What is the Fat % range for Figure Competitors?

[misstransformer]

I would be happy with 20-24% fat on a daily basis, but on average, what fat percentage is required for figure competitors? Is it less than 15%?

[twinnett]

It all depends on what you look like...some people can get away w/ 12% and look great, while others tend to get to 8 or 10%

[misstransformer]

It all depends on what you look like...some people can get away w/ 12% and look great, while others tend to get to 8 or 10%

Wow! It's lower than I expected. For reason, I thought the mid teens would be acceptable as well. Hmmm. I'm glad I asked. Thanks

[Beefcake Girl]

I personally have never measured my body fat. It is all about how you look. Some girls look best a little leaner, while other look better coming softer and fuller. Check out pics from the top shows and you will see the examples....but judge by what the mirror says, not the body fat calipers (or the scale for that matter!)

[sixzebra]

I have the misfortune of having to get down pretty low (-10%) because my legs come in last. It kinda sucks, but what are you gonna do? stupid legs

[misstransformer]

I personally have never measured my body fat. It is all about how you look. Some girls look best a little leaner, while other look better coming softer and fuller. Check out pics from the top shows and you will see the examples....but judge by what the mirror says, not the body fat calipers (or the scale for that matter!)

Softer and fuller, is what I'd love to obtain. Hopefully, that will work with my body type. It's too soon for me to determine right now, but we'll see.

[misstransformer]

I have the misfortune of having to get down pretty low (-10%) because my legs come in last. It kinda sucks, but what are you gonna do? stupid legs

Man, my legs are pretty hefty, so I wonder if this will apply to me. However, I'm over 40% fat right now, so it's really impossible to tell what my true body build may be. My chest and hips have always been 10 inches larger than my waist, so I assumed that meant I was hourglass build. However, I've read that if a woman carries lots of breast fat(which I do), she could actually be pear shaped.

[calendar]

I carry a lot of breast and am not pear shaped at all, my hips are narrow and my shoulders are broad.

When my body fat gets really low, I lose both breast and booty curves and look more like a 12yo boy than a woman from a distance.

[misstransformer]

I carry a lot of breast and am not pear shaped at all, my hips are narrow and my shoulders are broad.

When my body fat gets really low, I lose both breast and booty curves and look more like a 12yo boy than a woman from a distance.

Amazing how different the body looks with excess fat. My breast have never been smaller than a 36C, so I'm anxious to see what happens when I drop below 25% fat. These double D's are getting on my nerve.

[Sunshineslynn]

Yes it does look completely different with higher bf% but really depends on the person too. I know that when I am above 20% that I have full size 36Ds but when I drop below 17% I just dont have the volume I had most of my bras are empty. Funny thing is I have countless bras in different sizes since I bulk and then cut every year. Now for my mother she had a breast reduction and she has low bf% and still had DD due to her breast were not fatty tissue but fibrous tissue which those will dont reduce when bf% does they stay mainly the same.

I have to agree with everyone else though every one looks different at BF%. I gauge how I look in the mirror or pictures more than what the number is.

[misstransformer]

Yes it does look completely different with higher bf% but really depends on the person too. I know that when I am above 20% that I have full size 36Ds but when I drop below 17% I just dont have the volume I had most of my bras are empty. Funny thing is I have countless bras in different sizes since I bulk and then cut every year. Now for my mother she had a breast reduction and she has low bf% and still had DD due to her breast were not fatty tissue but fibrous tissue which those will dont reduce when bf% does they stay mainly the same.

I have to agree with everyone else though every one looks different at BF%. I gauge how I look in the mirror or pictures more than what the number is.

Girl, I'm hoping most of mine are fatty tissue. I'm one of those rare women, who has never really wanted a large cup size. A little more than a handful would be just fine with me. lol My mother has large breasts, so full cups are most likely genetic, but you never know. At 36C my breasts were pretty perky, but I've carried these DDs around for quite a few years, so I'm sure they'll be flabby after I've lost the fat. I just hope it's not so bad. As long as they look ok in tops and a competition suit, I'm good to go.

