For athletes, and ordinary people who think about their health and those who want to lose weight, it is very important to know the percentage of fat in the body. After all, trying to get rid of extra pounds, people mean fat deposits, not muscle or bone tissue. Many people simply ignore this indicator, focusing only on the arrow on the scales, but in vain.
Knowing the percentage of fat accumulation in the body is much more useful in order to correctly carry out procedures to eliminate it. Further in the material we will present methods how to determine body fat percentage, which is a constant process when losing weight, cutting and building muscle tissue. The methods presented below can be used independently or by contacting a specialist - a nutritionist or fitness trainer. These specialists will be able to determine exactly what the person seeking help needs to do. By studying individual characteristics, you can achieve the desired results.
When you step on the scale, you can see every time that your weight changes in one direction or another, even if it’s a small amount. But this does not mean that the content of fat accumulation has decreased - it could be simple dehydration or a decrease in muscle mass. If you really want to lose weight, then you need to get rid of the subcutaneous fat layer.
This is important: As a rule, people who want to reset overweight, strive to go on a fast-acting diet. This leads to positive results, but in fact a person loses water and muscle mass - fat remains unchanged, or slightly leaves the abdomen.
The subsequent transition to a normal diet leads to a sharp replenishment of water and muscle mass - this occurs even large quantities(that’s why a person gains even more after a diet). To formula good weight was more correct, it is necessary to know exactly the percentage of fat contained in the body. That is why it is necessary to find out this indicator, for which several determination methods have been developed.
Normal for humans
For normal functioning of the body, it must contain an optimal percentage of fat. A minimum percentage of body fat is required for survival: men should have 3-5% body fat, and women should have 8-13%. You cannot get rid of it completely, since fat cells are necessary for the functioning of the body, otherwise you can simply die. Fat that is part of the nervous system and the one that surrounds internal organs.
The bulk of body fat is found in the adipose tissue located under the layer of skin and around the organs - this is visceral fat. A small part is found in tissue cells throughout the body. All fats play important role in the functioning of the body, but an excess can lead to the development of heart and vascular diseases, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiac ischemia, and some types of oncology. Fat deposits in the body should be optimal because they maintain body temperature, protect internal organs from damage, promote the synthesis of hormones and other chemical compounds, and also perform other functions.
The table clearly shows that normal fats are not so little required if a person is not an athlete. If you try to reduce the amount of fat below the lowest level, then the body in general, and especially the internal organs, will suffer from this. You won’t be able to recover quickly - it’s quite difficult to return the optimal percentage of fat.
This is important: Too low a percentage contributes to the cross-section of the muscles, which makes them appear dissected and “striped,” dividing the muscle into small ridges. Everyone can achieve perfect body through exercise and diet, but maintain yourself in perfect shape It's quite difficult for a long time. To do this, it is necessary to constantly monitor calorie intake, and this is too difficult, especially if the body constitution is not conducive to being slim.
You need to stay within the healthy fat range and try not to go out of there. For normal well-being and reducing the risk of chronic pathologies, it is necessary to monitor the accumulation of fat cells and try to avoid overdoing it.
Expert opinion
Egorova Natalya Sergeevna
Dietitian, Nizhny Novgorod
The ratio of visceral and subcutaneous fat 1:9. That is, in the body of a healthy person, 10% of fat should be localized around internal organs, and 90% in subcutaneous fat. Violation of this ratio can have adverse consequences for the body.
Visceral fat is located around the internal organs and supports them. When its quantity is insufficient, these same organs begin to react painfully to increases in intra-abdominal pressure (for example, when coughing). And this can cause prolapse of the kidneys, spleen, liver, gallbladder, and intestines.
Excess visceral fat even more dangerous than its lack, because visceral obesity is the main risk factor for a number of dangerous diseases: atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension, etc.
Thus, it is important to determine not only the total amount of fat in the body, but also its location, that is, how many percent of it is localized around the internal organs.
How to find out your fat percentage
There are many ways to determine the percentage of fat in the human body.
The simplest of them are presented in the following form:
- Scales with determination of body fat mass. It is important to know that such measuring instruments always have an error factor.
- Take a good look at yourself in the mirror and visually determine excess fat deposits.
- Use a centimeter ruler to measure the size of your waist and forearm. If your waist size has decreased and your forearms have increased, then fat has begun to be burned, and muscle tissue grow.
All methods are easy to perform and accessible to everyone, but they do not give a specific result. Using these methods you can find out general condition layer of fat.
Ideal weight formula
Having learned this, you can look at the result in the table:
This method is usually used by girls to determine the size of the fat layer.
