[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

this seems kinda dumb, but oh well 

how can u measure body fat?

im 6’2” and today i got weighed in at 188 pounds… but i honestly dont even look like it a whole lot…

and what is a good percentage of body fat to compete against other really good athletes?.. and maybe play D2 college bball?

[surveParticipant]

http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/home-body-fat-test-2774-143.html

thats a measuring tape test…but really, body fat is relative to different things, such as an individual’s body composition.

to play any level of basketball at be at optimum performance, the answer is, as low as you can get while still feeling comfortable.  really, that answer is relative as well, like if you are heavily muscled, I would say your body fat doesnt need to be as low because you need some fat to burn off and provide oxygen.  muscles use a lot of oxygen.  if you are not muscular, then you would probably feel comfortable with a very low body fat %, like from 4-8%.
 

[surveParticipant]

http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/home-body-fat-test-2774-143.html

thats a measuring tape test…but really, body fat is relative to different things, such as an individual’s body composition.

to play any level of basketball at be at optimum performance, the answer is, as low as you can get while still feeling comfortable.  really, that answer is relative as well, like if you are heavily muscled, I would say your body fat doesnt need to be as low because you need some fat to burn off and provide oxygen.  muscles use a lot of oxygen.  if you are not muscular, then you would probably feel comfortable with a very low body fat %, like from 4-8%.
 

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 Male athletes should be competing between 6-10% body fat.  There are a few ways to measure it.  You can do it with skin folds and an equation, and then there are hand held ones that measure it.   But those have large margin of errors.  The best is one of those big machines that you stand on and it sends an electrical signal through your body and it gathers info and gives you your body fat % BMI BMR etc.  

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 Male athletes should be competing between 6-10% body fat.  There are a few ways to measure it.  You can do it with skin folds and an equation, and then there are hand held ones that measure it.   But those have large margin of errors.  The best is one of those big machines that you stand on and it sends an electrical signal through your body and it gathers info and gives you your body fat % BMI BMR etc.  

[aamir543Participant]

@Universal, this is way off topic, and you might have already seen it, but that troll McBasketball Guru called you out in the off topic section. It is titled "Gay Rap Cypher".

[aamir543Participant]

@Universal, this is way off topic, and you might have already seen it, but that troll McBasketball Guru called you out in the off topic section. It is titled "Gay Rap Cypher".

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 yeah i saw it lol

its actually cute

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 yeah i saw it lol

its actually cute

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 yeah i saw it lol

its actually cute

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 yeah i saw it lol

its actually cute

[tuck243Participant]

Go to a local fitness center (Like a 5 star one) which they should have a free 2 day or 7 day trial… They normally have Body Fat machines there…  6’2, 188 sounds cool, but you right on point, body fat% is just as important… Plus if you ripped = summer = beach = ladies… I’m always down for the b*!(#es…

[tuck243Participant]

Go to a local fitness center (Like a 5 star one) which they should have a free 2 day or 7 day trial… They normally have Body Fat machines there…  6’2, 188 sounds cool, but you right on point, body fat% is just as important… Plus if you ripped = summer = beach = ladies… I’m always down for the b*!(#es…

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 its wierd cuz last yr i was only 177

i do know that i have gained good amount of muscle… so hopefully my body fat isnt to high… 

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 its wierd cuz last yr i was only 177

i do know that i have gained good amount of muscle… so hopefully my body fat isnt to high… 

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 I’m a trainer at 24 hour fitness and they’ll do it for free at any of them

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 I’m a trainer at 24 hour fitness and they’ll do it for free at any of them

[aamir543Participant]

Wait, if your a trainer, can you give me some tips for stretching.

Last week I was at a Nike Basketball camp, and I was tight as hell. They had a trainer there, so he stretched me out and I felt amazingly light. Can you give me some more stretching and Leg strengthing tips.

[aamir543Participant]

Wait, if your a trainer, can you give me some tips for stretching.

Last week I was at a Nike Basketball camp, and I was tight as hell. They had a trainer there, so he stretched me out and I felt amazingly light. Can you give me some more stretching and Leg strengthing tips.

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 yo chilbert

what r easy ways to burn calories fast?

(NOTE: IM NOT FAT AT ALL… IMA REALL GOOD ATHLETE BTW)

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 yo chilbert

what r easy ways to burn calories fast?

