The 4-Hour Body_ An Uncommon Guide to Ra - Timothy Ferriss [25]
What should your bodyfat goals be? For most people, I suggest the following as a starting point:
For men:
If obese, aim for 20%.
If you have just a bit of extra padding, aim for 12%.
For women:
If obese, aim for 25%.
If you have just a bit of extra padding, aim for 18%.
If you (male or female) want to get to 5%, we’ll help you later.
Use the pictures on this page or this page and descriptions (whatever is most helpful) to estimate your current bodyfat percentage. Where are you really? Look at the pics before reading the rest, as you might be able to skip the text.
The following percentages and descriptions are intended to reflect high-end caliper readings on males, but the guidelines are still helpful for women. Keep in mind that since calipers measure a skinfold, both subcutaneous fat and subcutaneous water are reflected in the numbers. Special credit to Surferph34 for the guidelines and photo links:11
20% Bodyfat
There is no visible muscle definition and only a hint of separation between major muscle groups if those groups are large and well developed. For examples, see:
www.fourhourbody.com/20a
www.fourhourbody.com/20b
www.fourhourbody.com/20c
15% Bodyfat
Some muscle separation appears between the shoulders (deltoids) and upper arms. Abs are not visible. For an example, see:
www.fourhourbody.com/15a
www.fourhourbody.com/bodyfat-examples
12% Bodyfat
More muscle separation appears, particularly in the chest and back, and an outline of the abs begins to appear. Standing under a ceiling light with favorable shadows, a pending four-pack might be visible. For examples, see:
www.fourhourbody.com/12a
www.fourhourbody.com/12b
10% Bodyfat
Muscle separations get deeper in the arms, chest, legs, and back, and six-pack abs are visible when flexed. For an example, see:
www.fourhourbody.com/10a
7–9% Bodyfat
Abs are clearly visible all the time, vascularity in arms is prominent, chest and back separation is obvious, and the face starts to appear more angular. For examples, see:
www.fourhourbody.com/7a
www.fourhourbody.com/7b
5–7% Bodyfat
Striations appear in large muscle groups when they are flexed. Vascularity appears in lower abdomen and in the legs. Competitive bodybuilders often aim for this state for competition day. For an example, see:
www.fourhourbody.com/5a
MALE EXAMPLES
Individual images to follow.
Trevor Newell 33% bodyfat, 19% bodyfat, 9% bodyfat
Trevor Newell 33% bodyfat, 19% bodyfat, 9% bodyfat
Ray Cronise 31.56% bodyfat, 24.7% bodyfat, 12.65% bodyfat
Nic Irwin 22% bodyfat, 5% bodyfat
Nathan Zaru: 8% bodyfat. Despite the Incredible Hulk lighting, I believe this to be (among these photos) the best representative picture of what 8% bodyfat looks like for males with decent muscle tone. People dramatically underestimate bodyfat percentage. If you have a bit of muscle and are sub-10%, you should have definition similar to this.
FEMALE EXAMPLES
Individual images to follow.
227 lbs., 39.8% bodyfat
Erin Rhoades 30% bodyfat, 25% bodyfat, 12% bodyfat
Julee 22% bodyfat (compare to Trevor or Nic in their 19–22% pics—the smooth appearance is similar)
Andrea Bell 13.4% bodyfat
End of Chapter Notes
2. This subject had more than 10 fractures in his knees and could not perform lower-body exercises.
3. For those unfamiliar with lifting parlance, “reps” are repetitions of a movement. If you do 20 push-ups, you’ve done 20 reps of the push-up.
4. From noon on October 3, 2009, to noon on October 4, 2009.
5. These error ranges assume trained professionals and optimum conditions for measurements (e.g., good hydration for body-impedance). The order was determined using the median of their lower and upper error percentages.
6. In an ideal world, X-ray CT and MRI would be used, but I omitted them due to radiation and cost, respectively.
7. Nor should you compare different algorithms on the same equipment. This most frequently causes confusion when you get caliper readings from different trainers. Use the same