Online calculator
The calculator, which is easy to find on the Internet, will quickly and correctly determine your indicator using five formulas. The results of the checks will be reflected on the graph of the fat categories in the table, where the percentage of fat and age will be expressed. In the gallery you can find photos of bodies with different levels of fatty tissue in the body. You just need to go to the online calculator page and fill out all the fields and click on the “calculate” button.
Result: Your body contains approximately fat (or ).
The result will be calculated using all formulas if all fields are filled in correctly. If you ignore something, the calculation will be made using an incomplete number of formulas. When completely filled out, the result will be immediately displayed on graphs, photos, and tables.
Please note: The online calculator determines the percentage in five ways and then gives the average value. Any of the methods produces an error in the range of +- 3%. The more methods are used, the more accurate the result will be.
Each method gives an indicator in percentage and its weight in kg. The methods have their own graphs, where the result of the test is highlighted with a yellow line. The second level of the graph, which is visible on the outer circle, highlights the scale, according to which the results are assessed as percentages. Next are two summary graphs, the first one shows the results of all formulas and the average value. The second graph shows a more accurate estimate of the percentage of fat, which was carried out taking into account age. In addition to calculating the percentage of body fat, the graph gives recommendations on further actions.
Other calculation methods
What other ways can you calculate your fat percentage?
- US Navy method. When recruited into the US military, everyone's body fat percentage is checked; weight doesn't matter. For this purpose, height, hip, waist and neck circumference are taken.
- Covert Bailey method. The results are based on age. For the calculation, the size of the hips, thighs, legs, wrists and age are taken.
- Using BMI. The calculation is based on height, weight and age. It is important to know that after 30 years the accuracy of the indicator decreases.
- Additional method. Its calculations are based on a larger number of parameters. Weight, wrist, hip, forearm and waist circumference are taken.
The resulting numbers are summed up and the average is calculated, which will be closer to reality.
Caliper Application
Women who diet to perfect their body are required to frequently calculate their body fat percentage. After all, health can suffer significantly from fluctuations in the fat layer. A special device called a caliper will help you quickly and accurately calculate the percentage of body fat for women. It is designed to measure the thickness of the fat layer anywhere on the body.
How can you determine the indicator using this device:
- Measure the thickness of the fold of fat at the back of the shoulder.
- Do the same between the ribs and the thigh bone.
- Measure the thickness on the stomach, slightly away from the navel.
- Calculate the indicator using the following formula: (Sum of all folds in cm + the same amount, but squared + 0.03661 x number of years lived) + 4.03653.
This is a difficult calculation, but with practice it can be done easily. This device can also calculate indicators in men.
Correction of the amount of fat in the body
According to the law of energy balance, the more energy is spent, the more fat is burned. But this is up to a certain point, after the main burning of the fat layer it becomes quite difficult to achieve its destruction. If you are planning to lose 10 kg, then burning the first half will be much easier and faster than the last 5 kg. To bring your body to the desired slimness, you will have to use additional methods - playing sports. As the amount of fat decreases, each kilogram lost will become increasingly difficult.
Please note: Visceral or internal fat accumulates in adults with an increase in the total number of fat cells in the body, and not due to a hereditary predisposition. In men, it begins to accumulate when the body fat percentage reaches 20.6, and in women – from 39.4.
To move from one fat indicator to another, you need to follow some rules.
Gain fat
- What to do: eat processed foods and other fast food, eat more food at a fast pace.
- Restrictions: move little, do not exercise, exclude vegetables and fruits, healthy foods, sleep less.
Reduce fat
- What to do: eat 2 servings of protein foods per day, 1-2 vegetable dishes, exercise sports exercises 3-5 times a week.
- Restrictions: Eat fewer processed carbohydrates and drink less high-calorie drinks.
It is not recommended to burn fat to a critical point, because the whole body will begin to suffer from this, and most of all the internal organs. It is recommended to lose weight in small steps, gradually approaching the cherished number on the scales. The body should not experience stress during the weight loss process, otherwise it may malfunction and it will be difficult to recover.
It's never too late to start taking care of yourself and your diet. People seeking to lose weight or, conversely, gain weight, need to know the percentage of fat in their body in order to develop proper diet and calculate your daily calorie intake.
Online calculators will help you calculate your body fat percentage. They will also indicate the calorie intake for losing weight, maintaining or gaining weight. In addition to calculators, there are other ways to determine your body fat percentage:
- from a photograph;
- Covert Bailey method;
- YMCA Method;
- additional YMCA method;
- US Navy method;
- special scales;
- based on BMI;
- skin fold measurement.
Each method for calculating fat percentage will be discussed in more detail below.
The minimum mass fraction of fat, considered normal, is 5-9% in men and 13-15% in women. There should not be less fat in the body, otherwise there is a risk of harm to health. Fat mass- an important component of our body. She performs large number different functions:
- stores energy;
- retains nutrients;
- protects internal organs;
- provides normal temperature.
