Body fat percentage, Body Mass Index (BMI)
The effect of a diet or exercise program can only be verified when you have accurate biometric data. This webpage will help you calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage and lean body mass. You will also receive an estimate of your daily calories and protein needs at your activity level. Once a week you should record your measurements to keep track of the results. If you keep your data on spreadsheets (eg MS Excel), you will be able to create charts to make it easier to see trends.
The number of calories in the foods we eat and the number of calories we expend determine whether we lose weight or gain weight. The extra calories we consume are stored as fat in our body. To maintain a sustainable weight, the number of calories in our diet must be equal to the number of calories we expend through activity, excrete as waste, or use to regenerate skin, hair, nails, and other body tissues. In order to lose weight, we must eat fewer calories than our body requires so that the fat that is in our body is used and replenishes the missing part of the calories we need. Before starting any diet, you should consult your doctor or dietitian, especially if you are taking medication.
How to take measurements
The body needs protein to maintain muscles and produce hormones. Essential fatty acids are needed for cell replication and to maintain structure nervous system. Therefore, any reduction in calories must be done by reducing the amount of saturated fat and carbohydrates. The diet should always provide sufficient amounts of essential fatty acids and protein. The body requires at least 15 grams of essential fatty acids per day, which are found in meat, fish, and nuts. A very low calorie diet (less than 1,300 calories per day) usually does not provide all the nutrients needed for good health.
Percentage of fat around the circumference of the body parts. This form calculates your daily protein requirement, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio, and body fat percentage. These metrics also help you keep track of your recovery. Measurements must be accurate to the nearest 0.5 cm or 1/4 inch. Measurements should be taken so that the tape is tensed but not compressing the skin.
- Height- measure without shoes
- Weight- You need to weigh yourself in the morning, after going to the toilet, on an empty stomach, without clothes.
- Waist(Men) - measure horizontally, at the level of the navel
(Women) - measured horizontally, at the level of the minimum width of the abdominal cavity - Neck- Neck circumference is measured by placing a tape around the neck horizontally under the Adam's apple.
- Hips(Women) - the largest horizontal circumference around the hips.
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Activity level
- Sedentary- Passive activities, watching TV, working on the computer, reading
- moderate activity- One hour a day walking, swimming, jogging, tennis
- Active activity- Two or more hours a day of exercising or moving furniture
Enter your height, weight and other information, and then click the "Calculate" button.
Create a link to this web page from your blog or web page. Simply copy the following HTML snippet into your blog or webpage and a hyperlink will be created with the following Diet Calculator icon
What do the numbers mean?
- Body Mass Index (BMI)- The ratio of mass to height is measured in kg / m 2 and is calculated by the formula:
BMI = m/h 2
where: m - body weight in kilograms, h - height in metersIn general, BMI is small for thin people and large for fat people. People with a BMI of 25 or more are considered overweight if their body is not very muscular. BMI does not consider the amount of fat and musculature of the body. BMI can classify a thin muscular person as overweight. This is a known flaw in the BMI formula. If your BMI is 25 or more, your waist-to-height ratio is less than 0.5, and your body fat percentage is in the "athlete" or "average" range, you are probably muscular, not fat.
BMI=36.6BMI=41.4
BMI cannot determine how weight is distributed.
Typical Body Shape Corresponding to Body Mass Index
- Waist to height ratio- A waist-to-height ratio of 0.5 or more indicates an increased amount of abdominal fat for both men and women. Abdominal fat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Percentage of body fat- calculated using the formulas for the body circumference method developed by Hodgdon and Beckett. Men and women demand different methods measurements, since men tend to accumulate fat on the abdomen (apple shapes) and women accumulate fat on the abdomen and thighs (pear shape).
Formula for men:
%Fat=495/(1.0324-0.19077(log(Waist-Neck))+0.15456(log(Height)))-450
Formula for women:%Fat=495/(1.29579-0.35004(log(Waist+Hips-Neck))+0.22100(log(Height)))-450
Percentage of body fat
- Lean body weight(Body fat mass) - Calculated by subtracting body fat weight from total body weight.
