What is a good body fat percentage?
I used an online body fat calculator and it said im only 7%, which is really low. my BMI is 19 which is good and I am 5'6 and 120 pounds. so what would be an ideal body fat percentage for my weight and height?
Public Comments
- Hi. Perhaps this will help you? http://www.womenfitness.net/body_fat.htm
- for women it 21 - 30 % and for men its like 13-21% (not 100% sure for men though) you sound like u need to eat a lot more!!!
- You should probably do several body fat calculators before taking any action. The only real way to test your body fat percentage is the water immersion test, which most people don't have access too. The other methods only give estimates. Having said that, the healthy range for young but fully grown women is 20-30% (so most will average that to 25%), and for men it's 10-20% (with 15% being the average goal). If you truly are at 7%, you need to seek some help! Chances are, though, your calculator was inaccurate.
- That would kind of depends on your breast size and how much you want to lose of that. Seriously. Not to mention that there's no possible way for an online calculator to give you an accurate reading. That's kind of ridiculous, I must say.
- Ok I do not think you can get your personal body fat percentage online, you'd need to go to a gym or someone that has one of those calipers that lightly pinch 3 parts of your body to determine it's composition... Even home scales that tell you body fat aren't exactly accurate (but better than nothing I guess). I got my body fat checked a year ago and was 16%, 130lbs 5'6. I worked out every day but ate too much so didn't really slim down...lots of muscle though. Now I am 120-125lbs, 22% bf!! I moved into a house with other college kids and the alcohol did me in...replaced all muscle with fat lol. But when I was 16% that was actually pretty good for a female. Below 10% is getting close to body builder for men, and deathly for women. If you even had below 13% as a woman I think you would be freakishly ripped. I would say for females, if you are very athletic, between 15-20% is really good. And for normal people 20-30% or something.. I forget but it's close to that.
- the online calculators suck.
- I am a dude and about 13% and I am kinda flabby (I'm 5"9 158)