Without a normal percentage of fat mass, girls' menstrual cycle and reproductive function may be disrupted.
Fat percentage calculation
Finding out your body fat percentage takes just a few minutes. The most common method is online calculators. In order to calculate the percentage of fat, it is enough to indicate gender, height and weight. Sometimes you need to measure your waist, hips and neck, but this is not difficult to do. What exactly needs to be measured depends on the calculation method you decide to use.
But it should be taken into account that in addition to body fat mass, there is also bone mass. Sometimes a person can really “ heavy bones" Bone mass standards differ between men and women.
Normal bone mass
In addition to bone, the human body has lean body mass - this is mass without taking into account the percentage of fat in the body. It is often called “scanty”. With different muscle mass weights will vary.
| Age | Men | Women | ||||
| Many | Norm | Few | Many | Norm | Few | |
| 10-14 | >57% | 44-57% | <44% | >43% | 36-43% | <36% |
| 15-19 | >56% | 43-56% | <43% | >41% | 35-41% | <35% |
| 20-29 | >54% | 42-54% | <42% | >39% | 34-39% | <34% |
| 30-39 | >52% | 41-52% | <41% | >38% | 33-38% | <33% |
| 40-49 | >50% | 40-50% | <40% | >36% | 31-36% | <31% |
| 50-59 | >48% | 39-48% | <39% | >34% | 29-34% | <29% |
| 60-69 | >47% | 38-47% | <38% | >33% | 28-33% | <28% |
| over 70 | >46% | 37-46% | <37% | >32% | 27-32% | <27% |
What does fat percentage calculation show?
It's easy to measure body fat percentage, but it's not always clear what the numbers mean. The same percentage of fat in men and women means completely different results. Any medical center can help you find out the ratio of fat, muscle and water in the body. The normal body fat content is shown in the table.
Fat Level Chart
Table: fat percentage and age
Body fat percentage varies greatly depending on age. Although the minimum level required for the normal functioning of the body does not change, the ideal percentage of fat increases with age.
A man's normal body fat percentage is less than a woman's normal body fat percentage. This is due to the presence of the hormone estrogen in the female body, which affects metabolism, so the rate of fat in a woman’s body is higher.
A healthy percentage of fat is at least 10-12% for women and 4-5% for men. Less fat poses a health risk.
Table of fat percentage depending on age
| Age | Men | Women | ||||||
| Very good | Fine | Average | Badly | Very good | Fine | Average | Badly | |
| 10-14 | <11% | 11-16% | 16-21% | >21% | <16% | 16-21% | 21-26% | >26% |
| 15-19 | <12% | 12-17% | 17-22% | >22% | <17% | 17-22% | 22-27% | >27% |
| 20-29 | <13% | 13-18% | 18-23% | >23% | <18% | 18-23% | 23-28% | >28% |
| 30-39 | <14% | 14-19% | 19-24% | >24% | <19% | 19-24% | 24-29% | >29% |
| 40-49 | <15% | 15-20% | 20-25% | >25% | <20% | 20-25% | 25-30% | >30% |
| 50-59 | <16% | 16-21% | 21-26% | >26% | <21% | 21-26% | 26-31% | >31% |
| 60-69 | <17% | 17-22% | 22-27% | >27% | <22% | 22-27% | 27-32% | >32% |
| over 70 | <18% | 18-23% | 23-28% | >28% | <23% | 23-28% | 28-33% | >33% |
How to find out your body fat percentage on video
Why measure your body fat percentage?
Fat percentage is necessary for people who want to lose excess weight. Once you know your body fat percentage, you will be better able to monitor your progress. Knowing your calorie intake will make it easier for you to choose a diet. In addition, for people who are underweight, data on the amount of fat mass will help them gain weight and will not allow them to cross the minimum acceptable threshold.
While losing weight and gaining muscle mass, your body fat percentage should be measured once every week or two. Since the percentage of fat in a woman’s body is higher, it will be more difficult for her to increase the percentage of muscle.
How to Measure Body Fat Percentage
To measure subcutaneous fat in the body, it would be better to contact a medical center. Especially if the accuracy of the result obtained is fundamentally important to you. However, subcutaneous fat ratio can be measured at home. There are a large number of different ways to determine the percentage of fat, differing in the accuracy of the results and ease of measurement.
To find out the percentage of muscle in your body, measure your biceps in a relaxed state with a tailor's tape. Next, measure your forearm, one thigh and lower leg. All measurements are taken at the widest point. Take a caliper, pinch a fold of skin on your bicep, place a key under it and squeeze lightly. Record the result. Repeat on the triceps, forearm, thigh and calf.
