Normal percentage of body fat. The correct ratio of fat, muscle and water in the body

Fortunately, body fat percentage is now being tracked as a measure of a person's overall health, rather than body mass index, as was previously the case.

Many articles have been written about human body fat percentage, including "Fat Percentage Chart" and "5 Ways to Measure Body Fat Percentage" and "Ideal Body Weight Formula." This article combines the main ideas of the above articles and will help you visualize how much fat is contained in the body of a man and a woman.

Thousands of photographs were used to write this article. Most of them were purchased on specialized sites. Other photographs were freely available. If any of the photographs used in this article are protected by copyright, please notify us and they will be removed or changed.

Below are some terms and concepts for a better understanding of this article and photographs.

Fat percentage is the amount of fat (in kg) divided by total body weight and converted to a percentage. For example, the body fat percentage of a man whose body weight is 80 kg and whose body fat is 13 kg is 16% (30/180).

Body fat distribution

Each of us distributes fat differently in our bodies. For example, some women have very little fat in the abdominal area and high fat in the thighs and triceps. For others, it's the other way around. It's the same for men. However, for most men, fat tends to be stored mostly in the abdominal area. The following photos show the most common areas of fat distribution in men and women.

Human's figure

Each of us has a different body shape, so two completely different figures can have the same body fat percentage, even if they don't look the same. An excellent example is slim models and athletes. Their fat percentage is exactly the same.

Age

The photographs in this article show people between 25 and 35 years old. With age, the fat content in a person's body increases. For example, a 20-year-old and a 50-year-old man have the same amount of subcutaneous fat, but for a 20-year-old this amount will be 15%, and for a 50-year-old it will be 20%. With age, fat around organs (visceral) and in muscles (intramuscular) tends to increase.

Muscle grooves

As a person's body becomes more defined, the muscles become more noticeable and look like thin grooves.

Vascularity– that is, the appearance of veins in different parts of the body as fat content decreases.

A visual representation of fat content in men

3 – 4% fat content in men

The percentage of fat in bodybuilders during their preparation for competitions can reach only 3 – 4%. This fat content is characterized by increased vascularity, so that veins are visible on literally every muscle in the body. Even on the buttocks you can see small gaps between the muscles. If there are none on the gluteal muscles, then the fat content is very low. The normal amount of fat in men is considered to be about 2%. This is the necessary amount for the normal functioning of the body, since fat protects the internal organs of the chest and abdominal cavity.

6 - 7% fat content in men

6 - 7% fat content in men is not as categorical as 3 - 4%, but, nevertheless, even this percentage is not a normal indicator for most men. With such a percentage of fat, your face becomes emaciated, and your family begins to worry about you. Most models tend to have this level of fat and are marked by clearly defined muscles and bright vascularity in most muscles, including the muscles of the arms, legs and abdomen. Clearly visible muscles in the abdominal area are a sign of low fat content. Just like the clear separation of muscles.

10 – 12% fat content in men

This is the normal level of body fat for a man whose abdominal muscles are not as visible as men with 6 – 7% body fat. However, the abdominal muscles are clearly visible. This is exactly the body that many men strive for and that women like. The muscle grooves are not very visible on each muscle, but only on the shoulders and arms.

Men with this fat content are usually called “slim and fit.” The contours of the muscles are clearly visible, but there is no clear separation between them. The muscle grooves are usually covered with a small layer of fat. However, the overall body shape is quite beautiful, despite the lack of obvious muscles.

20% fat content in men

25% fat content in men

Muscles and blood vessels are practically invisible, and the waist increases significantly in volume (hip-to-waist ratio is approximately 0.9). It turns out that a man with a height of 180 cm has a waist size of 91 cm. The neck volume also increases slightly and small folds of fat are visible, but in clothes this fat content is almost invisible. Men with more than 25% body fat have problems with obesity. A waist circumference of more than 101 cm is considered abdominal obesity.

