Body fat percentage table. The norm of fat in a woman’s body: minimum and maximum indicators, ways to reduce body fat

16.10.2019

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Let's explore what constitutes a normal percentage of body fat

Previously, men (and even some women) set their main goal to build muscles. But times are changing and now the main thing is “lean” mass, namely getting rid of fat mass in order to maximize muscle manifestation. Just think of Brad Pitt in Fight Club or Cristiano Ronaldo at any point in the last ten years. Pronounced muscles, not fat tissue.

A similar figure - lean body mass, without excess deposits - has recently become the main goal of trainers and visitors gyms. But even if you are not striving for such pronounced muscles, it is worth finding out what percentage of body fat is normal and whether you need to change it, since this amount is one of the main indicators of the health of the body.

“Having a normal percentage of body fat reduces the risk of developing a variety of diseases,” explains Dr. Luke Powles from medical center Bupa's Crossrail in London.

“It has been proven time and time again that increased content body fat leads to increased cholesterol and blood pressure, which are risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases. This condition can also cause certain types of cancer and diabetes. In men, high body fat leads to erectile dysfunction.

But percentage body fat to muscle mass should not be too low, since underweight also leads to the development of a number of diseases.”

How much fat should you ideally have? For men aged 20-39 years old, the norm of body fat varies from 8 to 20%, for men aged 40-59 – from 11 to 22%. Now it’s much easier to find out your body fat percentage: smart scales, pocket scanners and fitness trackers can easily provide all the information about your body composition. For conservatives (or budget-conscious) there is also an option - a caliper.

Before you start losing fat, it's worth learning a little about the biological processes behind it. Let's start with the two types of fat: essential and stored.

Essential fats

Essential fats are fats that are necessary for the healthy and normal functioning of our body. For men, this is about 3% of total body weight. Without irreplaceable fatty acids, such as omega-3s from fatty fish, nuts and seeds, the body is unable to process such useful material, like vitamins A, K and D, which are responsible for immunity, blood clotting and calcium absorption. Fat is also necessary to protect internal organs and to regulate core body temperature.

Accumulated fat

Another type - accumulated - is the result of excess calories consumed. When we eat, calories that are not immediately used for functioning (such as providing energy for breathing or maintaining heart rate) are converted into triglycerides, which make up stored fat. Frequent excess calories, which cause fat accumulation, lead to weight gain. On the other hand, a repeated calorie deficit forces the body to use stored fat mass as energy, depleting reserves and leading to weight loss.

Body fat percentage

Simply put, fat is unused energy that is life-threatening. Its percentage in the body is the ratio of fat mass to total body weight. Returning to the question of what percentage of fat a person should have in the body, it should be noted that this number is influenced by many factors, such as height, gender and heredity. A "healthy" percentage for men aged 20 to 40 is generally considered to be no less than 8% and no more than 20%. In a healthy woman in the same age group The fat percentage should be between 15% and 31%. These figures are based on November 2015 data from the Royal College of Nursing.

Table of body fat percentage for men of different age groups

Most people can be guided by these indicators, but it should be remembered that the table does not take into account everyone’s individual fitness goals. Bodybuilders typically aim for ultra-lean muscle mass and a body fat percentage of no more than 5-8%. Cyclists and gymnasts are among the leanest athletes and typically have between 5 and 12% body fat. In order to look as prominent as possible, the indicator should be from 5 to 10%.

BMI and body weight

Body fat percentage is the best indicator of health. It is better suited for determining the constitution than the aging body mass index (BMI) or simply weighing. Weight can vary significantly depending on hormonal fluctuations, time of day, and the amount of food eaten and drunk before stepping on the scale.

If you are very tall and have significant muscle mass, your BMI will likely put you in the overweight or even obese category. The problem is that BMI was developed in 1832 by Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet to identify the average person (determining how weight increases with height), not to identify underweight or obesity.

In the 1980s, BMI was adopted as a useful tool for determining life expectancy, and has been the bane of muscular people ever since. BMI often prevents young people from joining the police and other fitness-oriented agencies because they still use this indicator for admission. However, by measuring your body fat percentage, you are measuring the amount of fat mass, rather than getting an estimate based solely on height and weight.

There are contraindications, consult your doctor.