(NOTE: IM NOT FAT AT ALL… IMA REALL GOOD ATHLETE BTW)

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

Running is obviously the easiest way to just burn calories, (approx 100 cals/mile) but any weight lifting is going to burn a good amount of calories, but for athletic reasons I would suggest cross-fit training and related methods of training.  It incorporates lean muscle building, cardiovascular endurance and kicks your ass.  I worked as a strength and conditioning coach at LMU for two years and our head strength coaches lived by it. Go to crossfit.com and read up on it if you’re interested. But the main aspect in body fat % is what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat. 

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

Running is obviously the easiest way to just burn calories, (approx 100 cals/mile) but any weight lifting is going to burn a good amount of calories, but for athletic reasons I would suggest cross-fit training and related methods of training.  It incorporates lean muscle building, cardiovascular endurance and kicks your ass.  I worked as a strength and conditioning coach at LMU for two years and our head strength coaches lived by it. Go to crossfit.com and read up on it if you’re interested. But the main aspect in body fat % is what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat. 

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 i have pretty good definiton everywhere on my body except for my core

and i do work on my core a pretty good deal… so can i get that sexy, tan 6 pack 

and i do get a lot of cardio in

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 i have pretty good definiton everywhere on my body except for my core

and i do work on my core a pretty good deal… so can i get that sexy, tan 6 pack 

and i do get a lot of cardio in

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 I would never suggest static stretching (the kind where you hold the stretch) before any athletic event.  Think of it like this, your muscles are like rubber bands and when you stretch out a rubber band too much you take away a lot of the elasticity and quickness of it, I would suggest doing a dynamic warm up.  Look up any dynamic warm-ups to just help you loosen up pre-competition.  Post-competition is when you want to do static stretching.  Also I would suggest foam rolling if you have one.

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 I would never suggest static stretching (the kind where you hold the stretch) before any athletic event.  Think of it like this, your muscles are like rubber bands and when you stretch out a rubber band too much you take away a lot of the elasticity and quickness of it, I would suggest doing a dynamic warm up.  Look up any dynamic warm-ups to just help you loosen up pre-competition.  Post-competition is when you want to do static stretching.  Also I would suggest foam rolling if you have one.

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

There is a difference between doing abs and actually working your core.  I gotta go to work now but we can continue this discussion later. 

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

There is a difference between doing abs and actually working your core.  I gotta go to work now but we can continue this discussion later. 

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 we better lol

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 we better lol

[surveParticipant]

checking out crossfit.com now, good stuff

[surveParticipant]

checking out crossfit.com now, good stuff

[JoeWolf1]

 Everyone had a different body type, but generally if you have a flat stomach without any love handles, but without any visible abs your body fat is probably around 10-12%.  My top two abs become visible at around 8% and I have a full 6 pack at around 5%…I haven’t had a full 6 pack since high school, lol.

 A lot of it is diet when trying to cut your body fat percentage under 10%.  You can work out all you want, run, play ball etc…but most people aren’t going to get below 8% and getting that 6 pack unless they are under 18 or watch what kind of food they put in their bodies.

Raw veggies and fruit are a must, as are eating breakfast to start your metabolism early in the day and eating small healthy snacks in between meals.  I’ve recently cut from about 10% to 8% over the past month and a half  just by purposely adding more raw veggies and fruit to my diet and doing the same workout.  I’d like to get to 7% which was my body fat percentage as a freshman in high school.  I was 4.2% as a senior, I think that may be a bit of a stretch for me now. lol

 

[JoeWolf1]

 Everyone had a different body type, but generally if you have a flat stomach without any love handles, but without any visible abs your body fat is probably around 10-12%.  My top two abs become visible at around 8% and I have a full 6 pack at around 5%…I haven’t had a full 6 pack since high school, lol.

 A lot of it is diet when trying to cut your body fat percentage under 10%.  You can work out all you want, run, play ball etc…but most people aren’t going to get below 8% and getting that 6 pack unless they are under 18 or watch what kind of food they put in their bodies.

Raw veggies and fruit are a must, as are eating breakfast to start your metabolism early in the day and eating small healthy snacks in between meals.  I’ve recently cut from about 10% to 8% over the past month and a half  just by purposely adding more raw veggies and fruit to my diet and doing the same workout.  I’d like to get to 7% which was my body fat percentage as a freshman in high school.  I was 4.2% as a senior, I think that may be a bit of a stretch for me now. lol

 

[hiphopismylifeParticipant]

Do interval training. It’s the best way to get rid of fat. For example if you’re on a track i’d say run at a moderate pace for 300 meters then sprint the last 100. Keep doing that over and over.