30% fat content in men

35% fat content in men

As a man gets bigger and bigger and gains fat, most of the fat accumulates in the belly. At 35% content, the belly hangs down even more, and the waist is not visible at all. These men are called “beer bellies.” Waist size can be more than 101 cm.

40% fat content in men

As with 35%, fat accumulates in the abdomen and waist. The waist can reach 145 cm or even more. With this amount of fat, daily movements such as walking up stairs or bending become difficult. A man at this level is already close to obesity, with a body mass index exceeding 35. For a better understanding: a man with a height of 180 cm, who weighs 122 kg, has 73 kg of muscle mass and 40% fat content.

Visual representation of fat content in women

10 – 12% fat content in women

This is an extremely low level of body fat that is found only in female bodybuilders. The minimum fat content in a woman’s body is 8–10%, while in men it is only 2%. Why is there such a big difference? The fact is that women contain more fat in the tissues of the mammary glands and in the area around the uterus. This level of fat is not considered normal for a woman and can be hazardous to health and can even cause menstruation to stop. The muscle grooves and blood vessels are clearly visible. The woman in the photo most likely has 12% body fat, as the vessels are not very visible.

15 – 17% fat content in women

This level of fat is also very low and equates to 6 – 7% body fat in men. Most lingerie models have exactly this level of body fat, and many of them have obvious problems with the functioning of the female body. The muscles of the abs, legs, arms and shoulders are clearly visible. The thighs and buttocks are usually less defined due to their low fat content.

20 – 22% fat content in women

This level is typical for many female athletes. The abdominal muscles are clearly visible, and there is some fat on the arms and legs. There is a level of separation between muscles, but it is minimal.

25% fat content in women

This is the level that most women have. Not too thin, but not too fat either. The curve of the hips is clearly visible, and there are small deposits of fat on the buttocks. A woman with a height of 163 cm and a weight of 59 kg has 25% body fat.

30% fat content in women

While men store fat in the abdominal area, most women store it in the thighs and buttocks. With this fat content, the hips are clearly defined and have a rounded shape. This is considered the limit of fat content for a normal woman.

35% fat content in women

The hips become even larger, and the face and neck have a rounded shape. The hip circumference can reach more than 100 cm, and the waist more than 80 cm. The stomach begins to droop.

40% fat content in women

Hips and buttocks become larger. The hips can reach more than 106 cm in circumference, the waist more than 90, and the hips more than 63 cm.

45% fat content in women

The skin loses its beauty and clearly visible folds appear. The hip circumference can reach more than 115 cm, and the waist more than 90 cm. The hips become noticeably wider than the shoulders.

50% fat content in women

Fat becomes clearly visible on the skin. The hip circumference can reach more than 115 cm, and the waist more than 101 cm. The hips become clearly wider than the shoulders. For a better understanding: a woman with a height of 163 cm and a weight of 90 kg has 45 kg of muscle mass and 50% fat content.

So you might be interested to know the most popular ones.

Below is a graph from ACE (American Council on Exercise) and is one of the most commonly used body fat graphs. As you can see, women have a higher percentage of fat than men at the same level. It is higher in women due to differences such as hormones, breasts and genitals. Additionally, women need a higher percentage of body fat to ovulate.

“Essential fat” is the minimum amount of fat required for basic physical and psychological health. There is a lot of controversy regarding the optimal percentage of body fat. A study by Gallagher et al concluded that fat levels that are too low are considered "not enough fat", which is "unhealthy". According to this study, men 20-40 years old with less than 8% body fat are considered "underfat", while a "healthy" body fat level for them is 8-19%. For women in the same age group, levels below 21% are considered “underfat”; 21-33% are considered “healthy.”

In my opinion, body fat percentage is an important health metric, but stating that a certain level of fat is “unhealthy” is only one part of the coin. In fact, some overweight people who exercise may be healthier than their leaner, non-exercising counterparts. In contrast, to claim that anyone with 6-pack abs (below 8% body fat for men) is athletic and well-nourished - "unhealthy" with "not enough fat" - would be an exaggeration. We all have different body shapes, sizes and body fat distribution, but I think the above graph is a good starting point.