For most people, the concepts of “losing weight” and “losing weight” are identical in meaning. In reality they are very different. You can lose weight by removing feces from the intestines. Therefore, according to many, you can lose weight with laxatives or enemas. You can reduce body weight with the help of diuretics. 2-3 liters of fluid will leave your body and total weight will decrease.

Often a person who plays sports loses weight, but at the same time gains weight. Why? Because fat goes away and muscles grow. They are heavier than fat, so overall body weight may increase. In general, scales are a useful thing, but don’t rely solely on them. No less important tools figure control - a measuring tape, as well as the most ordinary mirror. Look into it, you can see everything there. This is the easiest way to find out if you have extra pounds or not.

When losing weight, it is important to get rid of fat, and not to reduce body weight. The higher your body fat percentage, the less attractive your figure looks. For men, the diagnosis “” is made if body fat is more than 25%; for women, the upper limit of normal is 32%.

Percentage of fat in a woman's body (photo)

Male body fat percentage (photo)

How is this indicator calculated? There are several methods. Some are complex, but more accurate, others are simple, but their disadvantage is a large error in the calculations. Let's start with the most effective way calculating the percentage of body fat.

X-ray absorption DEXA

An x-ray will help you measure your body fat percentage. This method is one of the most accurate. It will allow you to determine the mass of fat, muscle and bones. First, you will be enlightened, then the computer, based on the data received, will calculate all the necessary indicators.

But this method of measuring fat percentage has many disadvantages. Firstly , it requires special, expensive equipment, and the presence of specially trained medical personnel. As a result, the procedure will cost you a pretty penny. Secondly , you will receive a dose of x-ray radiation, and this is harmful to health. Third if you live in small town, it is not a fact that at least one of the local clinics practices a similar technique.

Hydrostatic weighing

The essence of the method is to measure the density of the human body. More density means less fat, less density means more fat. Special software allows with high accuracy calculate the percentage of fat. Mandatory conditions for increasing the accuracy of the study - a person is immersed in a special tank with water on an empty stomach and with minimum quantity air in the lungs.

It should be noted that the method is difficult to use and requires special equipment and trained personnel. The duration of the fat percentage measurement procedure is 60 minutes. During this time, the person is immersed in the tank several times. The duration of one such dive is about 10 seconds.

For greater accuracy, three results are obtained and the arithmetic mean is displayed. The method is used exclusively in science and professional sports.

Bioelectrical impedance measurement

Through electrodes attached to the legs and arms through human body pass a weak current. Adipose tissue conducts electricity poorly, muscle conducts electricity well. When measuring resistance with special devices, the calculations take into account the gender, age, and height of a person. Generally speaking, the better the body conducts current, the less fat it contains. Worse conductivity - more fat.

The method is less accurate than hydrostatic weighing, but it can determine the approximate percentage of body fat. The measurements are carried out with a special device, so the method is not suitable for use at home. Sometimes the function of determining the percentage of fat using bioelectrical resistance is added to ordinary bathroom scales, but in this case the accuracy of the calculation becomes even less accurate.

It should also be noted that the data obtained will depend on some external and internal factors:

skin condition;
the amount of water you drank the day before;
air temperature;
air humidity;
reception medicines and etc.

All of them also create additional errors in the calculations.

Measuring fold thickness

The undoubted advantage of the method is its general accessibility. The main disadvantage is low accuracy. Quantity is not taken into account when calculating visceral fat, measure the volume and weight of the subcutaneous fat layer exclusively.
First, with the help special device caliper (if you don’t have it, you can use a regular ruler, but the error will be larger), you measure the thickness of seven folds: on the stomach, thigh, chest, triceps, armpit, under the shoulder blade and above the ilium.

To process the received data and calculate the percentage of fat, you need to use special program or online service. The Internet is full of them. Enter all the indicators, select the gender, press the button and get the result. The method is not exact, but it is free.

We have not listed all the methods for measuring fat percentage, but only those that are used most often. These indicators can also be measured using ultrasound, infrared radiation, calculated based on the anthropometric data of a person. You can use any of these methods to find out how quickly you are moving towards your goal - a slim figure.

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Body fat distribution

Each of us distributes fat differently in our bodies. For example, some women have very little fat in the abdominal area and high fat in the thighs and triceps. For others, it's the other way around. It's the same for men. However, for most men, fat tends to be stored mostly in the abdominal area. The following photos show the most common areas of fat distribution in men and women.