This is off-topic, but how would someone determine an endo body type, from a meso-endo bodytype?

[empresscat]

This is off-topic, but how would someone determine an endo body type, from a meso-endo bodytype?

I don't have an easy way - but I know that I'm meso-endo, based on the fact that, even at over 40% body fat, my legs look very muscular, and you can see the outlines of my delts and tris. I work out a little, and see a difference pretty quickly in my muscularity, and I also gain strength rapidly.

I also don't look my weight.

This is not a recent pic, but it is at about the same weight as I am now (around 230/just over 40% bf):
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/...&ppuser=354797




Here's me at about 212 lbs:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/...&ppuser=354797

I also have a large frame - my wrists are about 7 1/8 inches.

[pga617]

Amazing how different the body looks with excess fat. My breast have never been smaller than a 36C, so I'm anxious to see what happens when I drop below 25% fat. These double D's are getting on my nerve.

The whole boob thing is a tough one, right now I'm a 32DD at 135, and even at 110 I was a 32D, definitely not much fatty tissue there. I too wish they would've gotten a little smaller w/the weight loss. While I'm sure there are plenty of women out there who wish they had this problem, my whole thought is, you can always wear a push-up bra or padding, but there isn't much you can do to make them smaller or fit in clothes better short of surgery.

[misstransformer]

The whole boob thing is a tough one, right now I'm a 32DD at 135, and even at 110 I was a 32D, definitely not much fatty tissue there. I too wish they would've gotten a little smaller w/the weight loss. While I'm sure there are plenty of women out there who wish they had this problem, my whole thought is, you can always wear a push-up bra or padding, but there isn't much you can do to make them smaller or fit in clothes better short of surgery.

lol, I'm with you on that one Ami. If I can buy the illusion of a bigger cup, there ya go.

[misstransformer]

I don't have an easy way - but I know that I'm meso-endo, based on the fact that, even at over 40% body fat, my legs look very muscular, and you can see the outlines of my delts and tris. I work out a little, and see a difference pretty quickly in my muscularity, and I also gain strength rapidly.

I also don't look my weight.

This is not a recent pic, but it is at about the same weight as I am now (around 230/just over 40% bf):
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/...&ppuser=354797




Here's me at about 212 lbs:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/...&ppuser=354797

I also have a large frame - my wrists are about 7 1/8 inches.

I'm not an expert, but if I had to guess, you do seem to be meso-endo. I'm shorter, and a bit heavier, but my wrists are between 6 - 6 1/2, and my legs seem much chubbier. I also seem to gain strength very quickly which is why I suspected meso, but I can't see my muscles as clearly as yours. I don't know if it's because I'm shorter, or maybe I am endo, and you're a combination. The last caliper testing I had, put me between 130-135 lb lean muscle(two different testers). So who knows.

[Sunshineslynn]

I'm not an expert, but if I had to guess, you do seem to be meso-endo. I'm shorter, and a bit heavier, but my wrists are between 6 - 6 1/2, and my legs seem much chubbier. I also seem to gain strength very quickly which is why I suspected meso, but I can't see my muscles as clearly as yours. I don't know if it's because I'm shorter, or maybe I am endo, and you're a combination. The last caliper testing I had, put me between 130-135 lb lean muscle(two different testers). So who knows.

I measure my elbow bent that is how I determined what frame I am. So many have thought I was small but in actuality I am large frame since I carry my weight so well and if I do gain fat its an all over process. You may want to check out bb.com's test to see how you come out. It asks a series of questions and then tells your bodytype. If you are a meso we tend to be able to work out more than others with out the overtraining taking place. And gain muscle rather well along with carrying it well.