A limitation of the ACE graph is that while it takes gender differences into account, it does not take into account age, which the next two graphs accurately account for.

Ideal Body Fat Percentage Chart: Jackson and Pollock

AccuFitness is a manufacturer of popular calipers - devices for measuring % fat in fat folds. They include a chart with their products based on the Jackson and Pollock study (which has become an industry standard) which I believe is the most accurate from an aesthetic and health standpoint.

In this graph, the age column is on the left, body fat percentage is in the table cells, and the colors correspond to the Thin, Ideal, Average, and Above Average body fat percentage ranges. So, if you are a 30-year-old man, a body fat percentage of 10 to 16 is considered “Ideal,” and 18 to 22 is considered “Average,” and so on. I also like the colors in this graph - red for values ​​that are too high and green for values ​​that are perfect. Below are two graphs. The first is for men, the second is for women.

You may have noticed that as you age, your acceptable body fat percentage also increases. You will ask why? In short, these graphs are based on statistical assumptions. Older people have lower body density when measured by skinfolds. This indicates a higher percentage of body fat. However, this is not the case for trained older people, since their body density should not be underestimated.

Going deeper, there are three types of fat in the body:

• subcutaneous
• visceral (around organs)
• intramuscular (a layer inside the muscles, like in a marble steak).

The amount of subcutaneous fat you have may remain the same, but the amount of visceral and intramuscular fat may increase as you age. To visually represent the % fat, use the pictures:

For some people, the process of weighing their body weight can often be demoralizing and can even become obsessive. Libras never lie, that's true, but they don't tell the whole truth either. They cannot tell whether you have gained muscle mass or lost fluid or body fat. For example, when losing weight, the body replaces fat deposits with large reserves of water.

The structure of your body largely determines any exercise program and diet. A person's constitution reflects the amount of fat and muscle tissue that makes up his body. It is the constitution of the body that is a better indicator of health than body weight.

For example, restricting your body's calorie intake through dieting can lead to significant weight loss, but most of that loss will come from muscle tissue and water. And on the other hand, a combination of a healthy diet along with a properly selected physical training regimen will help a person lose more fat tissue and gain muscle tissue.

So step off the scale and learn in this article how to measure your body fat and how to improve your shape and health.

Measuring body fat percentage

Regularly measuring this value is the best method for assessing your diet and fat loss training. There are several methods for calculating this value, but most of these methods have significant measurement errors. Therefore, it is recommended to use professional methods rather than measuring your body fat using a home digital scale. Below are methods you can use to measure your body fat mass.

Measuring the amount of fat in a person's body is quite simple; you need to separate it from your total body weight. For example, if you weigh 70 kg, of which 10 kg is fat, then the percentage of the latter is calculated using a simple formula: (10/70) * 100% = 14.3%. The whole difficulty lies in determining the mass of body fat.

As mentioned above, there are several different techniques for measuring fat content, however, only the hydrostatic weighing method provides direct information about the amount of fat in the body with an error of no more than 20 g. All other methods are based on statistical data and provide only indirect estimates.

Hydrostatic weighing

The technique of this method is based on the basic principles of physics: first you need to completely immerse the body in water (the difference in the water level in the pool without a body and with it indicates the volume of the body of the immersed person). Knowing the volume and weight of a person, you can calculate the required value.

The functioning of electronic systems for body analysis is based on the use of a flow of energy waves that pass through the tissues of the human body. The propagation speed of these waves is then analyzed. Fat slows down their speed, while muscle and water do not change it.

As is clear from the operating principle of these scales, they do not measure fat content, but only compare the obtained coefficients with the existing statistical database. The latter allows us to obtain the approximate error value we are interested in, the determination of which depends on the number of electrodes, temperature, amount of food in the stomach, composition of body tissues and other factors.