For more accurate calculations, measure both on the left and right sides of the body, and then display the arithmetic average.
Record the girth in centimeters, the tuck in millimeters.
R=(sum of girths/25.12) - (sum of tucks/80). Using this formula you will get the average radius of the 4 links of the top and bottom chain.
To calculate muscle mass, use the following formula:
Muscle mass (grams)= height (cm)×R×R×6.5
If you are interested in the result as a percentage, use a different formula:
Muscle mass(%)=muscle mass(kg)/body weight(kg)×100
For more information about what needs to be done, see the link:
From photo
One of the easiest ways to determine the amount of fat in the body. Look at the photographs presented and find the one that most closely matches the contours of your figure.
The proportion of adipose tissue is determined very imprecisely by this method. The distribution of fat is individual for everyone, which is why the visual method can only determine body composition approximately. Only a person who has been involved in the visual assessment method for a long time will be able to name the most accurate result.
Using body composition analyzer scales
Such scales are available in medical centers and gyms. Using a special device, the analyzer will calculate the percentage of body fat. They are often used in medicine to impartially assess health status.
Since it is not always possible to regularly visit medical centers, scales for calculating fat mass can be purchased for measurements at home. There are several rules for using this device:
- weigh yourself on an empty stomach;
- try to avoid touching the device with wet hands, as this may negatively affect its operation;
- When weighing, be sure to take into account the possibility of a small error.
Please note: for some categories of people the data obtained will be incorrect. For example, for pregnant women and people with edema.
Fat fold measurement
This method is considered the most accurate when measuring the amount of fat in the body. Measurements are made with a caliper, which can easily be replaced with a caliper. Measured:
- Triceps. In the middle.
- Biceps. In the middle.
- Under the shoulder blade. Angle 45 degrees.
- Waist. 8-10 cm away from the navel.
Pinch the fold until lightly compressed. Take measurements on a naked body. You can do the pinch both along and across. It would be better to measure the folds on both the left and right sides of the body and find the arithmetic average. You will get an accurate result if you measure carefully and meticulously. It would be better to call an assistant to help with the measurements.
After the test, you need to summarize the results and find the percentage of subcutaneous fat in the table.
Fat percentage table
| Men | Women | |||||
| Amount in mm | 16-19 years old | 30-49 years old | over 50 | 16-29 years old | 30-49 years old | over 50 |
| 20 | 8,1% | 12,1% | 12,5% | 14,1% | 18,4% | 21,4% |
| 22 | 9,2% | 13,2% | 13,9% | 15,4% | 19,5% | 22,6% |
| 24 | 10,2% | 14,2% | 15,1% | 16,5% | 20,6% | 23,7% |
| 26 | 11,2% | 15,2% | 16,3% | 17,6% | 21,5% | 24,8% |
| 28 | 12,1% | 16,1% | 17,4% | 18,6% | 22,4% | 25,7% |
| 30 | 12,9% | 16,9% | 18,5% | 19,5% | 23,3% | 26,6% |
| 35 | 14,7% | 18,7% | 20,8% | 21,6% | 25,2% | 28,6% |
| 40 | 16,3% | 20,3% | 22,8% | 23,4% | 26,8% | 30,3% |
| 45 | 17,7% | 21,8% | 24,7% | 25,0% | 28,3% | 31,9% |
| 50 | 19,0% | 23,0% | 26,3% | 26,5% | 29,6% | 33,2% |
| 55 | 20,2% | 24,2% | 27,8% | 27,8% | 30,8% | 34,6% |
| 60 | 21,2% | 25,3% | 29,1% | 29,1% | 31,9% | 35,7% |
| 65 | 22,2% | 26,3% | 30,4% | 30,2% | 32,9% | 36,7% |
| 70 | 23,2% | 27,2% | 31,5% | 31,2% | 33,9% | 37,7% |
| 75 | 24,0% | 28,0% | 32,6% | 32,2% | 34,7% | 38,6% |
| 80 | 24,8% | 28,8% | 33,7% | 33,1% | 35,6% | 39,5% |
| 85 | 25,6% | 29,6% | 34,6% | 34,0% | 36,3% | 40,4% |
| 90 | 26,3% | 30,3% | 35,5% | 34,8% | 37,1% | 41,1% |
| 95 | 27,0% | 31,0% | 36,5% | 35,6% | 37,8% | 41,9% |
| 100 | 27,6% | 31,7% | 37,3% | 36,3% | 38,5% | 42,6% |
| 110 | 28,8% | 32,9% | 38,8% | 37,7% | 39,7% | 43,9% |
| 120 | 29,9% | 34,0% | 40,2% | 39,0% | 40,8% | 45,1% |
| 130 | 31,0% | 35,0% | 41,5% | 40,2% | 41,9% | 46,2% |
| 140 | 31,9% | 36,0% | 42,8% | 41,3% | 42,9% | 47,3% |
| 150 | 32,8% | 36,8% | 43,9% | 42,3% | 43,8% | 48,2% |
| 160 | 33,6% | 37,7% | 45,0% | 43,2% | 44,7% | 49,1% |
| 170 | 34,4% | 38,5% | 46,0% | 44,6% | 45,5% | 50,0% |
| 180 | 35,2% | 39,2% | 47,0% | 45,0% | 46,2% | 50,8% |
| 190 | 35,9% | 39,9% | 47,9% | 45,8% | 46,9% | 51,6% |
| 200 | 36,5% | 40,6% | 48,8% | 46,6% | 47,6% | 52,3% |
Calculations can be carried out using formulas. First, calculate the area of the body:
S=height×weight/10. The result will be in square meters.
