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marw
Quit Date: -
Posts: 3634 Location: Chicago, IL
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Posted: August 1, 2006 3:14 AM Post subject: What is the right per cent of body fat?? |
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At my Health Club tonight, I had a session with a personal trainer, and he measured my total body fat. He told me it was 26 percent. Is this good or bad? I asked him and he was rather vague about, refused to be pinned down. Sort of said something like: "...well, for your age.....blah, blah...."
I would like to know for sure what this means. Anyone know?
Thanks
P.S. If you need to know this to answer my question, I weigh 103 pounds and am 5'2" tall. I guess that would mean that roughly a fourth of my body wieght is fat?? Yuk! That doesn't sound good. I have been working my buns off to develop muscle....so I am not pleased with this much fat.
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Margaret |
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Lori
Quit Date: March 18, 2006
Posts: 521 Location: Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted: August 1, 2006 7:52 AM Post subject: |
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Hi Margaret,
It's my understanding that 20-27% is a healthy range for women (women's bodies require more fat than men's). Not sure why the trainer hemmed & hawed & commented on your age. You are within a healthy range, period!
That's great, Margaret! Keep up the good work and stay cool!
Lori
Last edited by Lori on August 1, 2006 9:11 AM; edited 1 time in total |
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Mary Dude
Quit Date: June 15, 2004
Posts: 4803 Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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Posted: August 1, 2006 8:59 AM Post subject: |
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Margaret - I'm thinking that 26% is a respectable number for a woman! I'm still fighting my way down...at my high weight %body fat was high 40's. I'm down under 34% and excited about it! I believe 34% is the Army maximum for females at my age..... _________________
Mary D.
Smoke-free one day at a time!
Worry doesn't help tomorrow's troubles, but it does ruin today's happiness! |
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kevin Site Admin
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Posts: 9538 Location: cincinnati, oh
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Posted: August 1, 2006 9:04 AM Post subject: |
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a recent study of marines on active duty showed that the average female marine had a body fat percentage of 23.1%. considering that the marines as a whole are among the fittest people on the planet, i'd say you're doing very well in this regard.
btw: it seems to me the reason your personal trainer hemmed and hawed was because he doesn't have a clue. _________________
keep choosing life!
kevin
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Melody
Quit Date: August 19, 2004
Posts: 1103 Location: Ontario
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marw
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Posts: 3634 Location: Chicago, IL
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Posted: August 2, 2006 1:32 AM Post subject: |
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Thanks, everyone, for these replies. I feel better about it, and learned something, too!
ya' know, I was a little annoyed at the frequent references to my age that this trainer made, anyway. (at least this was a free session, and I didn't have to pay for it.)
So Kevin, I think that is right, he doesn't have a clue.
Melody, thank you for the web site. It was very informative. I'm going to check some of the other pages indicated there, too.
btw: the way he calculated it seemed strange to me: he told me to squeeze this box as hard as I could with my hands.....I don't have a lot of strength in my hands, and told him that, but he said that had nothing to do with it. He never did answer when I asked him what did, either! _________________
Margaret
Last edited by marw on August 4, 2006 3:14 AM; edited 1 time in total |
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Barbara K.
Quit Date: December 23, 2004
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Posted: August 2, 2006 1:43 AM Post subject: |
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How is body fat caculated?
Blessings, _________________
Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn arouind and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
Blessings,
Barbara K. |
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kevin Site Admin
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Posts: 9538 Location: cincinnati, oh
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Posted: August 2, 2006 8:55 AM Post subject: |
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barbara wrote: |
How is body fat caculated? |
the most accurate way is by hydrostatic weighing (underwater weighing), but the marines developed a simple and extremely accurate model of anthropometric measurements to predict body fat percentages. there's a very good explanation of this method (and accompanying charts) in "the marine corps 3x fitness program for men and women" by martin cohen, which is out of print, but you may be able to get a copy at your library. if not, amazon has used copies starting at 39 cents:
buy it on amazon
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keep choosing life!
kevin
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Barbara K.