Bioelectrical Impedance Scales

These scales are the least accurate Of all the methods presented here for measuring the amount of adipose tissue, they are also quite expensive. The principle of their operation is as follows: a weak stream of waves is sent in the direction of one leg and is received when the waves pass through the other leg. The percentage of fat is estimated by the loss of intensity of this flow. However, the reasons for such a loss can be very different.

These scales are only suitable for assessing trends: even if we received an erroneous figure the first time, measuring it with scales after, for example, a month, we can say that the percentage of fat in our body has increased or decreased.

Body fat meter

This instrument involves measuring the thickness of the folds of subcutaneous fat in the stomach area and comparison of the obtained result with tabular data. The data in the table shows the thickness of the fold in millimeters and the corresponding approximate percentage of body fat. Measurements taken with such a tool are more accurate than measurements with electronic scales because fold thickness is directly related to body fat.

Another advantage of this method is the simplicity of the calibrated measurement instrument used. The measurement technique using this method is very simple.. You need to stand up straight and find an area on your body that is 10 cm to the right of the navel and 3-4 cm above the bony protrusion of the thigh. Gather the fold in this area and measure its thickness. Then, on the Internet, find a table of the dependence of normal body fat mass on age and, knowing the thickness of your folds, determine the appropriate figure.

Fat percentage for men and women

Each person stores fat tissue in different areas of the body, which largely depends on genetic factors. Men usually store it in the abdominal area, while women store it in the thighs. A certain percentage of this tissue is stored within the body and is used to maintain normal functioning when a person follows a diet. The loss of this internal fat does not affect the external shape of the body.

Age is a factor that also needs to be taken into account when calculating this figure. As people age, they tend to gain weight due to a slower metabolic rate and hormonal changes. . Interesting to note that the number of fat cells contained in the human body becomes constant at the age of 16 years. The increase in body fat is then driven by an increase in the size of these cells, not their number.

Below is the information on fat deposits in the bodies of adult men and women and its interpretation.

Men

Based on the data provided, male body fat percentage 6−13% means that all muscles (including the abdominals) are well defined, a level of 14−17% is characteristic of an athletic figure with a small amount of fat in problem areas, a figure of 18−25% corresponds to an average figure, and the level of adipose tissue is higher 25% talk about problems of obesity of varying degrees.

Women

Typically, a woman's body contains a higher percentage of body fat than a man's. A woman's body produces more female hormones (estrogens), which affect fat storage. Women also need more fat for some vital processes such as like having a baby.

As follows from the above information, a fat percentage in women of 14-20% indicates excellent physical shape, a figure of 21-24% corresponds to an average figure, while a level above 25-31% indicates obesity. Fat content below 10% is dangerous for women's metabolism and can lead to irregularities in the menstrual cycle.

Reducing body fat

If you want to achieve and maintain a healthy body fat content, here are some tips to help you reduce your fat ratio in favor of muscle tissue.

Firstly, need to eat healthy food, since it is this aspect of life that contributes 80% to the final result. The best way to lose excess fat is to reduce your calorie intake. It is necessary to eat natural foods that are rich in proteins, complex hydrocarbons and vegetable fats, that is, you need to eat more greens and vegetables. The amount of food consumed should correspond to your height, gender, constitution and age.

Along with a healthy diet, another important aspect for burning excess fat quickly is doing physical exercises, which help tone all the muscles in the body and give you strength. To make your body beautiful and muscular, it is recommended to do strength exercises.

Strength exercises such as weight lifting and bodyweight exercises are fantastic ways to increase muscle mass. Some types of exercise, such as high-intensity exercise for short periods of time, can increase calorie expenditure for the next 48 hours after exercise. Note that developing body muscles is an effective way to burn fat in the body. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn throughout the day.