Human's figure

Each of us has a different body shape, so two completely different figures can have the same body fat percentage, even if they don't look the same. An excellent example is slim models and athletes. Their fat percentage is exactly the same.

Age

The photographs in this article show people between 25 and 35 years old. With age, the fat content in a person's body increases. For example, a 20-year-old and a 50-year-old man have the same amount subcutaneous fat, however, for a 20-year-old this amount will be 15%, and for a 50-year-old it will be 20%. With age, fat around organs (visceral) and in muscles (intramuscular) tends to increase.

Muscle grooves

As a person's body becomes more defined, the muscles become more noticeable and look like thin grooves.

Vascularity- that is, the appearance of veins in different parts body as fat content decreases.

A visual representation of fat content in men

3 – 4% fat content in men

The percentage of fat in bodybuilders during their preparation for competitions can reach only 3 – 4%. This fat content is characterized by increased vascularity, so that veins are visible on literally every muscle in the body. Even on the buttocks you can see small gaps between the muscles. If there are none on gluteal muscles, which means the fat content is very low. The normal amount of fat in men is considered to be about 2%. This required amount For normal operation body, since fat protects internal organs chest and abdominal cavity.

6 - 7% fat content in men

6 - 7% fat content in men is not as categorical as 3 - 4%, but, nevertheless, even this percentage is not a normal indicator for most men. With such a percentage of fat, your face becomes emaciated, and your family begins to worry about you. Most models tend to have this level of fat and are marked by clearly defined muscles and bright vascularity in most muscles, including the muscles of the arms, legs and abdomen. Clearly visible muscles in the abdominal area are a sign of low fat content. Just like the clear separation of muscles.

10 – 12% fat content in men

This is the normal level of body fat for a man whose abdominal muscles are not as visible as men with 6 – 7% body fat. However, the abdominal muscles are clearly visible. This is exactly the body that many men strive for and that women like. The muscle grooves are not very visible on each muscle, but only on the shoulders and arms.

Men with this fat content are usually called “slim and fit.” The contours of the muscles are clearly visible, but there is no clear separation between them. The muscle grooves are usually covered with a small layer of fat. Nevertheless, general shape The body is quite beautiful, despite the lack of clearly visible muscles.

20% fat content in men

25% fat content in men

Muscles and blood vessels are practically invisible, and the waist increases significantly in volume (hip-to-waist ratio is approximately 0.9). It turns out that a man with a height of 180 cm has a waist size of 91 cm. The neck volume also increases slightly and small folds of fat are visible, but in clothes this fat content is almost invisible. Men with more than 25% body fat have problems with obesity. A waist circumference of more than 101 cm is considered abdominal obesity.

30% fat content in men

35% fat content in men

As a man gets bigger and bigger and gains fat, most of the fat accumulates in the belly. At 35% content, the belly hangs down even more, and the waist is not visible at all. These men are called “beer bellies.” Waist size can be more than 101 cm.

40% fat content in men

As with 35%, fat accumulates in the abdomen and waist. The waist can reach 145 cm or even more. With this amount of fat, daily movements such as walking up stairs or bending become difficult. A man at this level is already close to obesity, and his body mass index exceeds 35. For a better understanding: a man with a height of 180 cm, who weighs 122 kg, has 73 kg muscle mass and 40% fat content.

Visual representation of fat content in women

10 – 12% fat content in women

This is extremely low level body fat content, which is found only in female bodybuilders. The minimum fat content in a woman’s body is 8–10%, while in men it is only 2%. Why is there such a big difference? The fact is that women contain more fat in the tissues of the mammary glands and in the area around the uterus. This level of fat is not considered normal for a woman and can be hazardous to health and can even cause menstruation to stop. The muscle grooves and blood vessels are clearly visible. The woman in the photo most likely has 12% body fat, as the vessels are not very visible.

15 – 17% fat content in women

This level of fat is also very low and equates to 6 – 7% body fat in men. Most lingerie models have this level of body fat and many of them have obvious dysfunction female body. The muscles of the abs, legs, arms and shoulders are clearly visible. The thighs and buttocks are usually less defined due to their low fat content.

20 – 22% fat content in women

This level is typical for many female athletes. The abdominal muscles are clearly visible, and there is some fat on the arms and legs. There is a level of separation between muscles, but it is minimal.

25% fat content in women

This is the level that most women have. Not too thin, but not too fat either. The curve of the hips is clearly visible, and there are small deposits of fat on the buttocks. A woman with a height of 163 cm and a weight of 59 kg has 25% body fat.