- biceps;
- triceps;
- forearm;
- breasts (men only);
- stomach;
- shoulder blade;
- anterior thigh;
- shins.
Here it is also better to measure on both the left and right sides, and then display the arithmetic average. The fact is that the human body is not perfectly symmetrical, so the thickness of the fold may vary slightly.
Find the average fold thickness:
- for men: d= sum of tucks (mm)/16;
- for women: d= sum of pintucks (mm)/14.
Thus, you have found out the average value between the thickness of the fold and the area of the body. Now you can start calculating the amount of fat:
Fat weight(kg) =S×d×1.3
%fat = fat weight (kg) / body weight (kg) × 100
Based on BMI
The calculation method based on BMI (body mass index) is the most popular. To calculate BMI, use the formula: weight(kg)height(m)height(m)
It is noteworthy that the norm is the same for male and female bodies.
BMI norm
| Shortage | <18,5 |
| Norm | 18,5-24,9 |
| Excess | 25-29,9 |
| Obesity | >30 |
This method is not suitable for people involved in sports, because their main volume and weight is muscle mass. With an increased BMI in athletes, it is not a matter of fat, but of muscles. In addition, this technique is not suitable for pregnant women, since a certain part of their weight is the weight of the fetus.
Using various calculators
An online calculator for calculating body fat percentage is a quick and not labor-intensive way. The fat percentage calculator calculates itself. You only need to enter the specified data.
After the calculator gives you your body fat percentage, check the result against the table. A huge advantage of such calculators is that they will help you calculate your daily calorie intake. After all, each person, depending on his gender, age and lifestyle, has his own calorie norm.
Description of fat percentage formulas
You can calculate your fat percentage using a large number of different methods and formulas. For some of them, it is enough to know your height, for others you need to take a considerable number of measurements, but each method will help determine your fat level quite accurately. However, don't rely on them to calculate your muscle mass level; there are other methods for this purpose. How to do this using one of the methods:
US Navy method
When selecting military personnel for the US Navy, certain parameters must be met. There are a great many of them. The fat level is one of the most important.
If you decide to use this method to find out how much fat is in your body, take several measurements:
- height;
- waist;
- hips (for women).
Measurements are made in centimeters.
Formula for men: % = 86.010*LOG(belly-neck) - 70.041*LOG(height) + 30.30
Formula for women: = 163.205*LOG(stomach + hips - neck) - 97.684*LOG(height) - 104.912
Covert Bailey method
This method, which determines the amount of adipose tissue, has appeared quite recently. In addition to dividing by gender, people are classified by age categories. If you want to know if excess fat is present, you need to measure your wrist, lower leg, hips and thighs. Next follow the formulas:
%BMI (men) = Waist+ 0.5 x Hips - 3 x Forearm - Wrist
%BMI (women) = Hips+ 0.8 x Thigh - 2 x Lower leg - Wrist
People over 30 years old:
%BMI (men) = Waist+ 0.5 x Hips - 2.7 x Forearm - Wrist
%BMT (women) = Hips+ 0.5x Thigh - 2 x Lower leg - Wrist
YMCA method
This method for calculating the percentage of body fat was developed by the youth volunteer organization “YMCA”. For calculations, you will need to measure your waist and body weight.
Calculation formula
For men: %fat=-98.42+4.15waist in inches-0.082weight in poundsweight in pounds 100%
For women: %fat=-76.76+4.15waist in inches-0.082weight in poundsweight in pounds 100%
Additional YMCA Method
This method will calculate fat mass using a larger number of measurements. Measured:
- wrist circumference;
- hips;
- forearm;
- waist.
%BMI= 100(4.5waist-0.082weight-94.42)weight
%fat=0.268weight-0.318wrist+0.157waist+100%WB+0.245hips-0.434forearm-8.987
The fat percentage should be relatively accurate. If your fat level is too high or low, it is better to trust the calculations to an online calculator.