Lean Body Mass = Weight × (100 - Body Fat Percentage)
- daily calorie requirement- The minimum number of calories per day is calculated by height and sex using the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine. When the BMI is 25 or more, the calculator reduces the minimum calories by 15% to get a diet that can be maintained by healthy people for many months without adverse effects.
- grams of protein per day- calculated from maximum normal BMI, height, and activity level. The recommended amount of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for low activity levels, 1.1 grams for moderate activity, and 1.4 grams for vigorous activity. Other components of the diet, including essential fatty acid and carbohydrates should be proportioned to provide the minimum required calories per day. Any diet should always include at least a minimum amount of protein to prevent loss of muscle tissue when calorie intake is reduced. typical high protein diet contains 30% of calories from protein, 30% from fat, and 40% from carbohydrates. The following table shows percentages of nutrients for diets, calories 2000 and 1800.
Bibliography:
- . Provides information regarding diet and nutrition
- Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients) (2002) . A book about nutrition and health.
- Michael R. Eades, M.D., and Mary Dan Eades, M.D., "Protein Power", Bantam Books, 1996. Describes a low-fat diet that has had great clinical success in reducing obesity and normalizing insulin levels.
- Barry Sears, Bill Lawren, "The Zone: A Dietary Road Map to Lose Weight Permanently", ReganBook, 1995. Recommends a 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, 30% fat diet.
- S.D. Hsieh, H. Yoshinaga, T. Muto, Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Discord., 2003 May; 27 (5):610-6. Waist-to-height ratio, a simple and practical index for assessing central fat distribution and metabolic risk in Japanese men and women.
- J. Hodgdon, and M. Beckett, "Prediction of percent body fat for U.S. Navy men and women from body circumferences and height". Report No. 84-29 and 84-11. Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, Cal. 1984.
Copyright 2012 - Antonio Zamora
Analysis problem muscle mass lies in the fact that, on the one hand, muscle mass is, as it were, a constant value, and in healthy people it approximately fits into one corridor of values.
On the other hand, muscle mass, an increase in it, is an increase in body weight. Accordingly, you need to be sure that a person "gets fat" because of the muscles, and not because of the fat. And, finally, the immediate problem with the calculation as such: all improvised methods are quite approximate.
Let's talk about it.
When we once again started testing the MGB scales, the first thing, as you remember, we again turned to the problem of the accuracy of calculating body fat mass. This parameter is really important for all categories of people, while muscle mass seems to be of interest to “jocks” or, at least, regulars in gyms.
And that's right: muscles are strength, endurance, the ability to lift heavy things and an aesthetic component, or appearance. Not everyone follows this and not everyone needs it. However, for example, for those who seek to lose weight, you still need to follow muscle mass! For example, if you sit down tightly on low-calorie, low-protein foods, then it is highly likely that a person will lose weight due to muscle loss, not fat.
What is the trick?
To put it simply: you can, in fact, evaluate changes in muscle mass only by eye. Really! In other words, we are back to the problem of burning fat, and not gaining muscle mass as such.
If you are trying to give the body relief, then you first gain some weight, eat it up, and then the “drying” process takes place, and thus, it turns out that you do not gain muscle mass, but lose excess fat, therefore, analyzer scales in the first place are valuable for us because they help to control this parameter with sufficient accuracy.
The second trick is that muscle mass is some constant value, the range of which for healthy person roughly the same:
For men: the normal value of muscle mass is about 45% of the total body weight
For women: the normal value of muscle mass is about 35% of the total body weight
For those who work out in the gym, the systemic indicator can increase up to 50-55%, and for “permanent” bodybuilders up to 70%, but there are pills, injections and big money. This is not our method!
On a smart scale, this can be expressed in this way:
On the left is the measurement of a person who systematically visits the gym, on the right is an ordinary office worker.
