Body Fat CRITIQUES... HELP!!

K-fed · May 9, 2010

I had my BF checked a few weeks ago for the first time ever. They said it was 22%. Could that be right?? I always felt I was a fairly lean guy but now I do realize I have a little fat on my mid section a bit and got some slight love handles. I was kind of figuring maybe 16%?? What do you guys think? Don't be afraid to voice your opinion as I'm looking for all honesty here...

I had to take my shoes and socks off and stand on this scale-like thing and hold this bar in my hands. Are those pretty accurate for bf for weightlifters?

Sorry for the bad pics... Its with my cell(obviously) in my bathroom. Tried to get some descent lighting but I know nothing about that.

gears · May 9, 2010

I've used those things before. I don't know if I fully believe in their accuracy, however. Funny thing is that I was kind of like you in that I thought my bodyfat was around the mid teens, but it said I was more like 21%. Well, I weighed around 230 at the time (I'm 6'3") and I felt like I was pretty lean. That was about 3 years ago. Now, I am about 214 and I am significantly leaner, but with the same or more muscle. There's one of those bodyfat testers that's incorporated into a treadmill at my gym and the last time I checked it on that (essentially the same thing as the handheld version) and it said I was about 8%...so I don't know what is right.

I will say this... Most all of us are fatter than we think. Even as lean as I am, I can still pinch up the skin on my chest or upper arm and there's a noticeable amount of subcutaneous fat, even though I have visible striations in my triceps and my quads look like a roadmap if when I lose just a pound or so of water.

Iabadman · May 9, 2010

Have to see legs and butt to be sure .[ some guys hold alot of weight in those areas ] But I 'd say you are 13-15% imo.......your also holding water from water ever your doing .......your face is bloated and you look more watery than fat.......You have a nice athletic build ..........but should access if gear is worth it .....stay on your bp and get regular blood work........No way you are 22% unless you have a fat ass and legs .......you look in good off season condition .......if I were you I'd stay lean and look like a fitness model ......you have a good shapely build that would look great if you kept under 10 %......

BossBrutha · May 9, 2010

Iabadman said:
Have to see legs and butt to be sure .[ some guys hold alot of weight in those areas ] But I 'd say you are 13-15% imo.......your also holding water from water ever your doing .......your face is bloated and you look more watery than fat.......You have a nice athletic build ..........but should access if gear is worth it .....stay on your bp and get regular blood work........No way you are 22% unless you have a fat ass and legs .......you look in good off season condition .......if I were you I'd stay lean and look like a fitness model ......you have a good shapely build that would look great if you kept under 10 %......

agree completely. Quite a bit less than 22% so don't freak out.

BossBrutha · May 9, 2010

here is a thread I posted in yesterday which was similar to this one. The pics of that guy about half way down is what 20% bf give or take looks like to give you an idea...

http://www.professionalmuscle.com/f...bodyfat-test-about-ready-jump-off-bridge.html

Dave_19 · May 9, 2010

You are no where near 22% from the looks of these photos. But why even bother with a guesstimate, just get tested via the calipers. Once you get really curious about an accurate figure I would recommend:
www.getdunked.com and get tested using hydrostatic method.

muscle_n_blood · May 9, 2010

Bodyfat % is a worthless number. If you look great, feel great, and perform well, your bodyfat % is just fine, whatever the number may be. Judges at a contest don't know or care, they just look at you. I've never had a girl on the beach come at me with a set of calipers.

kscowboy · May 9, 2010

Just guessing i would say 13 to 15%.....More around the 13% range.

K-fed · May 9, 2010

Thanks guys for all honesty... I figured their numbers had to be high. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere and don't know where else to go to have my bf tested with calipers or anything. Be great if I could have that Hydrostatic Testing done. I do believe too that I am holding some water and I'm not sure why as I've been off gear for over 5 weeks... My face and nipples seem to be a bit puffy and no gyno at all. Is there anything I can do to remedy that besides diuretics? I don't believe my sodium intake is very high..