Comparison table of methods
Comparison table
To find out your fat percentage, you don’t have to go to specialized clinics or medical centers. There are a huge variety of different methods, each of which can be used at home. All of the above methods guarantee accurate results if the instructions for implementation are followed.
Probably everyone understands that the percentage of body fat is an important indicator.
It should not be overlooked, focusing only on kilograms and the arrow on the scale when losing weight. Because we want to get rid from fat, not muscle.
In addition, people with the same weight can look completely different. Therefore, knowing exactly how much fat is in the body is much more useful.
Subcutaneous and visceral
How to determine the amount of visceral fat? Excess is easy to notice by the disturbed proportions of the body: the stomach noticeably protrudes forward.
What percentage of internal fat should women and men have? No more than 15% of total body fat, regardless of gender. You can also understand that the norm of visceral fat is exceeded by simply changing your waist. For women, the dangerous figure will be 80 cm, for the stronger half of humanity - 90.
Of course, these are not ideal and not completely reliable methods, but they are the only ones available to people at home!
Why is it necessary to know?
Muscle is heavier than fat Therefore, even with the same weight, two people can have completely different body quality. The lower the percentage of body fat and the higher the percentage of muscle, the more prominent the body will be. So beautiful, athletic body - not kilograms on the scale, because the “quantity of the body” does not always correspond to its “quality”. Women, for physiological reasons, have more fat cells than men, so it is always more difficult for women to build muscle mass.
A beautiful body really means a lot of work on yourself. Not a search for “miracle diets”, magic pills or the cunning technique of the third wife of the Chinese Emperor Tsin, but daily nutrition control, regular exercise in the gym and the desire to understand how it all works. Like the work of a sculptor who calmly and methodically carves a beautiful statue out of shapeless stone.
If you are losing weight and monitoring the quality of your body, then try to measure your body fat percentage at least once a month. This will help you not mindlessly lose extra pounds, but systematically improve your body composition.
Besides:
- You can track changes in your fat mass both while losing weight and while gaining muscle. This is much more revealing than the arrow on the scale.
- Knowing your lean muscle mass can help you
The norm for women and men: what should it be
So, what is the normal percentage of body fat for a woman?
- up to 30 years – 15-23%;
- from 30 to 50 years – 19-25%;
- from 50 years old - 20-27%.
Normal body fat percentage for men:
- up to 30 years – 11-18%;
- from 30 to 50 years – 14-20%;
- from 50 years old – 16-22%.
If there is more than 32% fat, a person develops obesity.
More visual tables:
How to find out on your own at home?
There is no exact way to find out how much fat is in the body. There are more accurate methods, there are simple methods that show this approximately.
How to determine from a photo
Cheap and cheerful: to determine your body fat percentage, you need to find a body shape that is as similar as possible to yours:
For girls and women, an athletic build is characterized by 14-20% body fat, good physical shape - 21-24%, average body fat - 25-31%. At the same time, a fat level below 10% is extremely dangerous for the female body and leads to the cessation of .
For men, 6-13 percent body fat means a toned, athletic physique and fairly defined abs, 14-17% means good physical shape with a small amount of fat in problem areas, 18-25% means an average level of shape, and above 25% means obesity.
On the positive side: This is the fastest, free and easiest way. To determine your body fat percentage, you need to find a body shape that is as similar as possible to yours.
From the negative: requires your assessment of yourself, which is not always objective. We may unconsciously “throw off” a few pounds in our minds and compare ourselves to the slimmer version in the photo. In a word, with a probability of 80% this method is a “finger in the sky.”
How to measure with a caliper
Caliper- a special device that measures the thickness of the skin-fat folds in different parts of the body. Based on the obtained figures, the percentage of subcutaneous fat is determined using special tables or formulas.
How to measure body fat with a caliper -!! only for women!!
- Posterior shoulder: The fold is taken vertically in the middle between the shoulder joint and the elbow.
- On the side: The fold is taken from the side diagonally in the middle between the lower rib and the hip bones.
- On the stomach: The fold is taken vertically at a distance of +-2.5 cm away from the navel.
% fat = (A-B+C) + 4.03653, where:
- A = 0.41563 x (sum of all three folds in mm),
- B = 0.00112 x (sum of all three folds in mm squared),
- C = 0.03661 x age in years.
Measurement common for women and men
We add the resulting numbers in mm and find out the percentage of subcutaneous fat using the table:
On the positive side: inexpensive, fast, you can do it yourself at home, fairly accurate indicators.
From the negative: You need practice to learn how to use it correctly or someone else's help, calculations using formulas are required.
