Normal body fat content. Body fat percentage is an important criterion for health and beauty

Today's topic of the article will be dedicated to girls who are not completely happy with their figure and would like to change it a little or more thoroughly. When we talk about excess weight, we mean those extra fat deposits that prevent us from feeling comfortable and liking ourselves in the mirror. Those ugly extra pounds are defined by nothing more than percentage of body fat. Today we will find out what should be the norm of fat in the female body, and also determine what percentage of body fat is in a woman is the lower threshold, after which problems with health and reproductive function begin. In general, in this article we will analyze in detail and bit by bit how the female body and its nature reacts to changes in the percentage of fat and a decrease in the fat layer on its body. I think it will be interesting for every girl to know what normal body fat which is acceptable and which is dangerous...

Minimum percentage of fat in the female body

In fact, there is no one value that would accurately state that “this” indicator or “this” is the ideal percentage of fat in the female body (and in the male too). Fat norm for each person is determined individually and is based on many factors - gender, age, activity level, lifestyle, genetics, dietary habits and others. But despite this, scientists were able to determine minimum range of female body fat percentage, below which women should not go, due to the appearance of significant disturbances in the vital functions of the body. This percentage varies from 13 to 16 depending on age differences (Table 1).

Table 1 Minimum acceptable fat content depending on the woman’s age

As we can see, the lower threshold of a woman’s normal body fat percentage increases the older she gets. This is due to a decrease in her motor activity and metabolism in general.

Normal percentage fat in the female body

Now let's move on to looking at the average normal body fat percentage for women. As we already know, there are no two completely identical organisms, therefore this indicator will not be one specific number, but a range of several values, which will characterize the acceptable percentage of fat for the female body. In Table 2 you can see what these values ​​are for different age groups of women.

Table 2 Normal percentage of fat in the female body

But it is worth noting that even within these values ​​there may be disruptions and irregularities in the menstrual cycle in women.

For example, if for a twenty-year-old young girl the normal fat percentage is 19%, (this is what happened “historically”), and when she lost weight, then the fat percentage dropped to 17%, but still remained within her normal range and fits into the range “safe” minimum fat percentage, then the girl may still develop disturbances in the functioning of the ovaries at a more serious level. And all because normal body fat indicated in tables 1 and 2 or prescribed in physiology textbooks is still more conditional meaning, which only approximately determine this normal percentage . But in fact, the body itself decides what is the ACCEPTABLE percentage of fat for it, what is MINIMUM, and what is EXCESSIVE. And we, unfortunately, do not participate in this distribution.

How to measure your body fat percentage?

There are several ways to measure your body fat percentage. The infographic below shows the most popular (picture clickable).

But keep in mind that the resulting figure will only be approximate, since this method is not the most accurate of all those presented above.

Low or negative body fat percentage energy balance?

There are studies that show that low fat percentage does not in any way affect the absence of menstruation and the appearance of amenorrhea in girls. It's all about negative energy balance, not fat percentage per se. When a girl starts to lose weight and lose her kilograms, she does it by calorie deficit, that is, it spends more energy than it receives from food, thereby creating negative energy balance.

So, it is this factor that is key in stopping menstruation and disrupting a girl’s reproductive function, and not the low percentage of fat itself.

If you believe these studies, it turns out that, in principle, a girl can have 6 packs on her stomach and not have problems with her cycle. Is it really?

If we think logically, then to get the desired muscle definition, just NEED TO REDUCE its fat component, that is REDUCE body fat percentage to its minimum (13-14%). And this in turn can ONLY be done through a calorie deficit, which is created by reducing the amount of calories consumed from food and increasing energy expenditure during training.

And here the question arises: are there girls who perform in the “” or “Body Fitness” nominations and at the same time their cycle does not disappear? How is this possible? After all, most of them bring their body fat percentage below the minimum acceptable norm of 13%.

I allow this option:

 those girls who were able to maintain their menstrual cycle during drying and a strict diet (and there are not so many such girls), they still managed to maintain their energy balance at the proper level, without creating a large calorie deficit due to sports supplements food and .

After all, in order to prepare and compete in bodybuilding and bikini fitness competitions, you definitely need additional help in the form of special help, otherwise there is no other way. Training and strict nutrition deplete the body’s energy reserves so much that sometimes girls not only lose their cycle, they simply faint right on stage. This all shows how illiterate and incorrectly the coach or the girl herself approaches the issue of preparation and preparation for competitions. It is clear that the diet of performing athletes contains the minimum possible amount of carbohydrates (the main source of energy), but, perhaps, some also do not receive the normal amount of proteins and fats from food. We cannot know this for sure, but it is true that sports nutrition supplements can partly reduce the energy balance created in the body of athletes.