30% fat content in women

While men store fat in the abdominal area, most women store it in the thighs and buttocks. With such a fat content, the thighs are clearly defined and have rounded shape. This is considered the limit of fat content for a normal woman.

35% fat content in women

The hips become even larger, and the face and neck have a rounded shape. The hip circumference can reach more than 100 cm, and the waist more than 80 cm. The stomach begins to droop.

40% fat content in women

Hips and buttocks become larger. The hips can reach more than 106 cm in circumference, the waist more than 90, and the hips more than 63 cm.

45% fat content in women

The skin loses its beauty and clearly visible folds appear. The hip circumference can reach more than 115 cm, and the waist more than 90 cm. The hips become noticeably wider than the shoulders.

50% fat content in women

Fat becomes clearly visible on the skin. The hip circumference can reach more than 115 cm, and the waist more than 101 cm. The hips become clearly wider than the shoulders. For a better understanding: a woman with a height of 163 cm and a weight of 90 kg has 45 kg of muscle mass and 50% fat content.

So you might be interested to know the most popular ones.

Recently, methods for determining the percentage of body fat as a general indicator of good appearance and body quality are gaining enormous popularity. We can say that this percentage of fat successfully replaces the good old body mass index.

To better understand everything that is written in this article, it is worth clarifying something. If you are not exactly a humanist, then you will understand how it all counts.

Muscle relief. It is most noticeable with low fat content.

Distribution of fat in the body. This is really very difficult for all of us. In some people, bro accumulates more on the torso, in others - on the legs. There are women whose upper body is absolutely “dry”, but the lower part (hips and buttocks) are a real reservoir of fatty tissue. And for some it’s the other way around. Most women, of course, carry most of their fat on their bellies.

Different body shape. The classic case is that a skinny model has the same amount of body fat as a sporty, athletic girl. This is because fat is evenly distributed in the body.

The appearance of veins always means that the amount of subcutaneous fat has decreased.

Age. With age, the amount of fat in the body, as well as its norm, increases noticeably. And this is common.

The amount of body fat in men in photographs

Body fat content 3-4%
Bodybuilders bring themselves to this state. Like in the top picture. This kind of body is characterized by simply incredible delineation of the veins, which resemble a map of the “Rivers of Russia”. The muscles are also very well defined. Heck, even the veins on the buttocks are visible, and this is not the most beautiful sight. If you, bro, don’t have fat on your buttocks, then the percentage of it in your body is very low. Or maybe you just have a certain type of body shape. By the way, for a man this amount of fat is more or less enough for the normal functioning of the body. So think about it.
Body fat content 6-7%
This type of body fat content is usually seen on the bodies of fitness models. Of course, you can also find such a scattering of fat on the bodies of bodybuilders, but less often. Typically, when a bro reaches this level of body fat, his family becomes visibly worried as his face achieves exceptional definition and thinness. The muscles are particularly clearly separated, veins are visible on the limbs, sometimes on the chest and abdomen. The less fat, the better the veins are visible - remember that, bro!
Fat content 10-12%
The most stable level that can be easily maintained even if you give up training for a week and relax a little (a little!). This look is most loved by women, Hollywood stars are most often associated with it, and with such a body there is no shame in walking along the beach. The muscles are well separated, but not as well as in the previous examples, where each muscle was very, very visible. Veins protrude on the arms, but not above the elbow and a little on the legs.
Body fat content 15%
He is characterized as thin and fit. There are muscle outlines, but there is no clear separation between them. So, easy outlines. There is a slight softness - this is fat. Aesthetic appearance, although there is no relief.
Body fat content 20%
The separation and relief of the muscles begins to slowly disappear. The veins hardly protrude anywhere. Folds and a small pouch of fat appear on the abdomen. The body appears soft and rounded. This level of body fat in 20-25 year old guys is extremely common.
Body fat content 25%
Muscles begin to be visible only when under load. And even then not much. The waist begins to increase, and its ratio to the hips is like 9/10. Fat is deposited a little on the neck. More than 25 percent of body fat in men and girls is obese.
Body fat content 30%
Fat begins to be deposited on the lower back, back, hips and calves. The waist becomes slightly larger than the hips. The stomach begins to protrude. There is no muscle separation.
Body fat content 35%
The dude is getting heavier and heavier. Most of the fat is found in the abdomen, forming a “beer belly.” Waist circumference can reach 100 cm ±1 centimeter.
Body fat content 40%
The waist can reach a girth of 120 centimeters. Climbing stairs and walking for long periods becomes very difficult. Due to the huge belly, it becomes extremely difficult to bend over.