Is there a system in these dimensions? Yes, I have. For example, by comparing the indicator of a person who simply systematically works out in the gym, pursuing his own interests, with the data of a trainer in martial arts, the picture will be different:
How accurate is this?
And here is just the second trick. Compare with nothing! Or rather, not even that. The thing is that in most sources from the phrase "Muscle mass" one word is removed, which is the secret. There are two muscle masses: Lean Body Mass And Skeletal Muscle Mass.
You can't compare them and modern diagnostics, primarily bioimpedance analysis and dexa analysis calculate different values! DEXA shows "Lean" and bioimpedance "Skeletal", hence the difference:
Three values: clinical bioimpedance, smart scale MGB, DEXA
In other words, on the x-ray you see a complex figure for the content of muscles, water in muscles and cells, which can be a significant proportion, and this also does not characterize the relief of the body!
If you set a goal, then, of course, you can adjust the values, since bioimpedance analysis shows both extracellular fluid and the general one, which can be divided into muscles, but this is already a so-so story.
In other words, for this parameter: skeletal muscle mass bioimpedance can only be compared with bioimpedance, and calculate "Lean Body Mass" at home absolutely impossible, despite the formulas for calculating muscle mass, which are enough on the network.
Bioimpedance analysis in the clinic and MGB smart scales
The skeletal muscle mass with which we are dealing is some conditional indicator of the health of the body, endurance and physical development. Lean Mass is largely “gained” due to fluid and connective tissues, which percentage of skeletal muscle mass in this indicator is difficult to say. As a result, it must be said that none of the two indicators characterizes the relief of the body! Although, judging by the data, the weight indicator is closer to the “lean muscle mass” than the X-ray.
What does the internet say?
The potential of a normal person without drugs and doctors, as noted, is up to 12 kg of muscle per year with uniform sports loads with a decrease from year to year to 6 and 3 kg, respectively. Instant set is almost impossible without additional stimulation, but the effect of this is fast and not always useful.
A good example of a quick effect is actors who can afford to quickly gain weight and muscle mass and quickly get rid of it, and then gain it again.
It's expensive and unhealthy, but Hollywood stars have money and they just can afford it. Most ordinary people tend to correct the figure much more systematically, and the system gives results, but in our system it is enough to stick to values close to the normal range, and this can be observed in trends using smart scales.
Also, do not forget that myostatin is responsible for muscle growth, and some people have a genetically limited ability to grow muscles indefinitely.
Somehow else? Yes! Let's try with a caliper
When we were just starting to talk about scales as a way to analyze the body, experts immediately appeared who (partly and rightly) questioned the bioimpedance method in principle.
A really deep detailed analysis of body composition is possible only with the help of X-rays - DEXA. However, mathematics is also suitable for tracking trends: and somewhere, a regular calculator.
Do you want to compare a study for 10,000 rubles on average with an average of a centimeter for 10 rubles?
For such calculations, it is enough to use . Of course, there is a difference, but not so catastrophic, it is clear that a person is thin, everything is within the normal range.
To calculate the skeletal muscle mass, you can also use, however, a little more "demanding".
Something like this…
Translation difficulties?
The first thing that came to mind: Lean Body Mass can be translated in different ways: both as “muscle mass”, and as “lean” or “dry” body mass, or fat-free. And that would be very logical. Indeed, everything that is not fat should be muscle.
Everything speaks in favor of this version, except for one tiny inconsistency: there are two columns in the DEXA study: without fat mass bodies and Lean Body Mass, and there are slightly, but different numbers: it means that they are not the same thing.
In general, this indicator - beige body weight - DEXA is already comparable to bioimpedance measurement.
As a result, it must be recognized that for the designation of "Muscle Mass" different studies and analyzes imply different data. Secondly, it should be noted that muscles, muscle mass are not equal to relief, and this term should rather be understood as a certain indicator of the body’s strength, endurance and physical form: close to athletic or, conversely, to obesity. And here everything is already inseparable from the mass of fat: how much is it? Weight is gained both at the expense of fat and at the expense of muscles, and with a weight of 100+ kg, muscle mass can be calculated proportionally, but with a round belly instead of the press - you, unfortunately, are not an athlete.