[misstransformer]

I measure my elbow bent that is how I determined what frame I am. So many have thought I was small but in actuality I am large frame since I carry my weight so well and if I do gain fat its an all over process. You may want to check out bb.com's test to see how you come out. It asks a series of questions and then tells your bodytype. If you are a meso we tend to be able to work out more than others with out the overtraining taking place. And gain muscle rather well along with carrying it well.

Hey Sunshine, I searched the site for body frame and elbow measurements, but couldn't find the test you mentioned. How would I locate it? I did come across a new type of body type article for others who are interested. This is the first time I've heard of letter and number body types.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ms-fit9.htm

[Sunshineslynn]

Hey Sunshine, I searched the site for body frame and elbow measurements, but couldn't find the test you mentioned. How would I locate it? I did come across a new type of body type article for others who are interested. This is the first time I've heard of letter and number body types.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ms-fit9.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm

[misstransformer]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm

Well, I scored 1.5 and the results say: "Your body is between an EndoMorph and a Mesomorph. Choose a middle approach..."

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/beck...=1&Q11=2&Q12=1

Thanks Sunshine.

[Sunshineslynn]

Well, I scored 1.5 and the results say: "Your body is between an EndoMorph and a Mesomorph. Choose a middle approach..."

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/beck...=1&Q11=2&Q12=1

Thanks Sunshine.

Oh I scored 2 ,full fledge meso here.... but I knew that before I took the test. Always had an hourglass figure just more musclar now though....

[misstransformer]

Oh I scored 2 ,full fledge meso here.... but I knew that before I took the test. Always had an hourglass figure just more musclar now though....

Build that muscle girl. lol Since endo is in the genese, I'm hoping it can be used to my advantage. Maybe it will allow me to appear muscular, while maintaining a softer-curvy look. One thing is certain, there is a best body for everyone.

[bettyrider]

Thats funny everybody wants small tata's - I WISH so badly I had an hourglass shape but rather I am straight up and down with no boobs or butt and all my fat sits in the middle. I basically have to bust my butt to get the illusion of curves from my mucles.

BTW - I definetly do purchase my boobs - I am a small A cup but I buy padded bras out the wazoo!

I used to buy those 10lb waterbras, but then when my boyfriend would rip them off and throw them over his shoulder it would break a lamp or knock over my hamster cage LOL!

[misstransformer]

Thats funny everybody wants small tata's - I WISH so badly I had an hourglass shape but rather I am straight up and down with no boobs or butt and all my fat sits in the middle. I basically have to bust my butt to get the illusion of curves from my mucles.

BTW - I definetly do purchase my boobs - I am a small A cup but I buy padded bras out the wazoo!

I used to buy those 10lb waterbras, but then when my boyfriend would rip them off and throw them over his shoulder it would break a lamp or knock over my hamster cage LOL!

lol @ throwing waterbras over the shoulder.

[abcreations]

Oh I scored 2 ,full fledge meso here.... but I knew that before I took the test. Always had an hourglass figure just more musclar now though....

I just took the test and score 2 also. Meso.

[dvsness]

How low in bf you go also depends on the organization you compete in since they all tend to have slightly different standards.

So far as the breast issue, mine are the first to go! If I could lose lose my thigh, tri and glute fat as quickly as I lose my chest, I'd only have to cut for 4-6 weeks to compete.

[solstice]

When I get to that point, I'm going to buy my boobs. Not a bra- I'm going for the surgical enhancement Right now I'm a D cup- I like my bigger boobs LOL!

[Geno]

15-18 is considered normal range for female figure while 10-15 is normal for female bb

Male bb have to hit the single digits.

[dvsness]

15-18 is considered normal range for female figure while 10-15 is normal for female bb

Male bb have to hit the single digits.

Certainly not in the NPC. FBB are in the single digits, figure high single to maybe 12% at the absolute top if you carry it well.

[misstransformer]

Thanks everyone for these replies.

[sixzebra]

Certainly not in the NPC. FBB are in the single digits, figure high single to maybe 12% at the absolute top if you carry it well.

x2. Even in natural shows, a lot of those girls are single digits.