Where am I leading with all this? And besides, if you want to have a low percentage of body fat (less than 15%) in order to see your six-pack on your stomach, you need to take this issue VERY seriously! Firstly, you need to find out your minimum percentage of fat with which your body continues to function normally, and secondly, do not forget about additional nutrition for athletes.

remember, that norm of fat in the female body is still directly related to the negative energy balance created. The higher it is, the faster you lose weight and reduce your fat percentage. And if at this time you do not help your body and do not support it in the form of additional sports nutrition and vitamins, then you risk losing your cycle, and subsequently getting even more problems with your health:

And there is one more important point that I would like to mention. After the girl fully realizes that her weight loss is not at all the result she dreamed of, and she decides to increase her fat percentage to her “historical” norm, then this girl will inevitably face the realities of her weight loss. Unfortunately, not all the consequences of this weight loss will go away as completely as they appeared. Yes, she will most likely be able to return her menstrual cycle to normal in a couple of weeks, but, for example, the loss of some minerals that are responsible for bone strength may be an irreversible process for her. The consequences of amenorrhea never go completely without a trace, this is a scientifically proven fact. So, remember this if you suddenly want to lose weight and reduce your normal fat percentage to a minimum.

Fat percentage from low to high

Well, let's summarize all of the above.

So, minimum percentage of fat in the female body should be 13-16% depending on the woman’s age. Below this threshold, women begin to experience serious health problems, remember this.

Normal percentage of body fat in a woman ranges from 16 to 25%. Falling into this range, a woman looks and feels good, all her organ systems and, most importantly, her reproductive function are in perfect order.

We didn’t discuss the diagnosis of obesity here, but I will say that more than 32% body fat indicates that a woman is already included in the “overweight” category.

I hope this article was useful to you and you learned a lot of useful and necessary information for you.

And I wish you to be healthy and not focus on six-pack abs, because health is a thousand times more important than some six-pack. We have only one, and it can be easily and irretrievably lost! And we have six cubes, they are with us forever and you can always buy them if you wish =))

Sincerely yours, Janelia Skripnik!

Ruslan Dudnik

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Just 2-3 years ago, we didn’t really bother about the percentage of body fat, but today everyone who is interested in the topic of fitness, training, healthy eating knows what it is!

15%

I think this is the optimal level of fat in a man's body.

It takes effort, of course, to achieve it, but living while maintaining 15% body fat is good both from the point of view of health and from the point of view of the restrictions that are introduced into life - both in nutrition and in training.

Personally, I really like this option and, perhaps, I will have to go down to it (from my 20, and sometimes even 25%, what can I hide :)), since age requires prevention :)

20%

Muscles no longer stand out so clearly, even if you have sufficient muscle mass.

A little fat on the belly, but the shape is still visible.

By the way, most guys in the US, and specifically in New York, are in the 20-25% body fat range.

25%

The muscles are almost invisible, but the “rolls” on the waist are visible.

The waist-to-hip ratio is already beginning to cause concern not only for appearance, but also for health, because a percentage of body fat of more than 25% is already considered obese. A waist of more than 100 cm is a sign of abdominal obesity.

30%

Fat, in addition to the waist, extends to the back, thighs and even calves.

The stomach hangs down, the waist circumference is larger than the hip circumference, and it is impossible to see the muscles.

35%

Characteristics of this percentage of body fat are “beer belly” and “mirror disease.”

No comments.

40%

Dangerous level - great health risks and great difficulties in everyday life.

Not only is walking and bending hard, but life is hard. Load on the heart, joints... You need help!

Sincerely, Ruslan Dudnik!

Nature created man as an example of the ideal distribution of all functions and capabilities of the body. But reducing the amount of physical labor, eating unnatural food, and a sedentary lifestyle destroy this harmonious mechanism. An example of this is an increase in body fat. A layer of fat that is too thin can cause no less harm. You will learn further about what the normal percentage of fat is and how to stabilize it in case of deviations.

Minimum body fat percentage

The amount of fat in a person's body is important because fat performs a number of important functions. This:

• protection of body organs;
• maintaining normal temperature;
• preservation of nutrients;
• softening joints;
• accumulation of energy.