You’re young don’t count calories when you’re training. Train like an athlete. Go by how tired you are at the end of a workout, and try to simulate game speed and movement as much as possible. People who sit on an elliipticle and read rarely lose weight. When you go hard it keeps burning calories long after you leave the gym.

More than one source has claimed interval training burns as much as 9x as much fat as doing the same exercise at a moderate pace. I wouldn’t say i’ve seen those changes but it does work.

[hiphopismylifeParticipant]

Do interval training. It’s the best way to get rid of fat. For example if you’re on a track i’d say run at a moderate pace for 300 meters then sprint the last 100. Keep doing that over and over.

You’re young don’t count calories when you’re training. Train like an athlete. Go by how tired you are at the end of a workout, and try to simulate game speed and movement as much as possible. People who sit on an elliipticle and read rarely lose weight. When you go hard it keeps burning calories long after you leave the gym.

More than one source has claimed interval training burns as much as 9x as much fat as doing the same exercise at a moderate pace. I wouldn’t say i’ve seen those changes but it does work.

[WizardofOzParticipant]

Most of the listed body fat% for NBA players aren’t true. Anything less than 10% for an NBA player would be very difficult. I’m sure there are some, but that would be a very small percentage and they’d be in the 8-10% range.

Body builders before comps are usually around the 5-7% range and that’s only for a couple of hours and that’s not even carrying water weight.

I can’t believe some of those draft combine figures either. Where were those numbers pulled from and who did the measurements? Aaron Brooks at 2.7%!?! WRONG!

[WizardofOzParticipant]

Most of the listed body fat% for NBA players aren’t true. Anything less than 10% for an NBA player would be very difficult. I’m sure there are some, but that would be a very small percentage and they’d be in the 8-10% range.

Body builders before comps are usually around the 5-7% range and that’s only for a couple of hours and that’s not even carrying water weight.

I can’t believe some of those draft combine figures either. Where were those numbers pulled from and who did the measurements? Aaron Brooks at 2.7%!?! WRONG!

[JoeWolf1]

 I disagree about the body fat % being fabricated.  I think they’re pretty accurate, I know plenty of men in their 20’s and 30’s who are under 10% body fat, including myself, and despite the fact we all workout and don’t eat terribly, we don’t have access to nutritionists, we don’t play 48 minute NBA games 70-100 times a year, or 40 minute college games 30 times a year paired with countless practices and wind sprints.

These guys play basketball for a living, and if your average Joe can eat right and exercise in his spare time and keep his body fat below 10% then I don’t think it’s hard to believe that guys with amazing resources who do this for a living can come in at 19-21 years old ( damn near the peak of ones metobolic rate) with a 8-10% fat percentage.  Brooks seems like a typo, lol, but pretty much anyone you see with a full visible 6 pack has below 6% or 7% body fat.

[JoeWolf1]

 I disagree about the body fat % being fabricated.  I think they’re pretty accurate, I know plenty of men in their 20’s and 30’s who are under 10% body fat, including myself, and despite the fact we all workout and don’t eat terribly, we don’t have access to nutritionists, we don’t play 48 minute NBA games 70-100 times a year, or 40 minute college games 30 times a year paired with countless practices and wind sprints.

These guys play basketball for a living, and if your average Joe can eat right and exercise in his spare time and keep his body fat below 10% then I don’t think it’s hard to believe that guys with amazing resources who do this for a living can come in at 19-21 years old ( damn near the peak of ones metobolic rate) with a 8-10% fat percentage.  Brooks seems like a typo, lol, but pretty much anyone you see with a full visible 6 pack has below 6% or 7% body fat.

[WizardofOzParticipant]

^^BTW, when does your metabolism start to slow down? I have a very high metabolism, and despite having a bad diet, I can’t gain weight lol.

[WizardofOzParticipant]

^^BTW, when does your metabolism start to slow down? I have a very high metabolism, and despite having a bad diet, I can’t gain weight lol.

[JoeWolf1]

 It definatley depends from person to person and how high it was to start out with.  Mid to late 20’s or early 30’s is probably a safe general age group.  I had a high one and I realized it started to slow around 28, but I have a good friend who had a very low one and his started to slow around 24 or 25 and has to work really hard not to get fat.  Definately varies from person to person, but if you’re metabolism is super high I wouldn’t bet it would start to slow until your late 20’s or early 30’s.