We've sorted out the bros, now about the ladies. Are they getting fat too? (Oops!).
On average, girls have 8-10 percent higher body fat.

The fat content in a woman’s body is 10-12%
This condition usually affects female bodybuilders. This level of fat in a woman's body is unsafe: menstruation may disappear completely. Very high muscle definition and strong protrusion of veins throughout the woman’s body, especially on the arms up to the elbow.
The fat content in a woman’s body is 15-17%
Even though it is beautiful, many researchers still believe that it is an unhealthy amount of fat in a woman's body. Bikini and fitness models boast this amount of body fat. The muscles are clearly visible on the torso, arms, legs, and shoulders. A slight separation of the muscles on the body is visible. The hips, buttocks and legs are slightly rounded, but they will never become large, just like the chest. But it's beautiful, IMHO.
The fat content in a woman’s body is 20-22%
Sports athletic female body. Fit. Minimal separation between muscles. Some fat on arms and legs.
Women's body fat content is 25%
The most typical norm. Not fat, not thin. There is no excess body weight, there is a little excess on the hips and buttocks.
Women's body fat content is 30%
Fat is deposited on the lower part of the body: on the hips, buttocks. Folds appear on the abdomen, which are difficult to get rid of. The belly protrudes a little.
Women's body fat content is 35%
The hips become wider, the stomach protrudes greatly. When a girl sits down, folds appear on them. The hip circumference can be more than 100 centimeters. Waist circumference - more than 70.
The fat content in a woman's body is 40%
Hips become about 110 centimeters. Waist - around 90 centimeters. The thickness of the legs just above the knee is more than 60. This is too much, and strong.
Women's body fat content is 45%
Hips are much wider than shoulders. Hip circumference is about 130 centimeters. The body becomes very loose. However, after 35 percent, looseness appears everywhere, but this is very strong. Dimples appear.
Women's body fat content is 50%
Well, here, as you understand, everything is very bad, both for health and in general. The body turns into many dimples, becomes loose, and Bottom part seems much larger than the top one.

For those who strive for a slim and toned body, there is no absolutely ideal percentage of body fat. Normal body fat percentage varies markedly between people and depends on various factors including: body type, age, genetics, activity level and dietary habits.

Normal weight and fat ratios vary widely, but are considered safe to maintain good health, is 5 - 9% for men and 13 - 15% for women, although there is no hard and fast "rule" about what may be too low for an individual.

The table below shows minimum percentage fat for both sexes by age. Thus, the normal percentage of fat should not be below these values. As you can see, the table shows that body fat increases with age, and although this typically occurs, it is mainly due to decreased activity levels.

Fat content depending on age and gender

Age		30 – 50
Women

Normal body fat percentage

What is a normal body fat percentage?

There are many ideas about normal body fat percentage for non-athletic individuals, including ranges of 16-20% and 20-21% for women, and 8-14% and 10-14% for men. These indicators provide a thin appearance.

For general health and fitness, for men, 10-15% - a good choice, to which you can strive. However, men who want six-pack abs usually have 10-11%, since the abs are where fat tends to accumulate. Women who want a six-pack may need to drop theirs to 14-16%, which may be too low for some and will disrupt their menstrual cycle. Usually they begin to decrease noticeably at about 18% body fat. The first places you'll notice changes are in areas where fat deposits are already relatively small. For most, this is around the shoulders and collarbones.

Low fat and weight loss

It's important to note: research shows that low fat levels do not cause amenorrhea (absence of menstruation for several menstrual cycles) as such. It is the energy balance (the ratio of calories received and calories burned) that is in this case the most important determinant of health. Thus, it can be said that for an athletic woman, it is quite possible to maintain fat levels as low as teenagers without any negative consequences.

Often among those who strive to become super lean is achieved through long-term negative energy balance (i.e., taking in fewer calories than the body requires), and it is this negative energy balance that causes loss of menstruation.

Thus, a thin, not overtrained woman who devotes Special attention nutritional and caloric needs will likely not experience negative effects from lower than average body fat.