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In this video, I measured the body fat percentage of a panel of subjects, ranging from 50% to 5% using DEXA and BIA.
References:
DEXA Accuracy:
Benefits of Exercise:
NHANES 2017-2018 Study:
Body Fat Ranges Research:
Timestamps:
0:00 Why body fat percentage matters
1:04 50% body fat
5:39 40% body fat
8:37 30% body fat
11:54 20% body fat
15:03 15% body fat
18:58 12% body fat
21:27 10% body fat
25:42 8% body fat
27:57 5% body fat
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Written by Jeff Nippard
Produced by Bailey Wood, Bradley Nippard and Jeff Nippard
Edited by Rickie Ho, Sam Ding, Bradley Nippard and Jeff Nippard
Research and fact checking by Max Edsey & Alysha D’Souza
Graphics by Sam Ding and Rickie Ho
Music sourced from Epidemic Sound
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About me: I’m a Canadian natural pro bodybuilder and internationally-qualified powerlifter with a BSc in biochemistry/chemistry and a passion for science. I’ve been training for 18 years drug-free. I’m 5’5 and fluctuate between 160 lbs (lean) and 180 lbs (bulked).
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Disclaimers: Jeff Nippard is not a doctor or a medical professional. Always consult a physician before starting any exercise program. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Jeff Nippard will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury or illness.
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Huge thank you to everyone who came out to the muscle lab and took part in the video! I had a lot of fun making this one and I hope you guys find it helpful. If you'd like some help with your nutrition, try out my smart nutrition coaching app MacroFactor. You can get a two week free trial when you use code JEFF: http://bit.ly/jeffmacrofactor! Let's get after it!! Peace!
Okay, finding out that my chatGPT 23% is actually more like 30% is good.
It's easier to reduce from a larger number!
leaning is more obvious
my scale must be lying because it says I'm 10% but i don't look like that
So my question is I measured in 8.8 on BIA but I definitely don’t have the kind of leanness or vascularity seen at 10 or 8 in this video. Thoughts?
I think I'm like 32-36%
2:35 I still want to take Daniel on a skydive. 260lbs can be his goal.
220 is not the maximum for skydiving. Dropzones just charge more $$ over 220 because of the extra work and energy for the instructor. That being said, not all instructors are strong/experienced enough to take over 220. This is why many dropzones set this as the “limit”. They may not have the staff to accommodate.
I regularly take 260lb students. I also have over 15,000 jumps and I go hard at the gym. It’d be an honor to take him on his first jump. Let’s go, Daniel!!
This video is so cool, I re-watch it every few months.
I know it would be absurdly expensive, but it would be awesome to see a range with height and lean mass normalized.
this video made me realize that at 21% bf, i don’t have a fat problem but a muscle issue
14:23 dear lord save us
11:20 because we all know standards for women are impossible
This I found very eye opening. So much good information!
never knew famale's body fat percent is higher than male's about 10% after watched this video
I feel 20% body fat for males is most healthy and natural.
Great video – thank you for all your hard work.
This is the type of content you should find on Youtube. Provides useful information in digestible manner, encourages lifestyle changes, while setting realistic boundaries as to what is healthy and what is not and still maintaining overall kind tone.Well done!
Sushi as a cheat meal is so wild lol
What about skiny people?
mine is 17,7 % but i have a belly, legs and arms are shreded. how?
This should be re-edited showing the DEXA muscle percentage (and other categories, why not?) for each participant, instead of just fat.
This would make the results much more fully explanative, …and frankly, a more complete (and accurate) explanation is just less click-baity.
A more full explantation of how height skews numbers and interpretation should also be included.
(…and sure, also include basic height, weight, and BMI stats too.)
…and one more thing, the idea of 'after dieting' is always failure.
I think what the video means when it says this, is the transition from a weight (and/or fat) reduction diet to a weight/fat maintenance diet.
(or a short-term weight/fat increase diet, …if below healthy or sustainable).
I was hoping on seeing more naturally slim people with low body fat, but all the low fat people were body builders.
People with bodies like Macaulay Culkin, Jay Baruchel, Afrien Brody or marathon runners.
I found this video very inciteful. I personally am very lean genetically and fall between 8-10% body fat. I find it interesting that a lot of the guys in this range are body builders or big guys on a diet rather than more lean calisthenics guys. When I was in my prime, I weighed 130lbs and had vascular defined muscle. I felt great, ran, did calisthenics, and could outperform most guys in body weight challenges. Hopefully I will get back to that soon… Thank you for the inspiration 🙏
I got down to about 7% for a natural show. I have never felt so shitty in my life. Constantly depleted, low sex drive, low energy, headaches, etc. Brutal. The true sweet spot really is right around that 15%
I learned that I’ve been lied to my whole life, the woman at 30% is (in my opinion) the most attractive weight there. Like clearly cares about themselves but not putting themselves through hell just to be at a point where less than 1% of the population sits.
Looking at this I am guessing my stat to be around 34% as a male. Aiming for 25%
Good report, though all the muscular ones posing isn’t the point here. Do a separate video for that
watching at 40 shooting for 30 hope I can get there soon guys✌🏾
I'm male with 10,2% body fat and I'm having same problems a that guy at 5% I'm also thin as a toothpick.
wow. that so many people are wasting their time watching these videos here.. it's unimaginable.
i mean seriously.
and where will all of you be when you go to eternity?
in heaven? or hell?
It's crazy to me that the 50% body fat girl looks "normal"… Crazy to think that truly fat people walk around at 65-70% body fat, that is bonkers
25:00 looks like a ripped Ana De Armas
so 28% is perfect, no less no more
Why are all the men he featured super short? 5'8" was the tallest guy. What about average height or tall men?
thank you so much for posting this Jeff! You are a blessing! <3
Thanks, I was convinced a woman should have like 12% body fat and my count was depressing me 😂 perhaps I'm not that far from what I want after all
Good on getting volunteers, but it's kind of a bad sample set as you mostly picked up bodybuilders. I think that gives a distorted perception of what people on low bodyfat% really look like, as your keeping a large mass, just shifting the tissue structure. I'm not a body builder, but I'm a 11% bodyfat man and I look quite a bit different.
2% of US women below 25% BF thats high key terrible Merica, when I was a kid in the 90s y'all were the ones with flat stomachs..
I see I am from 8 to 15 percent I am good
31:23 I don't need a study to know that things that change your hormones can result in irritation and a shorter fuse.
Are skinny people extinct? It seems odd to have non-gym-goers in the upper bf-levels and only athletes and body builders on the low end. There's almost no diversity other than height disparity, whereas half the young adults I see out on the street look slimmer than the smallest girl in the video – men and women both – without the muscle. On the low end it would've been much more interesting to see the body builders next to regular people in that range.
I was clocked at 11% during my last wrestling season.
8% looks more jacked than 5%
Having a BF% above 25% is just lazy and selfdestructive.