To maintain good health and lead a full life, a woman’s body should have at least 13-15% fat, and a man’s body should have at least 5-9%. There are no clear boundaries or requirements for the amount of fat, but below this threshold, processes of dysfunction of organs and tissues can begin in the body.

If a woman's weight is in this range, then she feels and looks good, and her reproductive organs are functioning normally.

Fat in the female body contributes to the synthesis of female hormones, the normal functioning of the reproductive organs, the correct menstrual cycle, and the bearing and birth of children.

The amount of fat can increase with age for various reasons. But the main reason is a decrease in physical activity.

There is no exact figure for the normal amount of body fat. There is a range within which each individual person has their own value. It all depends on the characteristics of the body. One person can have a higher body fat percentage than another of the same age and gender, but still feel more energetic and healthier.

It is important to ensure that this amount does not exceed the upper limit of normal.

When losing weight within these limits, some women experience cycle disturbances. This means that the weight has fallen below the individual norm for this woman.

Age standards:

It is important to ensure that the amount of fat does not fall below normal. Severe weight loss harms not only women, but also men.

With a normal physique, fat in the female body is located in the hips, waist, sides, and chest. If fat accumulates in the shoulders, arms, knee area and legs, then this indicates metabolic disorders, hormonal system failures, and a tendency to edema. Therefore, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

In men, fat levels are also important. The functioning of many systems of the male body, including reproductive and digestive, depends on this. Men have other responsibilities and functions: hard worker, breadwinner, protector. They have a more active life and a faster lipid metabolism. Therefore, it is much easier for them to lose weight.

Fat in men is normally distributed evenly throughout the body. Its accumulation in the abdominal area indicates disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. Fat in the sides, chest, and thighs indicates metabolic disorders, increased levels of female hormones and an unhealthy diet.

Why is visceral fat dangerous?

Two types of fat accumulate in the body:

• subcutaneous (visible);
• visceral (internal).

Subcutaneous fat is located close to the surface of the body. It can be seen and felt.

All organs and cavities in the body are covered with a special film, the functions of which are varied. Visceral fat grows inside this membrane, covering all organs. It is impossible to see him. Its presence can be determined by the violation of body proportions.

First of all, the person’s stomach begins to protrude forward. Other parts of the body may not change.
The causes of visceral fat inside the body can be:

• unhealthy diet;
• lack of movement and physical activity;
• bad habits.

Visceral fat is not an age-related feature of the body. In recent decades, young people and even children have all the signs of excess internal fat. And this leads to big health problems.

The complete absence of visceral fat is also dangerous for the body, because it protects the internal organs from external influences and injury. But it should not be more than 15% of the total amount of fat in the body.

A sure sign that the amount of visceral fat is increasing and it’s time to take action is an increase in the size of the abdomen. This type of fat causes serious problems:

• varicose veins of the lower extremities;
• changes in hormonal balance and metabolism;
• heart failure, heart attacks;
• diabetes mellitus type 2.

Fat in the liver is processed and converted into cholesterol, which goes into the blood vessels and is deposited on their walls. A person develops atherosclerosis.

Exceeding the norm for visceral fat can be determined by measuring your waist circumference. If women’s waist circumference is more than 80 cm, and men’s is 90-95 cm, then it’s time to sound the alarm.

How to measure body fat percentage

In clinics and health centers, you can measure the amount of fat using special devices and techniques. There are several methods at home:

• Visual. Having undressed to your underwear, you need to examine your body in the mirror. Usually everyone who is overweight is well aware of this. Therefore, this method will help if a person decides to improve his body. In the mirror you can identify areas and areas that need to be worked on.
• Cloth. By trying on clothes, you can see whether a person has lost weight or gained weight.

These methods will not help determine your body fat percentage. If you need accurate numbers, you should purchase a small device called a caliper. It is sold in pharmacies and is very cheap.

Using a caliper, the thickness of body folds is measured in different areas. How to take measurements? An assistant is needed because one cannot cope with this alone.

The operating principle of a caliper is the same as that of a caliper. Therefore, you can take measurements using one of these tools and a measuring tape.

There are usually no difficulties with these devices. It is necessary to determine at which points measurements should be taken.

• Triceps. The back of the arm between the elbow and shoulder. Vertical fold in the center.
• Biceps. Exactly the same fold as in the previous case, but in the front of the hand.
• Shoulder blade area. Grab the fold just below one shoulder blade from the spine down to the side of the body at an angle of 45 degrees.
• The area below the waist is just above the protrusion of the pelvic bone at a slight angle.