Currently, there are many comprehensive programs for burning fat and developing body muscles, which combine modern advances in the science of healthy eating and effective physical activity on the body. You can study such programs either with a trainer or on your own, but you must constantly monitor your well-being.

Attention, TODAY only!

Anyone who has been at least somewhat interested in a healthy lifestyle and losing weight knows that it plays a big role in appearance. body fat percentage. The fashion for a curvaceous figure has passed for a long time and, by modern standards, beauty lies in a slim, fit, athletic body. Accordingly, the lower its percentage in the body, the more aesthetically pleasing a person looks.

But here, too, there are norms, neglecting which you risk getting obesity or anorexia instead of beauty. Also, maintaining body fat within normal limits is extremely important for health. Deviations in one direction or another can lead to disastrous consequences, sometimes even irreparable. The fat layer accumulates not only on muscle tissue, but also on internal organs, which is especially dangerous. You've probably heard the concept of “visceral fat.” So what is the optimal body fat content? How to properly reduce its percentage and not harm your health? Where is the line between beautiful slimness and excessive thinness and where can you “get” the desired relief? To understand how to determine the percentage of body fat and find out the answers to the questions, read the information below.

If you are overweight and you can see with the naked eye that your fat percentage is higher than normal, then you don’t need accurate measurements. They are necessary for athletes who carefully control their nutrition and exercise. It is difficult for them to determine something “by eye”.

There are many methods for determining its percentage in the body, but, unfortunately, not all of them are accurate:

• caliper - a specialized device with a scale - has a high error;
• X-ray - minimal deviations;
• special scales and other gadgets - the error is about 6% (highly dependent on the current state of the body);
• bioelectric resistance - there is also an error;
• “by eye” - the error is large, but the method is the simplest and most common.

Let's look at each in a little more detail. The caliper measures the thickness of the skin in the fat fold. Measurements are taken in several places, and then the results are summed up and applied to several equations. Disadvantages of this method: the equations are not accurate from the very beginning; if you clamp less skin, you will get an underestimated result, and if you clamp more, you will get an overestimated result. So you won’t be able to calculate the correct coefficient. X-ray has a smaller error than the previous method, but is still not accurate, this has already been proven by a number of studies. Moreover, a lot depends on the device itself, the condition of the body, gender, weight and many other factors. The error ranges from 4 to 10%. The most accurate method for determining your body fat percentage is the four-section test.

Here the body is conventionally divided into four components:

• bones;
• water;
• muscles;
• adipose tissue.

All this is individually “weighed”, and the results are passed through a special formula. This method will help you reliably calculate your body fat percentage for women and men. If you judge by eye, a sculpted body contains about 10% fat, while a slender, non-sculpted body contains up to 20%. Well, if there is obesity at any stage, then it’s no less than 50%.

Practical advice: When determining the percentage using this method, you need to remember the role of muscle mass. The same indicator will be for a “jock” and a thin one. The only difference is the relief.

Body fat calculator

Result: Your body contains approximately fat (or ).

What is the minimum fat percentage

It is completely impossible to get rid of the fat layer, since it is also necessary for the normal functioning of the body.

Please note: For men, the minimum content is considered to be 5%, for women - 13%. If the percentage is below normal, internal organ failure will follow.

There is such a case in history. A bodybuilder who overdid it with fat loss has died. A small part of fat is and should be in all human organs and systems.

In addition to it, there are 2 more types:

• subcutaneous;
• visceral.

The latter accumulates on internal organs and is more difficult to get rid of. A small amount of fat is provided for the normal functioning of the body, but its excess leads to many serious diseases.

