BODY COMPOSITION EXPLAINED

Body composition is the makeup of the body in terms of the relative percentage of fat-free mass and body fat. Your weight on a scale consists of two dimensions: (1) body fat or adipose tissue; and (2) fat-free weight or muscles, bones, blood, organs, etc.

Fat-free weight represents all the rest of the body’s weight, excluding fat—muscles, bones, organs, and nervous tissue.

Body fat is the body’s primary reserve of stored energy and is stored as triglycerides both in fat (adipose) cells located between the skin and muscles all over the body, as well as within skeletal muscles.

Percent body fat represents the percentage of total body weight that is carried as fat.

In my humble opinion, this information renders the height-weight tables of yesteryear obsolete or at the very least inconsistent, inaccurate, and incomplete since they do not take a person’s body composition into consideration. Since muscle weighs more than fat, a bodybuilder could be considered obese according to those charts. Likewise, a person who is well within the accepted range may be over-fat by body composition standards.

Perhaps equally unreliable is the BMI (Body Mass Index). I rate that a close second when it comes to “stupid numbers” that freak people out. Like the height-weight chart, the BMI uses total body weight in its calculation, and, therefore, does not discriminate between overfat and athletic or more muscular body types, rendering it an inaccurate number as far as I am concerned.

So we have three, count them, three widely used standard assessments, all utilizing the same flawed protocol that does not take body composition into account. The scales, the height-weight charts, and lastly the BMI do not take body composition into account, so they DO NOT give an accurate picture of your level of health and fitness.

BIG HONKIN' HOWEVER, these numbers can serve a very useful purpose. They can give you a baseline number to use to track your progress. They can also serve as a wake-up call in some instances, if your number is way high, that you need to get yourself in gear and start a health and fitness plan. The numbers may not be exact or completely accurate; however, if they get your attention and help prod you into action, then maybe they're not all that bad. And like I said, they can be used as a number to watch change as you implement your new and improved lifestyle choices, i.e., cardio training, weight training, and healthy food choices, and such. That being said, if you want to know your BMI enter your info in the following chart.

What's up with this number, you ask? Well, here's the skinny--pun intended. Check your results with the following chart:

This is why I try to get my clients to understand that since muscle weighs more than fat, (and you will lose fat while gaining muscle when you undergo a proper fitness plan that includes strength training) that the scales may not change much in the beginning. In fact, if you have very little fat to lose, the scales may not change at all.

But, your clothes will begin to fit better and you will look better in the mirror, and people will begin to comment that you are looking mahvelous dahling! Not to mention you will feel mahvelous too!

So try not to be so hung up on the numbers on the scales or stupid charts.

If anything, let a professional measure you for girth measurements (as pictured on the left) and/or do a skinfold caliper test (center picture) or a handheld body fat test (pictured on the right) to get you started. Then, let her/him re-test you every couple of months.



Weigh once a week only, and do not freak out if the numbers don’t go down at first. You ARE changing your body composition. Trust me on this!!

Males/Age	Too Little	Healthy	Overweight	Obese
20-40 yrs	Below 8%	8-19%	19-25%	over 25%
41-60 yrs	Below 11%	11-22%	22-27%	over 27%
61-80 yrs	Below 13%	13-25%	25-30%	over 30%

Females/Age	Too Little	Healthy	Overweight	Obese
20-40 yrs	Below 21%	21-33%	33-39%	over 39%
41-60 yrs	Below 23%	23-35%	35-40%	over 40%
61-80 yrs	Below 24%	24-36%	36-42%	over 42%

WARNING! WARNING! Excess body fat has been associated with health risks such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, gall bladder disease, cirrhosis of the liver, hernia, intestinal obstruction, and sleep disorders. It’s also associated with reduced endurance performance and an increased risk for injury.

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How is body fat measured? The four most common methods of assessing body composition are hydrostatic weighing, circumference measurements, bioelectrical impedance, and skinfold measurements. Equipment Illustrations.

1) Hydrostatic weighing involves suspending your body in a chair, attached to a scale, in a tank of water. It is known as the “gold standard” of body composition assessment because it is one of the most accurate methods; however, it is impractical in terms of expense, time, and equipment. Its margin of error is around 2-3 percent.

2) Bioelectrical impedance is a popular method that is based on the principle that the conduction of an electrical impulse is greater through lean tissue than through fatty tissue. These can range from scales that you stand on to handheld Omron meters (as shown) and beyond. Its margin of error is around 3-5 percent.

3) Circumference measurements using generalized equations that use girth measurements with, also, a 3-5 percent margin of error. Common sites for measurement are: chest, waist/women, naval/men, hips, thigh, upper arm, and calf. For a really cool fitness profile that includes a circumference measurement body fat estimate, go to straightforward.efitnesstracker.com and click on "Take these simple tests every so often and watch your results...." under FITNESS TOOLS AND RESOURCES. It's a great way to track your progress, watching your baseline test results improve along with your fitness level. Just retake the tests every few weeks and celebrate your victories along the way as you implement your new health and fitness plan.

4) Skinfold measurements using a skinfold caliper and generalized equations based on the sum of measurements at anywhere from 3 to 9 sites. Margin of error is around 3-4 percent. You can usually get a personal trainer at your local gym to perform these for you. As you can see in the picture on the left, I am pinching Joe's triceps (one of several sites as per various protocol requires) with a skinfold caliper.

These 4 methods are perhaps the most assessable, and, hence, the most popular.

There are several factors that can affect the outcome of all of the above, hence, the margin of error from 2-5 percent.

For accuracy the body should be well-hydrated and not have exercised within the past 6 hours or consumed any alcohol in the past 24 hours.

Of course if you are being pinched with a skin-fold caliper or having girth measurements done, you should try to have the same fitness professional perform the test each time to ensure accuracy. It is imperative to be pinched or measured in the same spot each time or the measurement will be higher or lower due to inaccurate measuring instead of actual change in body composition or size.

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In 2002, Suzanne Schlosberg, a writer for Shape Magazine published a great article comparing several body assessments done using her own body as the guinea pig. Even though the article is 5 or 6 years old, it is still relevant and is worth the read. Click here to check it out.

THINK ABOUT THIS:

While the energy available from fat is used throughout the body, exercising muscles can utilize a tremendous amount of fat to produce the energy necessary for muscle contraction. See how it makes sense to tone, condition, and grow your muscle in order to enhance weight loss or maintain weight control?

This is why we personal trainers are constantly spouting the importance of strength training along with cardio and a sensible nutrition plan for a total fitness regimen. If you aren’t strength training, you’re leaving out one of the most vital aspects of your plan. Strength training will transform you body composition. So come on! Let’s go lift some weights!

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