The data must be recorded in millimeters on the caliper scale. Add all 4 values ​​and find the fat percentage from the table.

How to reduce body fat percentage?

If you want to lose weight, you need to reduce not weight, but the amount of fat. Do not starve and reduce the amount of food consumed. In this case, the body will eat muscle and leave fat in reserve.
Strict diets and hunger strikes traumatize the psyche. And they end in breakdown, overeating and decreased self-esteem.
Therefore, it is necessary not to reduce the quantity of food, but to change its quality. At the same time, a metabolic shake-up occurs: the body learns to burn more calories. While keeping the number of calories at the same level, you need to gradually replace “bad” calories with healthy ones.

The average person's diet usually suffers from a lack of proteins, and an excess of fats and carbohydrates. What should I do?

• Increase the amount of protein in your diet, because they are the main material for muscles.
• Reduce the amount of “bad” carbohydrates: baked goods, sweets, sugar. Instead of them - cereals and pasta.
• Avoid sausages and processed foods high in chemical additives and trans fats. Instead - poultry, beef, fish.
• Dress salads only with vegetable oil.
• Avoid fried foods.
• Divide the entire diet into 5 meals. This promotes better absorption of food and acceleration of metabolism.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Replenish the deficiency of sweets with dried fruits.

After two weeks of such nutrition, the first results should appear. If there are no results, or they are not what you would like, then you need to again reduce the amount of fats and carbohydrates without touching the proteins. Replace fatty foods with low-fat ones. Eat only egg whites, replace red meat with white. And gradually reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed: gradually 10-15 g per day.

Physical exercise

You can join a gym and do strength exercises under the guidance of a trainer.

Do your own cardio workouts. This means any physical activity to strengthen the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

You can train independently both in nature and at home. The treadmill and exercise bike are very popular. Or just various exercises recorded on discs.

You need to buy a heart rate monitor and monitor your heart rate during training. There is a maximum heart rate. For men it is 220 minus age, for women it is 214 minus age.

During training, you need to make sure that your heart rate is not higher than this number, otherwise problems with your heart will begin.

There are several very effective exercises:

Pylometric push-ups

1. Take a lying position, as with regular push-ups.
2. Lower your body to the floor, then sharply raise it.
3. At the same time, the hands come off the floor and clap.
4. You need to have time to land on the palms of your hands.

Saw

1. The starting position is the same.
2. The weight is transferred to the elbows.
3. Straightening your lower back, crawl back, pushing only with your hands.

Plank

1. Lying down, lean on your forearms.
2. Maintain this position for 20-60 seconds.

Burpee

1. Sit down with your hands on the floor.
2. Quickly move into a prone position and return to the starting position.

Walking on your hands

1. Get on all fours.
2. Crawl forward using your toes.
3. Then - back.
4. The body does not bend.

Walking on the stairs helps a lot. It can be supplemented with simultaneous exercises for the arms with dumbbells.

Walking

The most acceptable way to lose weight is walking. It does not require any special conditions or long training. You can start with short walks, gradually increasing their duration.

Another convenience: you can walk to work or part of the way. Some people even manage to work while walking: thinking about new projects, writing articles, conducting telephone conversations and concluding deals.

You can talk to your parents and friends on the phone. After all, most people in the hustle and bustle do not have enough time for this. You can walk the dog

You can also learn about fat standards in the following video:

Body fat is both a friend and an enemy. You need to be able to determine when it turns into a problem for the body. Having learned to determine the percentage of fat in the body, it is not difficult to find ways to bring it back to normal.

A well-balanced diet along with physical activity are the first and main steps on this path.

Don't neglect yourself and your body. This is not just an aesthetic problem. Excess weight causes serious problems in the body.

But there is no need to go to the other extreme. Because lack of body fat can also be dangerous.

In contact with

Probably everyone understands that the percentage of body fat is an important indicator.

It should not be overlooked, focusing only on kilograms and the arrow on the scale when losing weight. Because we want to get rid from fat, not muscle.

In addition, people with the same weight can look completely different. Therefore, knowing exactly how much fat is in the body is much more useful.

Subcutaneous and visceral

How to determine the amount of visceral fat? Excess is easy to notice by the disturbed proportions of the body: the stomach noticeably protrudes forward.