Expert opinion

Smirnov Viktor Petrovich
Dietitian, Samara

It is known that life is impossible without fat. And therefore, you shouldn’t spend all your time fighting excess fat. Even in aesthetic terms, a harmoniously developed figure is considered not to be one with knotty muscles intertwined with a protruding venous network, but one with pronounced but smooth lines. In the process of losing weight, both men and women need to take into account the characteristics of the body and first of all pay attention to them. So, it is necessary to understand what body type a person belongs to: normosthenic, asthenic or hypersthenic. Different types start losing weight differently. In addition, you should not pay attention to where the fat comes from. It almost always happens that a person first wants to lose weight on his stomach, but the neck or buttocks begin to lose weight. The body itself knows where it will utilize excess energy reserves, and therefore there is no need to get upset and interfere with the natural process.

Normal (healthy) body fat percentage

Obesity cannot be healthy by definition. The World Health Organization has a chart that indicates a healthy fat percentage.

As mentioned earlier, a low content of subcutaneous (and not only) fiber leads to death, and a high content leads to many diseases. There is a norm for body fat content and it is worth sticking to it.

Visceral fat

For a long time, the accumulation of visceral fat in adults was attributed to genetics - predisposition and so on. But scientists have proven that a fat woman is not to blame for your obesity. The content of visceral fat increases along with subcutaneous fat, and genetics have nothing to do with it.

It becomes harmful when contained:

• for men from 20%;
• in women from 40%.

Reducing body fat percentage

Losing weight is a difficult task, but it can be done. In the first couple of kilograms you lose faster than the last few. At first glance, everything is simple - you need to eat less (kcal) than you spend. This is how the body begins to take energy from fat reserves, burning them. But the slimmer you become, the harder it is to lose a few extra pounds.

Please note: The greater the initial body weight (fat), the faster it goes away from the first weeks of training. Further more difficult. As fat mass decreases, more and more effort is required to achieve the next result.

For example, the initial weight is 100 kg. In the first month of training and proper nutrition, you can lose 5-10 kg. In the second month, 3-7 kg are lost under the same loads, and so on. Therefore, you need to increase the load as the weight decreases. An experienced trainer can help you choose the right initial and further exercises, and it is better to consult a nutritionist when choosing a diet. The percentage of body fat, both when losing weight and when playing professional sports, is more important than calculating BMI (body mass index). The latter only shows the ratio of height and weight; there are even calculators to calculate it. But this is not enough for a full assessment of physical development.

What to do to get the desired relief

When losing weight, it is important not only to get rid of fat, but also to achieve toned and defined muscles, even if not very pronounced. Below are guidelines on what you should and shouldn't do every day to move from one "fat category" to another.

A normal percentage of fat requires constant maintenance: proper nutrition, physical activity. Indicators above normal can lead to many diseases, including diabetes, problems with the heart muscle and the entire vascular system, joint diseases, and so on. The list of possible complications is too long.

Important! A low percentage of fat is also considered a disease - anorexia. And it can end in death.

With your current low body fat levels, you need to work hard to maintain them. The higher the initial weight, the easier it is for fat deposits to disappear. The less fat becomes, the more difficult it becomes to lose. It is important to monitor your diet and activity - a sedentary lifestyle and eating fast food only contributes to the accumulation of unnecessary and dangerous fat deposits.

What do most women do when they want to evaluate their figure? That's right, step on the scale! So what is next? The current weight is compared with what it was a year ago, five, ten... Such a comparison can indeed say something, but very, very approximately. The fact is that with age, body composition changes, muscle tissue is gradually replaced by fat. And if so, then stable weight over several years may not be a sign of well-being.

Let's say the muscles decrease, but the fat increases by exactly the same amount - what's good about that? In other words, simply weighing yourself cannot be your compass in the world of beauty. We need a much more precise tool. What if we use a table of height-weight ratios? You've probably seen something like this. In one column, look for your height, and in the other, accordingly, find your optimal weight. Then all you have to do is step on the scales, and the picture of your own condition seems to become clear.

Meanwhile, not everything is so simple. And American insurance companies were the first to discover this. At one time, they actively used height and weight tables to determine the degree of their risk when insuring a client’s life. After all, the higher the excess weight, the greater the risk of cardiovascular and other diseases. However, even clerks far from medicine, after several years of experience, it became clear: there is no direct connection between height and weight. Addition types need to be taken into account.

