Finally Checked my bodyfat Percentage, thoughts?

[Bdubbs]

Ok it's pretty bad, I've been lifting for about 8 yrs and I've never checked my body fat %. Today I did with the Defender body fat caliper.

I'm 33 yrs old, weight is about 192 lbs, and height is 5'11. Using the defender calipers I came up with 12% body fat. And most of it came from my abdominal.

I posted a thread in the anabolic section about possibly doing a first time cycle, and many members asked what my bf% was.

I'm looking for feedback and thoughts on my body fat percentage. It would be nice to loose some of the fat around the lower stomach area!

[Cuz]

post a shirtless pic and they will tell you what your BF is. I think the calipers are usually off. 12% is pretty damn lean man. Not saying your not, not at all.

Attachment 142640

heres something you can go by, although most of the guys don't have much mass which makes it even harder to tell in this pic. Some don't even look like they train at all hence the higher BF.

[Bdubbs]

post a shirtless pic and they will tell you what your BF is. I think the calipers are usually off. 12% is pretty damn lean man. Not saying your not, not at all.

Attachment 142640

heres something you can go by, although most of the guys don't have much mass which makes it even harder to tell in this pic. Some don't even look like they train at all hence the higher BF.

Yeah I'm not sure how accurate the calipers are. But my very lower stomach and oblique area look like the guy in the 20% range, but my upper body has more mass than him. Also it was very hard to get a reading on my thighs, not much fat on them or my chest.

[Cuz]

yeah 15-20 on the pic is not much difference at all. chances are you are 14-16 like me. If I was 20%, people at the gym wouldn't be asking me how I only weigh 210 and am carrying as much mass as I am

[Cuz]

and to add to that I really don't care about being under 10%, because I know unless I take massive amounts of drugs to keep a lot of mass its not going to happen and im not willing to put my health in the chokehold. I think as long as you stay 14-15% you are ok. If I could add 30 lbs LBM and stay the same BF id be happy at least for a lil while. Just keep it within range and youll be fine.

[Bdubbs]

Yeah realistically I think I'm in the 14-15% range as well. Yeah many people actually think I way more than 192 lbs, which is probably due to me having decent mass on my upper body.

[gmantheman]

Do you think water retention and bloating could skew bodyfat pics to a degree? Say if someone was a true 12% bf but because of water retention and bloating he looked closer to 15%.

[Bdubbs]

Good question.

[gmantheman]

This video shows how bloating can impact how we look. I know this extreme but it still brings up a good point

[Cuz]

Do you think water retention and bloating could skew bodyfat pics to a degree? Say if someone was a true 12% bf but because of water retention and bloating he looked closer to 15%.

has a lot to do with imo.

[Sgt. Hartman]

Water counts as LBM in nearly all bf testing methods. Bf tests measure......body fat.

Holding extra water can sure make you look like shlt though.