Quote:
Originally Posted by blankall
You do not have 5% body fat. That's the kind of body fat that competitive body builders will have before a show. It's almost impossible to maintain a bf% that low, and it's very difficult to reach it without steroids.
There are reports of guys like Michael Phelps and Manny Pacquiau having 5% BF. However, when you get that low, it becomes extremely difficult to actually measure your BF. My guess is that these guys are slightly higher than that and would come in closer to 7-8%.
Either way, if you were concerned about being overweight to the point you needed advice from a physiotherapist, you would not have 5% BF. At 5% BF you have veins popping out of everywhere and a tiny tiny waist.
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Body builders tend to dip into the dangerously low levels of body fat that are not maintainable. 3% is the vital amount for men; you need a certain amount around your vital organs, among other things. Body builders also take diuretics. If you compared someone with 5% body fat on diuretics vs no diuretics the difference would be dramatic.
It does not get any harder to measure body fat at these low levels with DEXA or hydrostatic weighing. I'm ~6% body fat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate
The other issue is that my doctor is a firm believer in BMI, which many people believe is absolute garbage. So I guess where I am going with this is - how do *you* know what a good weight range is for yourself?
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Just my opinion, but it seems to me you're being a bit obsessive. Yes, BMI has a limited scope within the general population. Yes, DEXA is the gold standard of measuring body fat. And yes, when speaking from a purely health perspective it's best to be as lean as possible (ie 5% - 10% body fat for a male).
Practically, however, I think it's a little ridiculous to nitpick. When do
you feel best? Is the difference between 175 lbs and 165 lbs for you a dozen hours of exercise a week? Is that worth it? What do you think is a good balance for you between exercise, eating, and enjoying yourself?
I think it's best to focus on the good habits and find something that's maintainable for you.