Thus, a table was born that claims to be the most accurate. This is a table from the American insurance company Metropolitan. Since 1983, it has taken into account the client’s appearance: fragile, medium or large. With the same height, weight discrepancies of 3-5 kg ​​are obtained. However, this table cannot be taken as the ultimate truth. In the end, she only says one thing - how many kilograms you should have.

Such information, of course, is not useful, but it is clearly not enough. Agree, for a woman with developed muscles, 65 kg can be an ideal weight, but for an untrained woman, it can be a dangerous signal of obesity. In addition, the “extra” kilogram (judging by the scales and the table) can “grow” not due to harmful fat, but due to healthy muscles. In other words, ordinary weighing cannot be used to evaluate your figure, so how can you evaluate it? You need to calculate the specific fat content in the overall composition of your body! In short, you need to know exactly how much excess fat you are carrying around!

It was previously noted that some amount of fat (12 to 15% of total body weight) is vital for the normal functioning of the body. Anything that you have accumulated in excess of this norm is harmful to your health and, of course, your figure. Here is an approximate breakdown of the proportion of fat in body weight for women:

How to find out your fat percentage?

One of the most accurate methods is to analyze body composition, estimate the waist/hip ratio, and measure skin folds. Body composition analysis shows the distribution of your weight: what proportion of it is fat, and what proportion is everything else. Such an analysis can be done in many sports and health centers and fitness clubs. Some methods of performing this test are quite simple, others are much more complex. We will return to this later.

Measuring the thickness of the skin fold. This method is quite simple. Using a special instrument resembling a caliper, they pinch a fold of skin and immediately find out its thickness using a scale on the instrument itself. “Tucks” are made in the abdomen, upper back, chest and hips. Then the obtained data is substituted into special formulas and the specific percentage of fat accumulation is obtained. Of course, this technique is much inferior in accuracy to the latest high-tech methods of analysis, for example, computed tomography.

Compare, a computed tomograph gives a clear visual image of adipose and non-adipose tissue, so no method can compare with CT in terms of reliability of assessment. However, for the sake of truth, it is worth saying that the procedure itself is so expensive and so complicated that it is almost never used in sports practice. The accuracy of measurements by pinching a skin fold largely depends on who is performing the procedure. Of course, it is better that you are in the hands of an experienced person rather than a novice trainee.

In any case, measurements must be taken by the same specialist. In the end, even if it is not the best, you will at least get results with the same degree of error. Next, you will have to compare the results of different measurements to understand whether there is real progress in fat loss. We repeat that simple weighing will not give you the answer to this question. If you exercise, your weight may increase due to muscle growth. And then weighing yourself will give you a reason for unnecessary panic: they say, I’ve been training so much, and my weight has increased even more!

Another case is also possible. You train, but methodically incorrectly, as a result, the fat layer continues to increase, and you attribute the weight gain to muscle growth. Here's the bottom line: Although the skinfold measurement method may not be as accurate, it can still be a real help in assessing the correctness of your athletic efforts.

This research method is carried out using special equipment, similar to that found in ultrasound rooms. Ultrasonic waves penetrate deep into the skin and show the thickness of the fat layer on a measuring scale. Typically, ultrasound scanning is performed in several places. The data obtained in this way is used to calculate the total percentage of fat in your body.

Oddly enough, opinions about this method paradoxically differ. Some experts consider it very accurate, others argue that the device is, in principle, not capable of producing the correct result. The arguments here are as follows: fatty tissues have different densities, sometimes very close to muscle tissue, but the device is not able to “see” this difference and often mistakes one for another, sometimes there are absurd results: for example, it shows excess fat in an athlete who has There was not a drop of fat under the skin!