We also note that analyzer scales, since they are based on bioimpedancemetry technology, measure skeletal muscle mass, which has a certain normal range, which is not so difficult for a healthy person to get into.
And, perhaps, today it is this indicator that cannot be approximately calculated in any other way than with hands and a caliper. However, in order to calculate this data with a caliper and a centimeter, you still need to know your own weight, and here the circle is closed - it's time to buy a scale.
We suggest using: light, compact and comfortable, which have passed a series of tests and comparisons on different people, including in comparison with classical clinical studies using a bioimpedancemeter and a DEXA device.
First of all, the scales were tested for the ability to calculate fat mass, and in this respect they were very convincing.
And the second dimension with another participant:
In other words, it seems to us that the scales are able to reliably process a number of data related to body weight and decompose it into fat / lean / bone and muscle mass. First of all, this will help to better monitor the weight and the dynamics of changes with some detail.
With their worthy and convenient characteristics, the scales are inexpensive: . If you wish, you can purchase them with payment immediately on the site for another 500 rubles cheaper by applying a special coupon: MGBBFS!
B. Determination of muscle mass
Knowledge of this parameter seems to be very important for assessing the health reserve, since muscle tissue is biologically active.
To complete the work you need: caliper, centimeter tape.
The circumference of the shoulder, forearm, thigh, lower leg, as well as the thickness of the skin-fat folds on the forearm (front and back) are measured with a centimeter tape at rest with a caliper. Using the Matejka formula, you can calculate the absolute mass of muscle tissue:
M = Lr2k,
where M is the mass of muscles in kg; L - height in cm; r - the average value of the circumference of the shoulder, forearm, thigh, lower leg; k = 6.5 (constant); S is the amount.
r \u003d (S circumferences of the shoulder, forearm, thigh, lower leg / 25.12) - (S skin-fat folds of the upper arm, forearm, thigh, lower leg / 100).
Then the percentage (relative) amount of muscle tissue is determined and compared with the standards for the sport:
(M/P) 100, where P is the weight in kg.
B. Determination of the specific gravity (or density) of the body (g / cm3)
The calculation method for determining the specific gravity or density of a body is more often used. It is expressed by a larger value among representatives of speed-strength activity. To calculate specific gravity, you need to know the percentage of body fat:
Oud . weight = 554.8 / (OSZH 504.4),
where OSF is the relative fat content.
The data obtained are compared with the standards for the sport (see Table 2).
The equation of Pascall et al. (1956) can be used to calculate the density of a body:
D \u003d 1.088468 - 0.007123 T - 0.004834 M - 0.005513 A,
where T is the thickness of the skin-fat fold along the midaxillary line at the level of the xiphoid process of the sternum;
M - the thickness of the fold in the middle between the nipple and the anterior axillary line;
A is the thickness of the fold on the back of the shoulder.
D. Determination of water content in the body
Target: by the quantitative content of water in the body to determine the state of water metabolism.
Work algorithm: using the formulas below, determine the total water content in liters and percentages, compare with the normative, make an indirect conclusion about the optimal exchange of fluid in the body, given the importance of this parameter for those involved in physical culture and sports.
Theoretical justification. Water makes up 60-70% of body weight. It is known that with an increase in fat content, the amount of water in the body decreases. Women have more fat mass than men (28% and 18% respectively), and water is 10% less. Intracellular fluid is up to 40% of body weight, extracellular - up to 20% (lymph, synovial, spinal and cranial), intravascular - 5%.
(4.34 -3.983 / d) 100,
where d is the specific weight of the body. E. Mellits et al. (1970) suggest taking into account gender when determining the water content in the body.
For men, the calculation formula is applied:
1.065 + 0.603 Weight;
for women:
For men with a height of less than 132.7 cm, the formula is used:
-21.993 + 0.406 Weight + 0.209 Height;
above 132.7 cm:
1.927 + 0.465 Weight + 0.045 Height.
