how is one's body fat % determined ? what is optimum % ?

there are many ways to analyze body fat %. Figuring it out with your weight or height is one way and/or with Caliper readings. Monitor or scale. there are many different measuring units out there! I personnally take caliper measurements in 6 different spots of my body and go from there! Fast and easy!

after taking measurements, then what do you do ?

where should someone be ?

quote:

what is optimum % ?

That's not a loaded question, but optimum is relative.

If you considering a body building contest, usually the lower the %, the better. That's not always true. Shorty will verify. He was at 6%, had no abs visible. He may not have abs even at 4%, because he was doing excessive cardio.

You're in a body building forum, so I'm going to assume you're looking for a decent off-season/competing range. 8% offseason is ok. If you're gaining muscle, everything is looking good stay around that range. If you're not making gains, you should probably retain a little more body fat.

Females are different. They'll need to be at a higher %. Perhaps even 12% or plus a few more points.

As for testing body fat, it's based on an estimate of your lean mass. Many ways to tell, but the Law According to Frank, it's best told by the tape and mirror.

I was two weeks out from my best contest and was measured at 13.8%.

NO ARAM! I WAS NOT DOING FIGURE!

Frank

quote:

Originally posted by Frank:
8% offseason is ok.

woops.

Optimum really depends on where you feel comfortable and where your best gains are coming from. Over the past year I made great gains staying between ~6-8% the whole time. Towards the end of last year, I probably jumped up to 10 or so. It might be a personal thing, but I found my best gains were coming when i was a little bit lower bf, however I did get alot stronger when I was heavier.

One way to stay lean is to do cycles of gaining/hardening. I can't really say how often to do hardening or how long to do them, it really depends on how easy you can lose fat. This is an effective strategy because you look good all the time and you are still in striking distance for a show.

Melissa, what 6 sites do you test bodyfat on and what is the formula to calc % from total? I am only familiar with how to do a 9-site test.

Tri, hip, thigh, calf, back, chest! total up the mm's and I just look at the chart that came with my Calipers to figure it out! Hope that helped.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Frank:
I was two weeks out from my best contest and was measured at 13.8%.

NO ARAM! I WAS NOT DOING FIGURE!

Aww, come on now Frank, I'm sure you looked lovely in your 2-piece.

quote:

Aww, come on now Frank, I'm sure you looked lovely in your 2-piece.

All this time, I thought it was the heels and lipstick. Or, was it the earrings? I'm getting a complex, now! ~staring at mirror~

I can make you a pretty one piece Frank.

quote:

a pretty one piece

Is that the kind you paint on? LOL

Set me up for the Lone Star with a lone star!

Frank

LOL. You'll have to borrow my Texas Bikini for that one.

YOU GOT IT!!


LOL. (Santa Fe isn't a place to joke like that).

Frank...come on now... you know with all that deep heavy squatting make you bulky and those suits... they are gonna may your butt look soooooooooooooooooooooooo big !!