When using the BES method, a weak electrical current is passed through your body. No more than a tiny pocket battery. The current is supplied through electrodes attached to the arms and legs. Fat tissue, unlike muscle tissue, does not conduct current. It turns out that the faster the current passes through the body, the less fat it contains. The data obtained is substituted into formulas that take into account height, gender and age. Thus, the percentage of fat in total body weight is calculated.

Recently, very simple and convenient devices have appeared using the BES method. Outwardly, they resemble ordinary floor scales - you simply stand on a small platform and in a moment you receive a detailed report on your weight, fat, muscle mass and water contained in the body. The disadvantage of this method is that the current easily passes through the limbs, but “gets stuck” in the depths of the body itself. Therefore, the error in determining the specific proportion of fat in the torso area is very large.

The test goes like this: you sit in a chair suspended from a scale, exhale, and you are immersed in a tank of water. For about 10 seconds, while the underwater weighing is going on, you naturally cannot breathe. The whole procedure is repeated several times. Based on the three maximum results, the average value is displayed. Based on it, the percentage of fat in body weight is calculated using several complex formulas.

This time-consuming and inconvenient method is used exclusively for research purposes. In addition, when weighing women, it is not particularly accurate due to the fact that formulas that work well for men give significant errors here. The reason is that there are large differences in the density of bone and muscle tissue between women - some have dense ones, while others have loose ones.

If you don't have a chance to use any of the described methods for determining body composition, you can do it differently without resorting to any abstruse methods. The first one is: you measure yourself using a regular tailor's meter at the waist and hips. The ratio between these two “risk zones” is an accurate indicator of your condition. If the ratio increases, then you are gaining fat; if it decreases, then you are losing. It is calculated as follows:

• Measure your waist just above your navel.
• Measure the circumference of your hips at the widest point (place your legs apart. Do not pull your stomach in, but, on the contrary, relax).
• Divide your waist circumference by your hips.

Ideally, the resulting number should not be more than 0.8. Otherwise, you need to seriously invest in training!

Another simple way is pinching the skin fold with your fingers. The method is again very simple: pinch a fold of skin (only skin!) on the back of your shoulder, just above the armpit, with your thumb and forefinger. Then, without spreading your fingers, release the fold of skin and fat. Measure the distance between your fingers with a ruler. If the distance between your fingers is more than 2.5 cm, you have excess fat under your skin, and you're heading to the gym!

Types of addition

However, there is no more accurate and honest method in the world than simply standing in front of a mirror. Yes, yes, undress and look in a large, full-length mirror. How would you describe your body? How feminine, with graceful arms, slender legs and dignified curves? Or like shapeless, swollen, in which there is clearly too much fat? Or maybe it seems athletic and strong to you even without playing sports? You have read descriptions of the three main body types, which are scientifically called: ectomorphic, endomorphic and mesomorphic.

In the 1940s, Dr. William G. Sheldon created his classification of people by body type, which later became widely accepted among scientists. After photographing and measuring 46,000 men and women, Sheldon first identified 88 types. A bit much, right? To simplify the system, Sheldon subsequently classified all types into three main groups: ectomorphs, endomorphs and mesomorphs.

Within each of these groups there are different "degrees of dominance". In human terms, none of us are purely any of the “morphs,” but rather a combination of all three types. But, as a rule, one of the main types “dominates” your figure, and that is why each person can be classified into one group or another.

Ectomorphy- this is, simply put, thinness. Ectomorphs have narrow bones, long arms and legs, and little fat and muscle. Their metabolism is very fast, so there are usually no problems with fat deposits. However, it is also more difficult for them to build muscle.

Endomorphy- the opposite of ectomorphy. A typical endomorph is an overweight person who has a relatively high percentage of fat compared to muscles. Such people gain weight quickly and easily. As a rule, their fat is deposited on the hips and buttocks.

Mesomorph- an athlete from birth. A strong person with wide bones and strong muscles is a typical mesomorph. Of course, this classification gives an idea of ​​only three “poles”. Most of us are of the mixed type, combining all three elements.