What percentage of internal fat should women and men have? No more than 15% of total body fat, regardless of gender. You can also understand that the norm of visceral fat is exceeded by simply changing your waist. For women, the dangerous figure will be 80 cm, for the stronger half of humanity - 90.

Of course, these are not ideal and not completely reliable methods, but they are the only ones available to people at home!

Why is it necessary to know?

Muscle is heavier than fat, so even with the same weight, two people can have completely different body quality. The lower the percentage of body fat and the higher the percentage of muscle, the more prominent the body will be. So beautiful, athletic body - not kilograms on the scale, because the “quantity of the body” does not always correspond to its “quality”. Women, for physiological reasons, have more fat cells than men, so it is always more difficult for women to build muscle mass.

A beautiful body really means a lot of work on yourself. Not a search for “miracle diets”, magic pills or the cunning technique of the third wife of the Chinese Emperor Tsin, but daily nutrition control, regular exercise in the gym and the desire to understand how it all works. Like the work of a sculptor who calmly and methodically carves a beautiful statue out of shapeless stone.

If you are losing weight and monitoring the quality of your body, then try to measure your body fat percentage at least once a month. This will help you not mindlessly lose extra pounds, but systematically improve your body composition.

Besides:

• You can track changes in your fat mass both while losing weight and while gaining muscle. This is much more revealing than the arrow on the scale.
• Knowing the weight of your lean muscle mass can be used to find out your calorie intake.

The norm for women and men: what should it be

So, what is the normal percentage of body fat for a woman?

• up to 30 years – 15-23%;
• from 30 to 50 years – 19-25%;
• from 50 years old - 20-27%.

Normal body fat percentage for men:

• up to 30 years – 11-18%;
• from 30 to 50 years – 14-20%;
• from 50 years old – 16-22%.

If there is more than 32% fat, a person develops obesity.

More visual tables:

How to find out on your own at home?

There is no exact way to find out how much fat is in the body. There are more accurate methods, there are simple methods that show this approximately.

How to determine from a photo

Cheap and cheerful: to determine your body fat percentage, you need to find a body shape that is as similar as possible to yours:

For girls and women, an athletic build is characterized by 14-20% body fat, good physical shape - 21-24%, average body fat - 25-31%. At the same time, a fat level below 10% is extremely dangerous for the female body and leads to the cessation of .

For men, 6-13 percent body fat means a toned, athletic physique and fairly defined abs, 14-17% means good physical shape with a small amount of fat in problem areas, 18-25% means an average level of shape, and above 25% means obesity.

On the positive side: This is the fastest, free and easiest way. To determine your body fat percentage, you need to find a body shape that is as similar to yours as possible.

From the negative: requires your assessment of yourself, which is not always objective. We may unconsciously “throw off” a few pounds in our minds and compare ourselves to the slimmer version in the photo. In a word, with a probability of 80% this method is a “finger in the sky.”

How to measure with a caliper

Caliper- a special device that measures the thickness of the skin-fat folds in different parts of the body. Based on the obtained figures, the percentage of subcutaneous fat is determined using special tables or formulas.

How to measure body fat with a caliper -!! only for women!!

1. Posterior shoulder: The fold is taken vertically in the middle between the shoulder joint and the elbow.
2. On the side: The fold is taken from the side diagonally in the middle between the lower rib and the hip bones.
3. On the stomach: The fold is taken vertically at a distance of +-2.5 cm away from the navel.

% fat = (A-B+C) + 4.03653, where:

• A = 0.41563 x (sum of all three folds in mm),
• B = 0.00112 x (sum of all three folds in mm squared),
• C = 0.03661 x age in years.

Measurement common for women and men

We add the resulting numbers in mm and find out the percentage of subcutaneous fat using the table:

On the positive side: inexpensive, fast, you can do it yourself at home, fairly accurate indicators.

From the negative: You need practice to learn how to use it correctly or someone else's help, calculations using formulas are required.

How to calculate online

There are also many fat percentage calculators online based on different body measurements. So you can easily calculate online. For example, these:

On the positive side: fast, does not require any activity.

From the negative: the calculation is unreliable.

How to calculate with scales and analyzer

How scales determine the amount of fat and muscle in the body: the device passes a weak current through you and calculates tissue resistance.

On the positive side: fast, suitable for regular home use.

From the negative: the same as for bioimpedance - not always accurate indicators, since the figure can be affected by water balance (edema). High-quality scales will cost more than 10,000, but it’s better to refuse cheap ones - it’s a waste of money. When repeated measurements, fluid loss may show on the scale a decrease in the percentage of fat mass, although in fact it has remained unchanged. The only way to use such scales is to track the trend - let the number lie, but what is important is its increase or decrease over time.