This past week i've just started my first ever diet phase(never needed to diet as I have a hard time putting on weight no matter what I eat or how much) to hopefully get around 10% or however much I need to to get my midsection to come through a little better.

Here's my stats to anyone whose interested:
6'2"
215-220lbs

Emery · May 9, 2010

I only use Mrs. Dash seasoning with my chicken, fish, etc. Otherwise I swell up. Also, some OTC supplements cause water retention as well.

Cut down any existing salt in your diet and I bet the swelling goes down.

You look good bro! No way your that high in BF! You can buy calipers and measure yourself and get a much better read!

Phidias · May 9, 2010

muscle_n_blood said:
Bodyfat % is a worthless number. If you look great, feel great, and perform well, your bodyfat % is just fine, whatever the number may be. Judges at a contest don't know or care, they just look at you. I've never had a girl on the beach come at me with a set of calipers.

Absolutely! Well said! As long as you're happy with what u see in the mirror, who cares about a number?

Emery said:
Cut down any existing salt in your diet and I bet the swelling goes down.

Sorry but that's an AWFUL advice!

Sodium is VITAL to maintain a healthy CNS... cut it down to zero and you'll crash in no time...

It's a thing to reduce salt if your intake is really high, but a dangerous and counter productive one (as you may end up retaining even more fluids

), to suppress it.

If you're worried about water retention, play with your carbs... it's a much more efficient strategy. Also, as Iabadman suggested, look on the drug side to see if the compounds u may be taking aren't known to cause massive water retention.

Other than that, I think you look good. A tad bit leaner with more muscle hardness and you'd be very surprised at what the mirror would reflect!!

gettnlarge01 · May 9, 2010

Scales and calipers are good to check and make sure what your doing is working but never get caught up in believeing you have to reach certain numbers to be happy.

K-fed · May 10, 2010

Phidias said:
Absolutely! Well said! As long as you're happy with what u see in the mirror, who cares about a number?

Sorry but that's an AWFUL advice! Sodium is VITAL to maintain a healthy CNS... cut it down to zero and you'll crash in no time...

It's a thing to reduce salt if your intake is really high, but a dangerous and counter productive one (as you may end up retaining even more fluids ), to suppress it.

If you're worried about water retention, play with your carbs... it's a much more efficient strategy. Also, as Iabadman suggested, look on the drug side to see if the compounds u may be taking aren't known to cause massive water retention.

Other than that, I think you look good. A tad bit leaner with more muscle hardness and you'd be very surprised at what the mirror would reflect!!

I drink a ton of milk. I love it and have it with every meal... Sometimes with LBA's or protein egg powder etc... I've cut back this week on it since I started dieting but could this be why i'm retaining some water? Is it ok to have a glass with every meal while dieting? Sorry but I don't know much about dieting so if anyone could point me in the right direction, like a nutrition 101 or something lol, i'd appreciate it. I've read through and taken down all the contest prep meals but I want to retain as much muscle as possible without starving myself. I'm reading everything I can find on nutrition but having a hard time putting it together.

As far as the drug part goes for water retention, that should be good except maybe a few iu's(2-4/day) of gh I was taking during the last 3 or 4 weeks or so... If I quit taking it, the scale fluctuates by a few lbs but doesn't seem to make a difference with how I look. Idk maybe its all in my head. I guess I'm more concerned on the nutrition part so I don't lose my hard earned muscle

And I ordered my own set of calipers so I can at least see how my bf fluctuates.

animal eater · May 10, 2010

you are more like 12 percent. Those machines are pretty worthless. They are about as accurate and relavant as BMI testing on bodybuilders. A waste.

muscle_n_blood · May 10, 2010

K-fed said:
I drink a ton of milk. I love it and have it with every meal...

And I ordered my own set of calipers so I can at least see how my bf fluctuates.

I love it myself, but I have to cut out dairy, even skim milk, to get really lean, like contest lean.

At least if you do your own you can be consistent with where you take skinfolds. I've seen trainers manipulate BF% numbers by being selective about where they caliper people to:
1) prove to you that you need their services
2) prove that what they are having you do is working (as if you couldn't see and feel it)