I am training for my first figure competition and I'm 13 weeks out. I tend to obessess about numbers and I'm wondering what the "ideal" bf% is for a show? Right now I'm 108 lbs., 17% bf.

One thing that makes your question difficult to answer is the wide range of body composition methods and formulas that yield different %'s.

If you are using a 6-site or 9-site formula, at your bodyweight, 12%-14% is a good goal for your first contest.

While body composition is an important way to track your personal progress overtime, that number is not so important on stage. Given your weight, your bodyfat % will not be even close to the 8-10 ranges that you may hear heavier (more muscular) women talk about. I would look at the lbs of fat that you carry and how you look in the mirror much more than your body comp number. MOST women I work with are ready to take stage when their lbs of fat are in the 13-17 range. If your lean mass is lower (either because you are short or just more petite/less muscle) then your bodyfat % will not get super low. Bodyfat is a calculation... The best thing you can do is track your progress, look at your photos and compare those with show photos. Forget bodycomp except to be sure that you are gaining muscle and losing fat.
Hope that helps!
Julie


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