How to Calculate Body Mass Index from Lyle MacDonald

The method is only suitable for untrained people, i.e. for beginners who have not yet started strength training. For the lucky owners of visible muscles built in the gym beyond the “norm”, this method is not suitable.

To determine your body fat percentage, you need to know your body mass index: BMI = weight in kg/height in square meters

How to check with professionals

How to calculate quantity by bioimpedance analysis

Determining your body fat percentage is the only accurate way to assess the effectiveness of or. At the same time, the “usual” number on the scale and weight in kilograms can distort the real situation, since, for example, during a period of weight loss, the body tends to replace part of the lost fat with water.

Calculating the percentage of body fat is simple - to do this, you need to divide the fat mass in the body by the total weight. For example, if you have 10 kg of fat with a total weight of 70 kg, then the fat percentage will be 10/70 = 14.3%. However, the key difficulty is that you need to know exactly how much fat you have.

Ideal fat level

For men, 6-13% body fat means a toned, athletic physique and fairly defined abs, 14-17% means good physical shape with a small amount of fat reserves in problem areas, 18-25% means an average level of shape, and above 25% means obesity.

For girls, the figures for the level of body fat are slightly higher - an athletic physique is characterized by 14-20%, good physical shape - 21-24%, average fat level - 25-31%. It should also be noted that fat levels below 10% are quite dangerous for the female body and lead to the cessation of the menstrual cycle.

Electronic body analysis systems

The operation of electronic systems for analyzing body composition and determining the percentage of body fat is based on passing extremely weak and safe electrical currents through the tissues and subsequent analysis of the speed of passage and the percentage of signal loss. Fat tissue delays the signal, while water and muscles transmit it almost entirely.

In fact, this method does not determine the percentage of fat in your body, but only compares the indicators with the average numbers stored in the device’s memory and shows an approximate result. The final error depends on the number of measuring electrodes, body temperature, the presence of food in the stomach and other factors.

Bathroom scales for body composition analysis

Bathroom scales with body composition analysis function are one of least accurate methods for measuring body fat. By sending a weak current through one leg, the scales “wait” for it on the other and determine the percentage of losses. Unfortunately, the resulting signal loss can be caused by a variety of factors other than actual body composition.

It is also interesting that many similar scales (both expensive and cheap) record the results of the last weighing in memory - after taking a second measurement a few minutes later, they only return the old number. Since the fat percentage value does not change, a person mistakenly believes that the scale has determined it accurately. This is the manufacturer's intention.

The most accurate electronic scales

Unfortunately, most electronic scales for determining the level of fat in the body show an extremely inaccurate figure - in some cases, the result may differ from the real one by several times. The only reliable way to use electronic scales is to track the trend - let the number lie, but what is important is its increase or decrease over time.

The presence of additional handles significantly reduces the error and allows you to determine the body fat content more accurately - however, such scales are much more expensive than regular ones. The price of professional scales from the Tanita brand can reach up to 200 thousand rubles, while home models from this brand cannot cost less than 15-20 thousand rubles.

Measuring body fat with a caliper

The simplest and most accessible method for determining body fat is to measure the folds of subcutaneous fat with a caliper-like device (“caliper”) and compare the result with a calculation table. This table compares the thickness of the fat fold in millimeters and the estimated percentage of body fat.

Despite the fact that caliper measurements are more accurate than measurements with simple electronic scales with a body analysis function, this method does not take into account the presence of. But, again, to assess the progress of a fat-burning diet or during cutting training, measuring your fat level at home with a caliper is the simplest.

How to measure fat level with a caliper?

The measurement technique for determining the level of fat using a caliper is simple - you need to stand up straight, determine a point 10 cm to the right of the navel at a height of 3-4 cm from the edge of the protruding femur, then pinch the skin and fat in this place, and then measure the thickness of this clamping using a caliper (or, in its absence, a caliper).

The measurement result in millimeters and your age are compared with the table below - at the intersection there is a number showing the predicted fat content in your body. The table also shows whether the indicator is in the high, medium or low zone. As FitSeven wrote above, these data differ for men and women.

***

To calculate your body fat percentage, you first need to determine the physical mass of fat reserves in your body. The only direct method for determining this figure is weighing in a special bathroom (this method is used in sports), and all other methods are indirect and may contain significant measurement errors.