover this topic more in depth on other articles on this blog: