Just the Facts: Body Fat Percentage

When you begin working with your Los Angeles personal trainer, you may not be looking to get “shredded,” but simply to get healthy. Well, learning about body fat percentage isn’t just for the gym bros who want their muscles to bulge, but is a topic everyone should know at least a little about to get healthy and stay that way. Here’s all you need to know about body fat percentage and how it applies to your health.

Body Fat Percentage: What Is It?

Body fat percentage isn’t some magical formula, it’s simply how much of your weight is fat. It can easily change as the composition of your body changes and it’s pretty easy to figure out.

Say you weigh 150 pounds. If your Los Angeles personal trainer determines you have 15 pounds of fat, then you simply divide 15 by 150 and you’ve got your percentage: 10 percent.

What is Healthy?

“It’s important to realize that some fat plays a very important role in your health,” says personal trainer Lalo Fuentes, CSCS – and he’s right! Your body needs at least some fat to keep you warm, protect your internal organs, and cushion your joints. But having too much or too little fat is not healthy either.

If your body fat percentage is too high, then you’re at risk for diabetes and other health problems. If it’s too low, then your energy levels may be low as well as your body’s ability to fight illness. This is precisely why it’s important to measure your body fat and keep it in the healthy range.

What’s the Healthy Range?

It should come as no surprise to learn that there are a plethora of body fat ranges for both women and men. For men, athletes normally have between 6 and 13 percent, while people considered fit have between 14 and 17 percent. A “normal” man has anywhere between 18 and 25 percent body fat and is considered overweight or obese if body fat percentage goes beyond 26 percent.

For women, athletes have between 14 and 20 percent, fit people between 21 and 24 percent, and “normal” ladies between 25 and 31 percent. For women, overweight or obese levels of body fat are any number above 32 percent.

Many Los Angeles personal trainers wouldn’t recommend anyone exceed the fit range since it can slow down muscle growth. In other words, if you’re not trying to enter a bodybuilding contest, there’s really no reason anyone should go beyond fit. Most people are somewhere between fit and normal – and that’s OK. Your personal trainer can work with you to discover your happy and healthy place.

The Bottom Line

The goal for everyone working with a Los Angeles personal trainer like Lalo Fuentes is to get healthy. Trainers create a personalized fitness plan for you to help you reach your personal goals – goals that are realistic and within reach for you! So, don’t compare yourself to other people, simply be the best version of yourself you can!