How to calculate online
There are also many fat percentage calculators online based on different body measurements. So you can easily calculate online. For example, these:
On the positive side:
From the negative: the calculation is unreliable.
How to calculate with scales and analyzer
How scales determine the amount of fat and muscle in the body: the device passes a weak current through you and calculates tissue resistance.
On the positive side: fast, suitable for regular home use.
From the negative: the same as for bioimpedance - not always accurate indicators, since the figure can be affected by water balance (edema). High-quality scales will cost more than 10,000, but it’s better to refuse cheap ones - it’s money down the drain. When repeated measurements, fluid loss may show on the scale a decrease in the percentage of fat mass, although in fact it has remained unchanged. The only way to use such scales is to track the trend - let the number lie, but what is important is its increase or decrease over time.
How to Calculate Body Mass Index from Lyle MacDonald
The method is only suitable for untrained people, i.e. for beginners who have not yet started strength training. For the lucky owners of visible muscles built in the gym beyond the “norm”, this method is not suitable.
To determine your body fat percentage, you need to know your body mass index: BMI = weight in kg/height in square meters
How to check with professionals
How to calculate quantity by bioimpedance analysis
A weak current is passed through the body using electrodes attached to the ankles and wrists, after which the electrical resistance of the tissue is measured. Even in physics lessons, we were told about the resistance of electric current with different conductors. We know that water is an excellent conductor. We also know from anatomy lessons that the muscles of the body are 75% water, while human fatty tissue contains the least amount of it. This means that the electrical impulse easily and quickly passes through muscle tissue, but is delayed on its way through fatty tissue.
On the positive side: fast, does not require any activity.
From the negative: the cost and location are vague, the need to visit a clinic, the use of equipment of varying quality. Not always accurate indicators, since the figure may be affected by water balance (edema).
How to understand how much using underwater weighing method
The method is based on Archimedes' law: a solid body immersed in water loses as much weight as the liquid it displaces. Since dry body mass and fat mass are different in density, by comparing body density after regular weighing and underwater weighing, the percentage of fat mass is determined. The method is complex and rarely used.
Video
A video about the percentage of body fat and its determination using different methods. Fat test:
This fat calculator uses a method to measure the volume of 3-4 body parts containing fat using a special formula and is widely used by the US Navy to estimate body fat percentage. An online body fat calculator can be useful to give you a general idea of what your body fat percentage is. By entering information about your height and body measurements, the calculator can give general information about your body fat percentage.
Online fat calculator. Instructions.
You need to measure with a tape measure to the nearest 0.5 cm / 0.25 inch in the following places:
- Neck: Measure below the larynx, tilting it slightly down in front of you.
- Waist: women at the narrowest point; men at the level of the navel.
- Hips (women only): at the widest point. Men do not need to measure their hips and enter them into the calculator.
These numbers only give a rough idea. The above calculations are just a guideline and do not take into account personal factors such as your fitness level, muscle mass and other factors. If you are unsure about your weight, contact your healthcare provider.
Average body fat percentage
When someone hears the term “, this concept is usually associated with something from the terminology of professional bodybuilders. This is because there is quite a bit of buzz about low fat levels in bodybuilding circles. To be competitive, professionals must have a very low body fat percentage (5% or so). While this raises awareness about developing low body fat, it also creates a rather limited perception. Body fat percentage means different things at different levels. In fact, for the average person, 5% body fat can cause serious health problems. Conversely, 25% body fat can be either healthy or unhealthy depending on your age and gender. To ensure clarity, it's best to look at the body fat percentage scale and what they represent.
Average body fat percentage differs for men and women
When it comes to determining healthy body fat percentages, it's important to note the differences between men and women. In women, an indicator of good health is a higher percentage of body fat than in men. The reason for this is that women require higher levels of fat to have a safe pregnancy. As a result, healthy, providing optimal health, will be different for different genders.
- For women Between the ages of 20 and 40, 19% to 26% body fat is generally good to excellent. For women aged 40+ to 60+, 23% to 30% is considered good to excellent.
- For men Between the ages of 20 and 40, 10% to 20% body fat is generally good to excellent. For men aged 40+ to 60+, from 19% to 23% is considered good to excellent.
If the body fat percentage for both age groups is higher than the highest healthy percentages or lower than the lowest healthy percentages listed here, then the result can be considered fair or poor. Therefore, you should find a way to get rid of fat or lift it. Losing excess fat is not that difficult, but some kind of exercise program is necessary as diets alone will not help with fat loss.
A healthy, slim and fit body is something that will always be in fashion. A lot of people are trying to get rid of excess fat deposits. But at the same time, not everyone knows what the norm of fat in the body is and how to determine it, but a lot depends on this indicator. Let's try to understand this issue.
