Learn more about body fat

When thinking about your health and fitness goals, you probably focus on your scale weight. A better indicator of overall fitness is the percentage of body fat you have in relation to lean muscle mass. You need to have some fat to help your body function properly, but too much fat is also bad for you.

For men under 40, the healthy body-fat range is 8%-19%; for women under 40, it's 21%-33%. (When you get older, it usually goes up a few points.) Above the top of this range, you're considered overweight, and you definitely need to work on losing excess fat. Extremely fit people may measure below the bottom of the range and be just fine, but in that case it's a good idea to consult a doctor and make sure you aren't compromising your health.

In planning your long-term diet and fitness program, your goal should be losing fat, rather than bringing down your overall weight. You can estimate your current body fat percentage by using the body fat calculator to plug in your height, weight, and waist measurements, or you can test it with a body fat caliper. Local gyms and hospitals often have body-fat testing facilities as well. You should use the same testing method every time you check your body fat to be sure you're getting the most accurate results.

If you want to know how to get access to a body fat calculator and many other tools, just become a free member by joining my Beachbody Website. I then will be your online coach and can help you in finding a path that will help you get the results that you want.

Wear Your Body Well
Coach Mattman
P90X Coach Mattman