Health Bodyfat%, is there?

[Frnkd]

I searched and could not find a thread related to this question.
As I read through this forum there seem to be a significant amount of reference to body fat % in terms of weight loss and muscle building.
I know for competitors getting to the lowest BF% is a goal, the less fat you have the more the muscle is exposed.

But for the non-competitive BBer when does focusing on bf% becomes unhealthy? What is a good bf% where the body is running efficiently on all cylinders because there is a balance of fat, carbs, proteins, amino acids or whatever organic chemicals that is present in a healthy body?

I imagine like everything else, excess of anything can lead to unintentional consequences, in this case trying to maintain a low level of bf% not just for competition but for life must lead to the body responding negatively to it.

Take for example people with eating disorders, the lack of proper food and nutrition can effect brain functioning, as well as other organ functions. The same must hold true to having too low of a bf% for an extended time.

Even read how competitors who under go Ketosis had to be aware of the effects of that process.

my goal is to reach at least 12%. Currently at 19%. My fear is, is this realistic will I be fighting genetics and biology constantly at my age (56) to maintain it?

[mrmrbill]

... non-competitive BBer ... my goal is to reach at least 12%. Currently at 19%. My fear is, is this realistic will I be fighting genetics and biology constantly at my age (56) to maintain it?

You'll just have to try some different "looks" and see what you like in the mirror. You have much more flexibility given the non-competitive qualifier. 12% is a reasonable goal and not difficult to maintain. It gets unhealthy when people start chasing numbers out of perpetual dissatisfaction, i.e. chasing 7, then chasing 5, then chasing 3. I've been as low as 5, but the maintenance sucked for my lifestyle (I've also been as high as ~30% which sucked for different reasons!) Purely on physiology reasons, I think sub-5 for extended periods is where negative health impacts become apparent. Some people manage a year-round 7% but they've also had to make some greater lifestyle adjustments for maintenance, that I don't care to do.

[JOHN GARGANI]

re-read MR's reply, as it is excellent....

for you, at your age, and if you are training hard, you will look very good at 12 percent.....

[Frnkd]

You'll just have to try some different "looks" and see what you like in the mirror. You have much more flexibility given the non-competitive qualifier. 12% is a reasonable goal and not difficult to maintain. It gets unhealthy when people start chasing numbers out of perpetual dissatisfaction, i.e. chasing 7, then chasing 5, then chasing 3. I've been as low as 5, but the maintenance sucked for my lifestyle (I've also been as high as ~30% which sucked for different reasons!) Purely on physiology reasons, I think sub-5 for extended periods is where negative health impacts become apparent. Some people manage a year-round 7% but they've also had to make some greater lifestyle adjustments for maintenance, that I don't care to do.

re-read MR's reply, as it is excellent....

for you, at your age, and if you are training hard, you will look very good at 12 percent.....

Thank you for your replies. Appreciate the information and encouragement.

[OZBB]

OP, you've raised a question on a subject that is very close to my current situation. I've trained consistently for the last 7 years and my body fat always hovered around 19-20% most of that time. 3 Months ago I decided it was time to change it up and see if I can achieve a ripped physique for my 50th Birthday in February 2012..... I had a scan on the 1st September that showed I was 19.8% Fat..... I had another just this past Friday that showed me at 11.1%... I've still got 6 weeks to go until my goal...at which time I'm hoping to be 8%... and then getting a professional photo shoot to document my achievment.

So, being in the middle of the process, I can tell you its a lot of hard work.... the diet is killing me and the training is intense.... but I've got to admit, I'm liking the results.... there is no way I'll allow myself to return to 19-20% again..... so I will get to 8%... I'm certain of that, but will I stay there? I dont think so.... for me a healthy range, where I feel good and know I still look good sits around the 11-12% mark...... I know as I approach 8%, the diet will be pretty restrictive and unsustainable.... especially for someone like me who likes to eat, I'll be ripped but I think my general health and overall enjoyment of life may begin to suffer...

but OP, give it a go and see if you can drop your BF% ... one thing to remember about BF% .... its a calculation based on the ratio of fat to muscle. The more muscle you have, the less your BF% becomes.... even if the fat weight remains the same.. so it can be a bit deceiving..... but believe me @ 12% you feel and look a lot better than at 19%..... nothing is more satisfying that finally seeing a six pack..... it was there all along, I was beginning to doubt it.