Quite often there is a situation where two people who have the same weight look completely different. One is slim and fit, while the other, to put it mildly, does not look very ideal. The fact is that weight is, in principle, not an indicator that you should focus on when assessing your physical fitness. Muscle is much heavier than fat, hence the difference in appearance with the same number on the scale.
How your body combines bone and muscle mass, as well as water and fat, is key. Therefore, what the normal percentage of body fat should be should be known not only to those who are losing weight, but also to those who, in principle, monitor their health. Not only excess fat is dangerous, but also its deficiency, since fat has many important functions, in particular protective and reserve. A low percentage of body fat provokes problems with potency in men and problems with the menstrual cycle and fertility in women.
Thus, fat performs the following functions:
- protects body organs;
- helps maintain normal temperature;
- promotes the preservation of nutrients in the body;
- softens joints;
- promotes energy accumulation.
To maintain health and lead a full life, a woman needs a body fat percentage of 13-15, and a man needs at least 5-9%. If this indicator is lower, then serious violations in the performance of their functions by bodies and dangerous consequences are possible. If the percentage of body fat is normal, a person will feel and look good, and his reproductive organs will work as they should.
Fat is especially important for the female body. It helps ensure normal synthesis of female hormones, promotes the proper functioning of the genital organs, ensures a normal menstrual cycle, and makes it possible to bear and give birth to a child. The amount of fat may increase with age. An excess of it can be a consequence of certain disorders, but quite often it is a consequence of a lack of physical activity and constant overeating.
Normal body fat
It is impossible to give an exact figure that would determine the norm of fat content in the body. But there is a range within which each individual person can have his own size. This is determined by many characteristics of the body. One person may have a higher percentage of fat than another person of the same gender and age, but he may feel much better.
The amount of fat in the body should not exceed the upper limit, but you need to pay attention to the lower limit, since the lack of fat in the body is fraught with serious consequences.
Normal fat percentage in a woman's body must remain within the following limits:
- age under 30 years - 15-23%;
- age 30-50 years - 19-25%;
- age from 50 years - 20-27%.
For men Normal body fat percentage looks like this:
- age under 30 years - 11-18%;
- age 30-50 years - 14-20%;
- age from 50 years - 16-22%.
In women with a normal physique, fat is located in the abdomen, chest, waist, and hips. If it accumulates on the arms, shoulders, legs, and knee area, this may indicate a tendency to swelling, metabolic disorders, and hormonal imbalances, so it makes sense to consult a doctor.
Fat indicators are also important in men. For them, this determines the functioning of many important systems, in particular, reproductive and digestive. However, it is easier for men to reduce their fat percentage, since their lipid metabolism is faster than that of women. Fat in men is evenly distributed throughout the body. If deposits accumulate in the abdominal area of a representative of the stronger sex, this indicates a violation of the gastrointestinal tract. If they are localized in the area of the sides, chest, hips, this indicates poor nutrition, as well as hormonal imbalance - an increase in the level of female hormones in the body.
The table below will show in more detail what the normal percentage of fat in the body of a woman and a man should be.
Visceral and subcutaneous fat
The human body accumulates two types of fat: subcutaneous (visible) and visceral (internal). located near the surface of the skin and can be seen and felt.
If you determine that your performance is not ideal, be careful. When trying to achieve an athletic figure, do not go beyond the physiological norm. In addition, keep in mind that each person is individual, and has his own “healthy” norm. For example, if a girl decides to reduce her body fat content from 18% to 13%, she may experience menstrual irregularities. The indicator will also correspond to the norm, but the individual characteristics of the body will play a role here. Therefore, when working to reduce body fat, monitor how you feel. If you feel unpleasant symptoms, then you should stop losing weight and consult a specialist. And remember that in ordinary life there is no point in achieving extreme performance. But normalizing fat levels is useful.
If the norm of body fat in a woman or man is exceeded, then you need to reconsider your lifestyle. Most often, it is enough to normalize your lifestyle, review your diet and exercise more. From physical activity, first of all, you need to focus on, since they are the ones who burn fat. , or a bicycle - you can choose whatever you want.
Proper nutrition is also very important. Avoid crash diets, as they lose muscle and fluid rather than fat. Eat nutritiously, balancedly, in moderation. It is recommended to eat often and in small portions, exclude fast food, sweets, and baked goods. Healthy foods for reducing fat include lean sources of protein (meat, fish, eggs, dairy), grains, fruits and vegetables. You also need to drink enough water.
Knowing how much fat should be in the body of a woman and a man, you can adequately assess the condition of your body. Remember that excess fat is dangerous, but the same can be said about its lack. Fat is both a friend and an enemy in equal measure, and to ensure that it is only the first for you, control its percentage in the body.
How to find out your body fat level: video answer