For women above 110.8 cm:
-10.313 + 0.252 Weight + 0.154 Height;
below 110.8cm:
0.076 + 0.507 Weight + 0.013 Height.
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If you want to know how to determine the body composition and improve it, reduce the stomach, burn fat and build muscle mass, then be sure to read this article.
The standard medical assessment of body mass index (BMI) is not always up-to-date and truthful. It formally determines the percentage of body fat based on a person's height and weight, and is only suitable for mass assessment of fitness level, but is not suitable for assessing individuals, especially men and women with well-developed muscle mass.
If you need to make a conclusion about the health status of millions of people, then it is enough to determine the BMI. But if you are faced with the task of analyzing the body of a particular person, then you should be primarily interested in body composition.
What is body composition?
Most people confuse body composition and BMI, but neither of these concepts accurately determines the percentage of body fat.
BMI is weight (kg) / height 2 (m)
BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared.
For instance:
With a weight of 88 kg and a height of 1.85 m, the BMI is 25.7 (88 / 3.4225 = 25.7).
The standard definitions of BMI in relation to body fat percentage are as follows:
- With BMI< 18,5 вес считается недостаточным.
- With a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, weight is considered normal.
- A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.
- Obesity is diagnosed with a BMI over 30.
However, in relation to people with developed muscle mass, a BMI of 26 is not at all an indicator of overweight.
Some percent of your body weight is fat, some is muscle, bone, and water. It is on this statement that the theory of body composition is based.
To determine the composition of the body, we use the simplest and most understandable way, which divides our body into two parts:
- Fat mass (all fat in the body).
- Fat-free mass, or BFM (everything that does not contain fat: muscles, bones, blood, organs, water, glycogen stores, etc.).
By controlling these two components, without relying on BMI and body weight, one can more accurately determine the level physical training and the changes that occur in the body under the influence of training and diets.
You need to strive to ensure that with a reasonable nutrition and training plan, BZHM remains the same. This means that you are losing fat, not muscle.
However, in the absence of a calorie deficit and a low protein intake, as well as an emphasis on cardio, you will also lose weight, but along with muscles. This is the easiest way to get "lean fat".
Body composition is relevant not only when burning fat, but also when gaining muscle mass, since it is important to build muscle, not body fat.
For maximum muscle growth in the body, you must first gain some fat. However, fat gain should not be faster than muscle growth. The only exceptions are beginners in weightlifting, who can simultaneously remove fat and
How to measure body composition?
You need to measure your body fat percentage. This indicator motivates you to train at the expense of fat mass, increasing lean mass.
Body composition measurement and portable devices
The easiest way to clarify body composition is with the help of portable devices. This is the easiest way to measure your body fat percentage. But it is unreliable and inaccurate due to the use of bioimpedance analysis (BIA) based devices.
Bioimpedance analysis is based on the passage of light electric current through the body and measuring the resistance to it.
Muscles contain more than 70% water, so they conduct electricity well. Fat contains much less water, so it conducts electricity not so good. The result of the study is based on the correlation of the level of electrical resistance with the level of fatness.
This approach to body composition analysis is wrong, and here's why. Electricity will take the path of least resistance through the body, bypassing fat and passing through more conductive tissues. If there is enough in the body subcutaneous fat, then electricity will pass through the internal organs.
Many devices that consist of two electrodes, such as scales and other portable devices, miss entire parts of the body. Devices attached to the legs can ignore the torso, while devices attached to the arms can only examine the upper half of the body.
That is why the data and results of such measurements are very inaccurate.
Another problem with BIA is that the percentage of body fat is calculated using mathematical calculations based on the received prognostic data. The latest BIA devices are produced using electric current.
Here's how it works.
The BIA device development team measures the percentage of body fat in a large group of people based on the "gold standard" method of analysis. The team then tests the same group of people with their BIA devices, compares measurements, and does math on a formula to represent results based on variables such as height, weight, and gender.
