Body fat %

[Longshot]

What do you consider optimal body fat % heading into a backpack hunt? I’m 197 and guessing 20-22% body fat. I feel strong with good cardio but I’d like to lose 10 lbs without sacrificing strength or endurance. Thoughts?


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[*zap*]

I think a lot depends on how you achieve a low %. Good nutrition and proper exercise that achieve a low % over time and then maintain it would be ideal imo. I am going to be 63 soon and have good strength for my weight/age with approx. 11% bodyfat. My nutrition is approx..... 200 gr of protein, 200 gr of carbs and 75 gr of fats daily or 2500-2800 calories at 190# of bodyweight. I have been dropping around 1-1.5# a week with that marco amount/%. My goal is to loose 5-10# more # by 9/1. Once I hit what I want for bodyweight I will increase calories daily with more good carbs/fats in my diet.

There are a few very strong guys at the gym that have sub 10% bodyfat.

As far as going into a backpack hunt I cannot comment, my comments are based on general fitness/bodyweight perspective. Strong and lean is ideal, imo.

 

[willfrye027]

I’m at 8-9% right now, but I’m 27 and usually sit right at 7%. I can feel the extra and it needs to go before hunting season. Whatever you can lose, do it because you will feel better for it.

 

[K_pem]

Its so dependent on the person. I'm 5'9" 180-185ish and probably about 10% BF, i'm damn strong for my weight and my cardio is decent. I regularly ruck with 60-100# packs. I think i do pretty well on the mountain and go regularly into places most people wouldn't dare. BUT, that doesn't mean anything. I know big ole fat guys that could stick with me on a hike and the flip side even.

My hunting partner is about my height, about 20lbs lighter and is an ultra runner, but hes probably close to 15% BF. However, he smokes me on the mountain and can tolerate those heavy pack outs easier than i can.

I think the key is to get to a body weight that you feel both agile and strong at, id definitely bet that its probably leaner than you are now but i wouldn't get hung up on BF % as a measure of mountain readiness.

 

[Bigjay73]

15% is a really good bf to shoot for. Dont guess, guys always think they're a lower percentage than they really are. They think theyre 12%, go get a bod pod, and come out crying when it says 16%. Unless you're getting on a stage for competition, I would not recommend going below 12%, you're gonna need all the reserves you have on a 7 day elk hunt. 15% will have you in shape, with a little extra for the mountains.

 

[zacattack]

What do you consider optimal body fat % heading into a backpack hunt? I’m 197 and guessing 20-22% body fat. I feel strong with good cardio but I’d like to lose 10 lbs without sacrificing strength or endurance. Thoughts?


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The leaner you are the better you will perform. Remember fat is excess energy that your body has stored. Essentially if you are 20-22% body fat think of it as 40 lbs of “food” you are carrying around for a rainy day so to speak. You want to be careful losing it though, there is a fine line when your body will actually use fat stores for energy.

 

[Bigjay73]

And if you exercise while losing weight, you won't lose much strength, and probably gain endurance due to carrying less weight. Just diet intelligently. a 500 calorie a day deficit is all you need.

 

[Coach Chris]

FWIW- Professional drug tested bodybuilders walk on stage around 10% bodyfat.
People generally carry more bodyfat than they think they are.
I use bioimpedence to measure bodyfat. I stay fairly lean year round. I'm about 15% bodyfat with visible abs, intercostal, serratus anterior, striated pecs and delts.

 

[Poser]

I’ve experimented with this a lot over the years having been various at Bodyweights and body fats for different reasons. At 6 feet, My body feels the best at around a very strong 205#. The worst I’ve ever felt was being extremely lean doing a lot of distance running and Rick climbing at 155#. Back pain, join pain etc. ~15% bodyfat seems to be about the ideal percentage for performance. Any less than that and I start getting some aches and pains. I do seasonally drop down to about 190-195# during peak Mtn Bike season and I start to perceive the nagging aches and pains again. That quickly goes away once I do a strength cycle and gain 10-15# back. I have been as heavy as 220# before and also at peak strength at that weight, but it felt a little too chunky for me and that’s not really a sustainable weight for me anyway.

