Whats a good body fat percentage?

[mikey1990]

i am currently looking to drop my body fat, im fit at the moment but i want to push myself more! at times in sparring i feel sluggish and heavy on my feet, i need to drop my body fat. I did a measurement, and it is 19.2%, is this bad? what is a healthy range to have? i am 5ft 5 and i weigh 65kg.

[Ray Corso]

...........4 1/2 inches in the belly is good! .........

[mikey1990]

i dont get you ray? lol

[Ray Corso]

Listen to an old trainer whose spent a life time in the gym.
Just train hard, eat healthy, hydrate yourself correctly. Do your road work and exercise and all your boxing routines.
Don't use a scale for 4 months!!! Train harder as you get into better shape.
After 6 months take all your measurements and see where your at.
There are NO set numbers for you, just train and where you wind up at is who you are!
Ray

[nivek535]

Listen to an old trainer whose spent a life time in the gym.
Just train hard, eat healthy, hydrate yourself correctly. Do your road work and exercise and all your boxing routines.
Don't use a scale for 4 months!!! Train harder as you get into better shape.
After 6 months take all your measurements and see where your at.
There are NO set numbers for you, just train and where you wind up at is who you are!
Ray

since you're here, can i ask of your opinion on dehydrating for weigh ins? pros, olympics, amateurs scene.

[HedonisticFrog]

When you feel sluggish when sparring it isn't because of fat unless you're morbidly obese, it's because your conditioning isn't where it needs to be. You just need to improve your cardiovascular capacity and you'll be fine.

[Ray Corso]

Making weight in the pros has become a joke and could be unhealthy.
weighing in 175 for a lightheavy bout 35 to 40 hours before the bell rimngs and hitting the ring at 190 isn't a lightheavy anymore. I can understand rehydrating 8 to 10 pounds for replenishing fluids but the huge spreads is just beating the system. Being 20 pound above the class mark is a joke!
Weighins could be the same day and then fighters would be forced to perform in a weight class more "natural" to them.

The amateurs can be just as bad when you compete in tournaments. If your not capable of maintaining your weight class limit naturally then you have to starve to make weight every day for a weekend or worse a 7 week event like qualifying for the Gloves or USA Regionals & Nationals.
In my days as a team USA coach (region one) I did my best to get kids in their appropriate classes, its not worth the loss of strength from lack of normal diet. I've seen kids literally grow out of their weight class over a 3 month period yet their coaches insist that they hold were they are to have a height and/or reach advantage, ridiculous! Its all about skills and talent and oh yeah good trainers!
Ray.

[Butt stuff]

When you feel sluggish when sparring it isn't because of fat unless you're morbidly obese, it's because your conditioning isn't where it needs to be. You just need to improve your cardiovascular capacity and you'll be fine.

I'd say it could be diet as well, if you are eating junk food or just not enough of the right stuff periodically throughout the day then your body will feel sluggish, having the right diet (not talking about weight here) will give you more pop in your step whilst also adding to stamina.

[HedonisticFrog]

I'd say it could be diet as well, if you are eating junk food or just not enough of the right stuff periodically throughout the day then your body will feel sluggish, having the right diet (not talking about weight here) will give you more pop in your step whilst also adding to stamina.

I agree somewhat with what you said. If you don't eat enough carbohydrates or enough total throughout the day and are dehydrated you won't have a good workout.

How healthy you eat such as saturated fat and fiber intake won't have nearly as significant of an effect on your performance but does effect your long term health.

[F l i c k e r]

16-18 is more average American male. Anything above is excess body fat.

12-16 is the active lifestyle male

6-8% is elite athlete

Below that is Bodybuilding Competitor


So there you go. Overall health? Stay at around 10% give maybe 2%.

You're not an elite athlete. Unless you get paid to play a sport, or be a fitness model, or some crossfit sht. You really got no reason to be at that level of body fat. Unless you're serious about going pro.