The explanation of the method's operation is more than reasonable, and if it did not make mistakes, then it could be considered the main one.
But it is impossible to know exactly where the method will make a mistake. He is very inaccurate. Common reasons for such inaccuracies are ethnicity, body weight, percentage of water in the body.
Defective BIA devices make the method useless. After all, the test results are significantly affected by the conditions in which it is carried out. When dehydrated, the electrical resistance in the body increases, due to which the percentage of fat is fixed higher than it actually is.
When performing a BIA test after a hearty meal, the electrical resistance will be lower than usual, due to which the percentage of fat will be lower than it actually is. The error of the method is as much as 4 percentage points.
Training can also seriously change the performance of BIA, since after exercise the conductivity of the electric current in the body improves. The result of such a study is an overestimation or underestimation of fat mass.
Therefore, you should not rely on BIA readings, even if you control the content of water in the body, nutrition and training.
Caliper fat measurement and skinfold testing
Skin testing involves using a caliper to measure the thickness of the skin at specific points on the body. The obtained measurements are summed up and further used in the formulas by which the fat-free and fat mass is calculated.
But even here there are many inaccuracies.
The first of these is inaccurate measurements of the fat fold by the user based on insufficient or excessive capture of skin and fat for measurement. Using fluctuating data in formulas will give you an under or over body fat percentage.
Although testing skin fold can also give accurate data on body fat content. With it, you can very effectively track changes in the body.
Photo and mirror
The appearance of a body with different percentages of fat differs depending on the percentage of muscle mass. The average man weighing 72.5 kg and 10% body fat has about 7.25 kg of body fat. A muscular man weighing 86 kg with 10% body fat has 1.35 kg more fat, but also 12.15 kg more lean mass.
It is quite difficult to estimate the percentage of fat, focusing only on a photo or reflection in a mirror. These images will help you navigate:
As you noticed:
- Wishful more or less clearly drawn only with a fat content of about 10% for men and 18% for women.
- The muscles of the press and the cortex are visible with a fat content of no more than 8% in men and 15% in women.
- The skin becomes paper thin and rough at about 6% fat in men and 13% in women.
Photographs and reflection in the mirror are an easy way to roughly calculate your body fat percentage and track changes in body composition.
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DERA)
DERA is based on a whole body x-ray to determine fat and lean mass. The method is based on the different absorption of X-ray energy by different tissues of the body. There is an opinion that DERA is a reliable method for measuring body fat, but this is not true.
The reasons are as follows:
- Results may vary if images are taken with different equipment, even if the equipment is from the same manufacturer.
- Algorithms for converting raw data when measuring body composition are different, and therefore give different results.
- The result depends on the type of x-ray.
As with the BIA method, the results of DERA are affected by the percentage of fluid in the body, as well as gender, body size, total fat mass, and even the presence of disease.
Therefore, despite being trusted and highly rated in the fitness community, DERA is not an accurate method for assessing body composition.
Capsule BodPod
The BodPod is a piece of equipment based on hydrostatic weighing. When a person is placed inside the capsule, it measures the volume of air displaced from the chamber and analyzes the body by using the data obtained in algebraic formulas.
There is no point in using such equipment, since it also does not give accurate results - the error can be from 5 to 15 percentage points. The reason is that the result of the analysis of body composition using the Bod Pod capsule is affected by criteria such as the presence of facial hair, the percentage of water in the body, body temperature, and even the presence of clothing.
Bod Pod, like the other methods of body composition analysis discussed earlier, is too inaccurate to use.
What is the most accurate way to measure body fat then?
There is only one way to measure body composition with 100% accuracy, and trust me, you won't settle for it. We are talking about the extraction of fat, muscles, bones and organs for subsequent weighing. Only this method will allow you to perform an accurate analysis of body composition with all confidence. But it is unacceptable due to objective reasons: it is impossible to collect everything back.
All other methods are approximate, although some are more accurate than others.
What methods do scientists use to determine the relative accuracy and inaccuracy of all known methods of analyzing body composition? What can be compared with the results of BIA, DERA, Baud Pod, hydrostatic weighing and skinfold measurement?