[JoeWolf1]

 It definatley depends from person to person and how high it was to start out with.  Mid to late 20’s or early 30’s is probably a safe general age group.  I had a high one and I realized it started to slow around 28, but I have a good friend who had a very low one and his started to slow around 24 or 25 and has to work really hard not to get fat.  Definately varies from person to person, but if you’re metabolism is super high I wouldn’t bet it would start to slow until your late 20’s or early 30’s.

[Bison 49Participant]

Further to what Joe says.  Regardless of age, the more muscle you have/put on and use, the more your metabolism will stay relatively fast.  A big reason people’s metabolisms slow is due to muscle atrophy (sp?). 

A few years ago, I changed jobs twice and went to grad school, and did not work out for about a year.  I lost a lot of muscle in that time and found I would put on weight easier.  Now (a few years later), I have been exercising a lot more, and even if I take a pretty long break (2-3 weeks on a vacation), I still do not put on weight very fast, because the muscle is there and just living life uses it 24 hours a day.

[Bison 49Participant]

Further to what Joe says.  Regardless of age, the more muscle you have/put on and use, the more your metabolism will stay relatively fast.  A big reason people’s metabolisms slow is due to muscle atrophy (sp?). 

A few years ago, I changed jobs twice and went to grad school, and did not work out for about a year.  I lost a lot of muscle in that time and found I would put on weight easier.  Now (a few years later), I have been exercising a lot more, and even if I take a pretty long break (2-3 weeks on a vacation), I still do not put on weight very fast, because the muscle is there and just living life uses it 24 hours a day.

[Bison 49Participant]

I worked out with a buddy on the college track team for a few years, and he described a really simple ratio for being a functional sprinter. You want as high of a strength/weight ratio as possible.  You would probably want to take into account various muscle groups on your legs as well as a measure of your overall strength.  Different sports will have a different dispersion of strength, as you have to do different things, but the idea is the same.  Sprinting and basketball are similar as they are highly dependent on moving the body forward and vertically through the air.  Same scientific forces apply.

Even body fat % can be misleading, as the amount of water you have in your muscles has a big impact on your percentages.  I would suggest getting a rough estimate at one pont.  If you are below say 12%, then focus on your strength to weight ratio.  If you are above that, you probably need to lose a lot of weight, and might want to focus on this specifically (for athletic purposes).  In everyday life 12-15% is fine health wise.

For you, don’t look at the absolute value, look instead at your progress.  Incase you did not know, it is also helpful to remember that the stronger your core is the more efficiently the rest of your body moves.

[Bison 49Participant]

I worked out with a buddy on the college track team for a few years, and he described a really simple ratio for being a functional sprinter. You want as high of a strength/weight ratio as possible.  You would probably want to take into account various muscle groups on your legs as well as a measure of your overall strength.  Different sports will have a different dispersion of strength, as you have to do different things, but the idea is the same.  Sprinting and basketball are similar as they are highly dependent on moving the body forward and vertically through the air.  Same scientific forces apply.

Even body fat % can be misleading, as the amount of water you have in your muscles has a big impact on your percentages.  I would suggest getting a rough estimate at one pont.  If you are below say 12%, then focus on your strength to weight ratio.  If you are above that, you probably need to lose a lot of weight, and might want to focus on this specifically (for athletic purposes).  In everyday life 12-15% is fine health wise.

For you, don’t look at the absolute value, look instead at your progress.  Incase you did not know, it is also helpful to remember that the stronger your core is the more efficiently the rest of your body moves.

[HitsterParticipant]

Under 10% body fat is often the figure that people are told to aim at fitnesswise and what a lot of none sportsmen aspire to. Apart from sportsmen built for bulk such as Field Event Athletes and obviously some NFL players then most sportsmen will usually be under 10% body fat with exceptions such as Shaq. But even the huge tight ends will no doubt have their body fat measured and hve to reach targets.

I always take the issue of body fat with a pinch of salt as two people the same height and weight could have entirely different body fat percentages.

[HitsterParticipant]

Under 10% body fat is often the figure that people are told to aim at fitnesswise and what a lot of none sportsmen aspire to. Apart from sportsmen built for bulk such as Field Event Athletes and obviously some NFL players then most sportsmen will usually be under 10% body fat with exceptions such as Shaq. But even the huge tight ends will no doubt have their body fat measured and hve to reach targets.

I always take the issue of body fat with a pinch of salt as two people the same height and weight could have entirely different body fat percentages.

[Author]

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