As far as the endurance aspects of snowboarding and Mtn biking, I’m the biggest/heaviest of my partner pool by far -often by 50-70 pounds. It’s a compromise when it comes to sustained climbing in either sport as I can often be a bit slower, but my body feels strong and solid, I’m not complaining about aches and pains and I’m far less prone to injuries as a result of crashing or repetition. It seems like they guys who have overspecialized, really small bodies are always experiencing body pain and discomfort of some type, especially in their backs. I always tell them they need to be a bit thicker and generally stronger if they want longevity, but they aren’t having it.

 

[Smithb9841]

FWIW- Professional drug tested bodybuilders walk on stage around 10% bodyfat.
People generally carry more bodyfat than they think they are.
I use bioimpedence to measure bodyfat. I stay fairly lean year round. I'm about 15% bodyfat with visible abs, intercostal, serratus anterior, striated pecs and delts.

People really don’t have a feel for actual body fat percentages and what they actually are. Most guys that think they are 10% aren’t even
Close to 10%. And the caliper test is not accurate for those that think that is an accurate measurement

 

[FURMAN]

This is a very personal question. If you really do not care what you look like in the mirror I would not focus on BF%. Just stay in the best shape you can and don't worry about it. I have been down to 7% body fat. It is near impossible to maintain and have a somewhat normal life. A cheeseburger here and a beer there and it is gone. On the low end I feel like 10% is maintainable with some discipline. Your fitness goals will dictate your BF% to a large degree. It is near impossible for most normal people to gain muscle without gaining fat despite what some will claim.

 

[Bigjay73]

One more thing, if you're over 30, have your test levels checked. Going from low t, to normal t can make a world of difference in your fitness, and overall well being.

 

[Coach Chris]

This what 10% bodyfat looks like

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View this content on Instagram

 

[njdoxie]

One more thing, if you're over 30, have your test levels checked. Going from low t, to normal t can make a world of difference in your fitness, and overall well being.

Taking extra t would make me very nervous.


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[Trr15]

Taking extra t would make me very nervous.


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What would you be nervous about?


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[OXN939]

What do you consider optimal body fat % heading into a backpack hunt? I’m 197 and guessing 20-22% body fat. I feel strong with good cardio but I’d like to lose 10 lbs without sacrificing strength or endurance. Thoughts?


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I think a good answer to shoot for would be "a percentage at which you feel good and perform well," which is different for every person out there. Body fat plays a lot of very important roles in the body, from thermoregulation to mechanical insulation- there have been athletes who have incurred brain damage by exerting themselves at extreme low body fat percentages.

I'd try a month long "cutting" cycle during which you eat cleanly, do a little more cardio than usual and drink a gallong of water a day, and see where you end up after that. If you lose a few pounds and feel better, great. If you stay the same weight and your body composition changes, also great. If your cardiovascular capacity improves but you don't lose weight or change in body comp... also great, and that's probably a good indication that your body likes to stay where you are.

 

[Bigjay73]

Taking extra t would make me very nervous.


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Not extra, enough to make your t levels what they should normally be as prescribed by a doctor. Taking extra test without a prescription would be illegal.

 

[Mike 338]

At some point your going to have to experience bother extremes of your weight/body fat scale to know where optimal is. I dropped about 25% of my body weight the last couple years. I don't feel as strong because I'm not always straining to get the job done. It was a bit difficult to get a foot into a stirrup and lift myself onto the saddle of my tallest mule. Now my leg goes right up to the stirrup and I fly up like someone is giving me a boost. I didn't need a power lifters strength in one leg to get myself up cause 1) I wasn't lifting the same weight and, 2) I don't have that abdominal thickness to work around anymore. There's useful strength and strength you need just to move your own tonnage around all day long.

 

[TheCougar]

FWIW- Professional drug tested bodybuilders walk on stage around 10% bodyfat.
People generally carry more bodyfat than they think they are.
I use bioimpedence to measure bodyfat. I stay fairly lean year round. I'm about 15% bodyfat with visible abs, intercostal, serratus anterior, striated pecs and delts.

 

[willfrye027]

Hm maybe the calipers/skin fold are not as accurate? I had it done in college and was 6.5%, I was a lean machine surfing twice a day though. I guess the main thing is knowing if you are above or below your goal/ideal percentage. I don’t really want to pay to have it done professionally but definitely like to keep tabs on myself.