OZBB

[Frnkd]

You'll just have to try some different "looks" and see what you like in the mirror. You have much more flexibility given the non-competitive qualifier. 12% is a reasonable goal and not difficult to maintain. It gets unhealthy when people start chasing numbers out of perpetual dissatisfaction, i.e. chasing 7, then chasing 5, then chasing 3. I've been as low as 5, but the maintenance sucked for my lifestyle (I've also been as high as ~30% which sucked for different reasons!) Purely on physiology reasons, I think sub-5 for extended periods is where negative health impacts become apparent. Some people manage a year-round 7% but they've also had to make some greater lifestyle adjustments for maintenance, that I don't care to do.

OP, you've raised a question on a subject that is very close to my current situation. I've trained consistently for the last 7 years and my body fat always hovered around 19-20% most of that time. 3 Months ago I decided it was time to change it up and see if I can achieve a ripped physique for my 50th Birthday in February 2012..... I had a scan on the 1st September that showed I was 19.8% Fat..... I had another just this past Friday that showed me at 11.1%... I've still got 6 weeks to go until my goal...at which time I'm hoping to be 8%... and then getting a professional photo shoot to document my achievment.

So, being in the middle of the process, I can tell you its a lot of hard work.... the diet is killing me and the training is intense.... but I've got to admit, I'm liking the results.... there is no way I'll allow myself to return to 19-20% again..... so I will get to 8%... I'm certain of that, but will I stay there? I dont think so.... for me a healthy range, where I feel good and know I still look good sits around the 11-12% mark...... I know as I approach 8%, the diet will be pretty restrictive and unsustainable.... especially for someone like me who likes to eat, I'll be ripped but I think my general health and overall enjoyment of life may begin to suffer...

but OP, give it a go and see if you can drop your BF% ... one thing to remember about BF% .... its a calculation based on the ratio of fat to muscle. The more muscle you have, the less your BF% becomes.... even if the fat weight remains the same.. so it can be a bit deceiving..... but believe me @ 12% you feel and look a lot better than at 19%..... nothing is more satisfying that finally seeing a six pack..... it was there all along, I was beginning to doubt it.

OZBB

Thank you, this is so encouraging. In a way it makes it all more exciting to go for it! Definetly am looking forward to the results this coming year.

[JOHN GARGANI]

GLEN: what bodyfat percentage are you at in this avatar picture??

[OZBB]

GLEN: what bodyfat percentage are you at in this avatar picture??

Hi John, officially I'm 11.1% in this pic although I'm suspecting I'm actually closer to 10%.... I was a bit carb depleted that day which scewed my LBM reading...... It was taken last Saturday.

OZBB (Glenn)

[beancntr]

Damn Glenn, great job. repped.

[TenThreeFive]

These are solid answers and sound advice from guys who have walked the walk. Thank you.

[67fastback]

Hi John, officially I'm 11.1% in this pic although I'm suspecting I'm actually closer to 10%.... I was a bit carb depleted that day which scewed my LBM reading...... It was taken last Saturday.

OZBB (Glenn)

+1 Nicely done

As far as the OP on BF%, If you are talking general health and well being, I think it depends on the individual body type and gender. 10-18%.
The qualifier is; as we age, it's notable that a lot of elderly people can get too low a BF% to sustain themselves well in the event of illness. That could be as much to do with aging body systems, as much as food intake. (not an expert on this subject)

[Frnkd]

just to update...I hit my 12 % goal last week.

[llahhsoj]

I searched and could not find a thread related to this question.
As I read through this forum there seem to be a significant amount of reference to body fat % in terms of weight loss and muscle building.
I know for competitors getting to the lowest BF% is a goal, the less fat you have the more the muscle is exposed.

But for the non-competitive BBer when does focusing on bf% becomes unhealthy? What is a good bf% where the body is running efficiently on all cylinders because there is a balance of fat, carbs, proteins, amino acids or whatever organic chemicals that is present in a healthy body?

I imagine like everything else, excess of anything can lead to unintentional consequences, in this case trying to maintain a low level of bf% not just for competition but for life must lead to the body responding negatively to it.

Take for example people with eating disorders, the lack of proper food and nutrition can effect brain functioning, as well as other organ functions. The same must hold true to having too low of a bf% for an extended time.

Even read how competitors who under go Ketosis had to be aware of the effects of that process.

my goal is to reach at least 12%. Currently at 19%. My fear is, is this realistic will I be fighting genetics and biology constantly at my age (56) to maintain it?

This is a hard question. For your age, I would say that you are below the typical average person. That is good. If you tried to drop down close to 10%, I'd imagine it would start to affect you mentally. If you could get between 12-14%, you would be doing Super. Cutting is awful no matter what, best of luck to you!

[llahhsoj]

just to update...I hit my 12 % goal last week.

Ohh, I didn't realize that this was an older thread. Congrats!