Thursday, February 16, 2012

Do I NEED to be in the EXCELLENT category for Bodyfat %????

Happy fitness filled day to you!  So I had another one of my hard but FUN workouts this morning and wanted to stop by and blog real quick before we go off to enjoy another beautiful day in Paradise!  So today's blog is about a question from one of my awesome blog followers which is "Should one try to achieve the LOW end of bodyfat percentage or just stick to being in the recommended area?"

First let me say, it's so refreshing to have females actually care more about what their bodyfat percentage is rather than what the SCALE says.  Unless you're trying to model on the runways in Milan, there is absolutely no reason to want to weigh 110 lbs just so you can say you weigh 110 lbs...and frankly, high fashion runway models these days are weighing more of a healthy amount than back in the day, but I digress. 

Ranges of bodyfat percentages based on a four site (taken from the bicep area, tricep area, subscapular "bra fat" area underneath shoulder blade and illiac crest "love handle area") are determined by age range.  The one thing I can say is if you are a female of ANY age and are below 9% bodyfat, you are now in a risky area and it is not healthy to continue to live a healthy and normal lifestyle with that number...now if you're about to go on stage for a Figure or Bodybuilding Competition, you can get that low but it isn't recommended to stay at that number or below it.  If you are a male of ANY age and are below 6% bodyfat, it's the same situation as I stated above regarding a female. 

So here's the deal, focus on staying within a HEALTHY/GOOD number which can be anywhere between 21-30% bodyfat depending on age for a female and 14.9-22% bodyfat depending on age for a male.  The best way to keep yourself on track is with 3-4 days of weight resistance training for no less than 30 minutes but 60 minutes preferred.  By incorporating this into your daily exercise routine you will find yourself LEANER, with inches LOST, and a healthier, happier YOU staring back at you in the mirror!

Moms, do not be scared to lift weights!  It's not going to make you BIG and BULKY!  It's going to make you LONGER and LEANER!  Just make sure you use proper form and if you have any questions about what type of weight training to do, some great things you can do are bootcamps (mine always include FULL BODY resistance training mainly with your own body weight and some weights), weight training with a certified personal trainer (such as myself) or even a friend or a family member as your workout buddy, resistance bands, tubes and kettle bells.  All of these things can help you DROP bodyfat and make you LEANER.

So get your bodyfat checked and then start MOVING!  Speaking of moving, today's video blog takes you outside with my son Pry'nce and I playing in the greenbelt in our neighborhood....ok, he does most of the playing and exercising in this one!  But enjoy watching it today with your kid(s) and get outside today and RUN, PLAY, EXERCISE...JUST MOVE!  Enjoy!!
Thanks as always for taking the time to read my blog.  If you enjoyed my blog and video, please join TODAY as a follower!

As Always...Stay Fit and Happy!
Famisha :-)

4 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for blogging about this! I have been so curious about that very topic for awhile.

    Autumn

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  2. Autumn,
    You're very welcome! Thanks for your feedback. Glad I could answer your burning question...Stay Fit and Happy!

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  3. Hmmmm - so if I'm at 19% body fat do I need to eat more fat? Just kidding :)

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  4. Jocelyn,
    As your trainer, the answer is....NO. Only if you got into the "risky" (ie 9% bodyfat) category would I EVER suggest you intake more fat! Keep up the hard work @your training sessions and bootcamps, Stay Fit and Happy! :-)

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