Quit Date: December 23, 2004
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Posted: August 3, 2006 3:38 PM Post subject: |
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Thank you Kevin. I think I'll pass on the book though. I have enough to read for the moment.
Blessings, _________________
Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn arouind and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
Blessings,
Barbara K. |
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Free
Quit Date: May 12, 2006
Posts: 826 Location: USA
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Posted: August 5, 2006 7:10 PM Post subject: Re: Check here it explains it all |
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Melody wrote: |
http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm |
I would go with Melody's link. I had a personal trainer and nutritionalist. If you want to be 'fit' your body fat should be 24% or less of your total weight. Exercise and eat plenty of protein in your diet and you should have no problem adding lean muscle mass and loosing fat. _________________
Become addicted to constant and never ending self improvement.
The difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective.
Realize that true happiness lies within you. |
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marw
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Posted: August 7, 2006 2:46 AM Post subject: |
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Thanks, Free. Many personal trainers know their stuff. This guy didn't. This is a pretty hard-sell place, and he was annoyed because he knew I would not be signing up for Personal Training on a regular basis. Basically he was trying to blow me off. I'm not even sure his analysis of my body fat is correct, but at any rate I don't think 26 per cent is bad. I am very thin and really do not want to lose any more. I am very well muscled in my legs, hips, abs, and back. I could use more upper body work (probably where the extra 2 percent is ), but I'm not overly worried about it.
I was also ticked off about those references he made to my age. Actuallly I have a doctors release, based on my cardio stress test, to work my heart at the same rate a much younger person would....up to 150 beats. I was in VERY good shape when I took the stress test, like someone 20 years younger, and I had just quit smoking then, so I imagine it is better now.
Thanks for the info. Knowledge is power. THe more we know, the better we can fine-tune. _________________
Margaret |
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Free
Quit Date: May 12, 2006
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Posted: August 8, 2006 11:36 PM Post subject: |
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Gyms have 'trainers' and they have 'salesmen'. The real trainers care, they don't push a sale. The salesmen don't care about anything or anyone but the sale ... they can really ruin the 'gym experience'. I've deal with a couple as well and know what you feel as far as the agitation goes with them. _________________
Become addicted to constant and never ending self improvement.
The difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective.
Realize that true happiness lies within you. |
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marw
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Posted: August 8, 2006 11:42 PM Post subject: |
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I know what you mean, Free. I think the Personal Trainers care, too....or at least many of them do. This guy was also the salesman who sold me this Club, so I was surprise he was working as a trainer. However, this club is not bad....still I may return to the YMCA when this year of Membership is up. I will have to see how I feel about it. I left the "Y" which I liked because they got different machines in, which I didn't like! _________________
Margaret |
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Free
Quit Date: May 12, 2006
Posts: 826 Location: USA
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Posted: August 8, 2006 11:45 PM Post subject: |
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I am still at the gym where I had a bad experience with the 'salesman'. The gym is great. The salesman didn't last and no longer works there. Heh! _________________
Become addicted to constant and never ending self improvement.
The difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective.
Realize that true happiness lies within you. |
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justtheprincess
Quit Date: December 1, 2013
Posts: 162 Location: San Diego
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Posted: August 10, 2006 5:56 PM Post subject: ewwww... |
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I don't like those links. I am right on the border of acceptable and obese!!!! I don't eat bad foods, I just eat lots of good food.
I gained 40 pounds this last 6 months. Stress and worry and not taking care of myself has really taken it's toll on me. I have corrected this, since letting everything go to God that I can't handle. I've lost 8 in the last 3 weeks (5 water and 3 good lbs), which is what I wanted to see.
I want to be happy, healthy, joyous and free and I'm doing it! _________________
YOU are the only YOU YOU have. Take care of YOU!
~ Love, Sandi
One day at a time |
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