There is a method of 4-component analysis, which involves the study of 4 components of the body:
- fat,
- bones,
- water,
- muscles.
For example, hydrostatic weighing will allow determining the exact density of a body. DERA will reliably show the total bone mass. And the total amount of water in the body will allow you to accurately find out a urine test called "diluting the isotope of heavy hydrogen."
This multi-step method allows you to know your body composition more accurately. However, the difficulty of its implementation is the need to find suitable specialists and a laboratory.
The easiest way to accurately measure body composition and track changes
The easiest way to evaluate and track changes in body composition requires just a few things:
- scales
- caliper,
- scales,
- roulette,
- camera,
- mirrors.
It's pretty easy to do it:
- Weigh yourself daily and measure every 7-10 days on average.
Weight fluctuates every day due to fluid retention in the body, defecation or lack thereof, accumulation of glycogen, etc. That is why punishing yourself for small gains or weight loss is stupid and unproductive.
It is better to focus on the average weekly weight indicators, which will clearly show what is really happening with your body. Therefore, in the morning, every day after taking a bath and before eating or drinking anything, weigh yourself naked and write down your weight. Next, calculate the average weight for 7-10 days (sum up all the indicators and divide by the number of days). Comparing averages over time will tell you if you're on the right track or not.
- Take measurements every week with a caliper. You won’t be able to accurately calculate the percentage of fat with their help, but the indicators themselves are quite useful. If your skin thickens over time, you are gaining fat. If it becomes thinner, then you spend fat. This method is one of the easiest. You can use it without outside help.
- Measure your waist every week. Waist circumference at the navel is a reliable indicator of body fat. If your waist is smaller, you lose weight; if you increase it, you gain more. That's why it's so important to remember your weekly circumference. All you need for this is a measuring tape.
- Take a photo every week, because your reflection in the mirror is the most important thing. As you gain muscle mass and burn fat, you will look better and better, regardless of individual measurements or numbers on the scale.
Photograph your body front, back, and assembly every week in good light, and over time, you will notice your progress or lack of it.
Output
It is impossible to know the exact percentage of body fat. It remains to focus on the data that can be obtained. Nevertheless, changes in body composition can be tracked quite accurately, and this is the most important thing.
How to improve body composition?
There are two ways to improve body composition:
- Build muscle mass;
- Lose fat (not muscle).
These two goals cover everything we want to achieve in relation to the body (applies to both men and women).
All you need to do to get the body of your dreams is just to build a certain amount of muscle and maintain the desired percentage of body fat. How much fat and muscle you need to lose and gain depends entirely on how you want to look.
Bodybuilders, for example, can build 20 to 27 kg of muscle and cut fat to an unhealthy minimum. Others do not have to go to such extremes. Typically, men aim to gain about 25 kg of muscle mass and 8-10% body fat. Women prefer 10-15 kg of muscle, and fat layer reduce to 18-20%. Anyone can achieve these indicators, regardless of body type, genetics and other criteria.
Outcome
Many of us are too obsessed with the goals of losing, gaining or maintaining weight. This is the wrong goal setting, because you can lose weight not due to fat, but due to muscle, just like gaining weight can be due to fat, and not due to muscle growth.
The goal has been achieved - you have lost the required number of kilograms or gained them, but began to look worse. That's why you need to control your body composition in the first place. Weight loss should come from fat loss, not muscle loss. Conversely, weight gain should come from building muscle, not fat.
If you can do these simple things, then you can get the body of your dreams. We hope this article will help you with this!
A person may encounter the need to determine muscle mass in a situation where he has decided to correct his figure and say goodbye to body fat. To do this, he needs to know the percentage of fat and fat-free mass, the second can include muscles, skeleton, organs. How to determine the percentage of muscles in the human body, and what is the norm for their content in the human body?
Proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass
Determination of muscle weight
If there is no caliper, it can be easily replaced with a caliper. Before proceeding with the determination of muscle mass in the human body, it is necessary to be aware of what body measurements will need to be taken to begin with and take into account all sorts of nuances of this process.
It is worth starting the calculation with measurements using a centimeter, which will need to measure four circles:
- Shoulder.
- Forearm.
- Shin.
- Hip.
Measurement of body volumes with a centimeter
It is very important to get the right result, and you can achieve it by using the following tips:
- It is recommended to measure the shoulder only in calm state therefore, it is not worth straining the muscles during the measurement process. Try to measure the shoulder in the place where most of the muscles are located.
- When taking measurements from the forearm, care must be taken that the arm is not in tension and hangs freely.
- To measure the lower leg, it is necessary to take measurements from the calves, preferably in the place where they are most identified.
- When measuring the thigh, it is necessary to stand straight so that the weight of the body is evenly distributed on both legs. Then you should take measurements with a centimeter, covering the thigh under the gluteal crease
Body measurements in centimeters
After the required indicators have been taken, for further calculations it will also be necessary to find out the subcutaneous fat folds. A caliper will help you do this. Based on the data obtained, it is possible to calculate what kind of muscle mass a person has.
In order to understand the calculations, you can use the following transcript:
- M - this is the muscle mass of the body, which we need to calculate.
- L is an indicator that characterizes the growth of men. For this formula, height is recommended to be taken in centimeters.
M - this is the muscle mass of the body
- r - to calculate this indicator, you need to perform three steps. The first step is to calculate the sum of the four indicators obtained at the very beginning of determining the mass - this is the coverage of the shoulder, forearm, lower leg and thigh. The resulting amount must be divided by 25, 12. The second step is similar to the first, because it also requires you to find out the sum of the indicators and divide it by 100. In the second step, measurements of subcutaneous fat folds are taken for calculation. The essence of the third action is to get the difference between the first action and the second. This difference is the indicator of r, which will need to be substituted into the formula that was given above.
- K is a constant indicator, which is equal to 6.5.
This is how chest circumference is measured
According to this formula, provided that the calculations were carried out correctly, it is possible to determine the weight of the muscles in the human body. There is another formula with which it is quite easy to determine the percentage of muscle mass in the body of men and women. According to this formula, the percentage of lean body mass for men and women is calculated as the lean body mass obtained by the Matejka formula, divided by the P index. The resulting value is multiplied by 100 and the percentage of muscles in the body of men and women is obtained. The number P in this formula indicates the weight of a person, which must be indicated in kilograms.
The norm of lean body mass as a percentage for men and women is different. So, for a woman, the norm is 35% of the total body weight. But the norm for a man is slightly higher and is about 43%.
Of course, with regular physical activity And proper nutrition in the body of an athlete, the processes of increasing muscle mass are more activated than in a person who has nothing to do with sports. Therefore, the norm for an athlete is 50% of the muscles from total mass body.
Measurement
In addition to calculating muscle mass, you can measure the progress of its growth, and this is quite simple to do. Moreover, this does not require abstruse instruments and so on, because in this case the measurement will be carried out by observation. Armed with a centimeter and a camera, you can proceed. In order to track the progress of muscle growth, you must:
- Measure muscle condition every week. This will allow you to trace even their slight increase. Recording the results obtained, every week the athlete will observe progress. Measurements must be carried out directly in the area of the muscles on which the maximum load is directed.
Measure your muscles every week
- With the help of a camera, you can also follow the trend of increasing muscle mass. Taking photos every week, and comparing them with previous photos, changes are clearly visible.
- You should also pay attention to such things as raising more weight or working with equipment that is larger in weight than that with which work was carried out earlier in the gym. If an athlete noted that the weight of the barbell, dumbbells increased, then this may also indicate that changes have occurred in the body, muscle mass has increased.
In most cases, people who direct all their efforts to increase their mass notice its growth when their usual clothes become tight for them. If we are talking about shirts, t-shirts, then the discomfort when wearing them occurs in the shoulders. Pants also become tight in the legs.