Ideal Body Fat?

[Blinkgirl]

I've seen a few conflicting articles/charts on what the ideal body fat percentage is for women. Does anyone know what the "ideal" is? My gym says it's 23-24%, but I've seen a lot of things that say lower than that. Can anyone give me a hand with this? Thanks!

[akm3]

(male here)
I think most figure competitors are around 15% so I'd say 13-18% is probably ideal depending on the specific woman?

However THAT IS (my opinon) AN IDEAL: women can be very beautiful with bodyfats much higher then that. Much lower then 13%? I dunno that's pretty skinny.

Some curves are good

-Allen

[imperfectly_lou]

Actually a woman's BF doesn't really have much to do with how "skinny" or "curvy" she is.

A lot of stick-thin runway models have quite high BF (25% plus) because they don't work out and have very little muscle tone.

Pro-fitness and figure competitors generally compete from 8-14% and many of them are rather curvy. Think Monica Brant and Adela Friedmansky.

The ideal BF% for the average woman is 18-25%. Most women who work out are under 20% and those who follow a good clean diet and a strict training program are closer to 15%. Women should not go much lower than about 14-15% for an extended period of time because it can interfere with their menstrual cycle (which can lead to osteoporosis).

[akm3]

I defer to imperfectly_lou she should and DOES know a heck of a lot more then me about it

-Allen

[Blinkgirl]

I appreciate the help. Now I have a much better idea of what to strive for. Thanks again.

[BuffedWildCat]

Ah who cares about the number anyway. Here's what you should do, you continue to workout and alter your diet until you achieve the look YOU desire, who cares what the actual number is as long as you are happy with the way you look. Don't stick yourself to specific numbers, there's really no reason to.

[Alicat]

Originally posted by BuffedWildCat
Ah who cares about the number anyway. Here's what you should do, you continue to workout and alter your diet until you achieve the look YOU desire, who cares what the actual number is as long as you are happy with the way you look. Don't stick yourself to specific numbers, there's really no reason to.

Very well said

[Muscle_chick]

Originally posted by Blinkgirl
I've seen a few conflicting articles/charts on what the ideal body fat percentage is for women. Does anyone know what the "ideal" is? My gym says it's 23-24%, but I've seen a lot of things that say lower than that. Can anyone give me a hand with this? Thanks!

Well I'm a female 17 about 5'9 and weigh about 145lbs. and the doctor says I've got awesome muscles...like very strong around my shoulders and stuff like..stable I dunno but anyways I did this thing on the comp (i know its prolly not accurate but...) I put in all of my stats and it says the weight I am at now is ideal for my height and that i am 22% bodyfat!! If your gym is right then, you are looking at becoming something like me...lol I dont know if yout looking to get tonned or what but, I'd say I've still got about 5 or 10 pounds to loose...so I think that 23 - 24% is wrong! Unless of course you are just looking for a healthy weight and not being all tonned up if so then, I'd say it's pretty accurate...

[Hibiscus09]

Ideal is such a difficult word to live up to! LOL

[atmac428]

Everyone's idea of "ideal" is different. It really all depends on what your goals are. If you are planning to compete than obviously ideal will fall somewhere around 9-13%. However, if you're looking to just be lean with good muscle development than around 18% would probably make you happy. I realize that there is quite a bit of difference between these numbers, but as I stated ideal to one person may not be ideal to another. It all depends on ones specific goal. As of today, I am at 17% and am overall pretty pleased.

[ExclusiveStarr]

My ideal body fat is the moment that my abs start becoming visible. So whether that's at 15% or 20% makes no difference to me so long I achieve the look I'm after. Everybody has a different definition of "ideal".

[angimal]

My ideal body fat is the moment that my abs start becoming visible. So whether that's at 15% or 20% makes no difference to me so long I achieve the look I'm after. Everybody has a different definition of "ideal".

That's me too. It seems like abs=ideal. Honestly though, the other posts are correct (and I need to take heed myself). What do numbers mean in the long run? It's about we feel right?

[TheAmazon]

lol, my ideal body fat is when i'm thunder thigh free.

[TurbulentFluid]

I think she meant "ideal" as in "health wise" not "personal aestetics views wise"? Most literature I've been through puts women at 22%, and claims that lower bf% make women prone to ammenorhea.

From my personal experience I can't say much, I was regular when I was 18%, but lost my "time" at 22% due to thyroid issues and it's still on the road...

[swindled]

I think she meant "ideal" as in "health wise" not "personal aestetics views wise"? Most literature I've been through puts women at 22%, and claims that lower bf% make women prone to ammenorhea.

From my personal experience I can't say much, I was regular when I was 18%, but lost my "time" at 22% due to thyroid issues and it's still on the road...

A lot of literature is based on an average, when I was at 18% bodyfat I was regular...when my thyroid started to suck, and my insulin resistance got worse I gained weight and my period became extremely off, and I ended up with ammenorhea. I'm only now getting back to having a normal period at around 25% bf.

To OP: Your ideal bodyfat will come as a result of the goals you choose. My personal goal is defined legs and abs, so its less about the bodyfat and more about how I look and feel. Plus, most methods of bodyfat measurements are not entirely correct, so you can never really be sure.

[angimal]

KyleAaron had posted a chart in a thread of mine awhile back. I can't seem to figure out how to get it pasted here but the "ideal" category for a 30 year old woman is 21-25%.
Lean is 13-20%, Average is 25-31% and Overfat is 31-36%.
Hope this helps