“He’s paying attention and making certain decisions-no fried foods, burger without the bun, no accidental break room pastries. Someone at 15 percent is having a cheat day. “He might have a cheat meal-splurging on wings instead of steamed asparagus when out with the guys-but not necessarily a cheat day,” McCall says. Meanwhile the 10 to 12 percent guy is in constant flux-some weeks he’s at nine percent, others he’s at 12 percent. He’s probably eliminating certain macronutrients, like being Paleo with no carbs, and is definitely paying very close attention to what he eats. “The seven percent guy is definitely following a very strict regimen,” he explains. The difference boils down to eating for performance and balanced enjoyment, and eating to look good, McCall says.
#Body fat percentages for athletes how to#
How to Achieve a Lower Body Fat Percentageĭespite what you may think, the biggest difference between seven and 20 percent isn’t your workout-it’s your diet.
Then, you can find out how to achieve each one. But, decide for yourself.Ĭheck out exactly what it looks like to have five to eight percent body fat, nine to 13 percent body fat, 14 to 17 percent body fat, and 18 to 20 percent body fat. “Consequently, the minimum healthy percent body fat a man can achieve is around three percent, typically seen in endurance athletes, but also bodybuilders on competition day.” If that sounds ridiculously unachievable, don’t freak out-all our experts agree somewhere in 10 to 15 percent is the most realistic for looking cut. You need a certain amount of essential fat-three percent-which is found in the vital organs and is essential for normal functioning in a guy, Jordan explains. The former will be lean, but a thicker mass of muscle, while the latter probably looks skinnier, explains personal trainer and strength coach Pete McCall, CSCS, instructor at Equinox in San Diego. But while the numbers are the same, 180 pounds of lean muscle looks significantly different on a guy who’s 5’8” than one who is 6’3”. If two guys are 200 pounds with 10 percent body fat, they both have 20 pounds of fat. “Look at your father and grandfather-that’ll give you an indication of your genetic body fat distribution pattern,” he adds. That means if you and your friend shed the same amount of body fat, he may secure two more ab outlines, while your biceps and triceps carve deeper (hey, there are worse lots in life!). And it’s mostly in the abs, since men generally tend to accumulate the most fat in their stomach.īut body fat distribution is also heavily influenced by genetics, explains Christopher Jordan, CSCS, Director of Exercise Physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute and creator of the 7 Minute Workout. As the numbers drop, that definition increases. Overall, 15 to 17 percent puts you in the fitness category, while 6 to 13 percent is athlete status, but what’s the real difference among the numbers? Guys below 20 percent typically have muscle definition of some sort. While body mass index (BMI) is a fine measurement for the average person, if you have a lot of muscle, body fat percentage is a better tool to assess your goals since most guys’ goal is to trim fat,” says ACSM Health Fitness Instructor, Jim White, R.D., owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach.Īccording to the American Council on Exercise, the average body fat for a guy is 18 to 24 percent. “Body fat percentage is what portion of your overall body composition is fat and what portion is lean mass.
But if body fat isn’t on that list, it’s time to add it. There are a lot of numbers to consider in your training targets: reps, sets, miles, heart rate, lbs.
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