[0:00] Do you know your body fat percentage?
[0:01] Take a guess.
[0:02] >> I'm going to guess 21,
[0:03] >> 17,
[0:04] >> 15.
[0:05] >> Most people don't know their body fat
[0:06] percentage. Some people think they're
[0:08] way leaner than they are.
[0:09] >> Oo, that was a little bit higher than I
[0:11] thought.
[0:12] >> Others are harder on themselves than
[0:13] they should be and find out they're
[0:14] closer to their goals than they realize.
[0:16] >> Hell yeah.
[0:19] >> And if you look up what different body
[0:20] fat percentages look like online, you
[0:22] won't find much help. Because if the
[0:24] numbers aren't completely made up,
[0:26] they're taken from less accurate
[0:27] measurements like calipers or handheld
[0:29] devices. And that confusion matters
[0:31] because your body fat percentage not
[0:33] only shapes how you look, it can also
[0:35] impact your health, sleep, performance,
[0:37] and how you feel about yourself. So, in
[0:39] this video, I'm going to take you
[0:41] through the full range from 50% body fat
[0:44] all the way down to 5%. Using real life
[0:47] people that I measured myself. We'll not
[0:49] only see what each level looks like, but
[0:50] we'll also hear about what it feels like
[0:52] to live at each level. I'll also show
[0:54] you where the average male and female
[0:56] lands. So, as we go, try to figure out
[0:58] where you fall and where you'd like to
[1:00] be, depending on your own goals, whether
[1:02] that's strength, health, or physique.
[1:05] This is Joe. He's a 36-year-old dad. And
[1:08] before I show you his exact body fat
[1:10] percentage, this is what his life is
[1:11] like dayto-day.
[1:12] >> I had low testosterone. Like my free
[1:15] testosterone was like 90, like 90. It
[1:17] kind of like made sense of like my lack
[1:19] of motivation, my lack of ambition.
[1:21] >> On bioelect electrical impedance or BIA,
[1:23] Joe came in at 50.7% body fat and on
[1:27] DEXA, he was 45.3%.
[1:29] >> So, your body fat percentage was 45.3.
[1:32] >> No way.
[1:33] >> That's lower than you thought.
[1:34] >> That's actually good. I mean, it's bad,
[1:36] but like
[1:37] >> he said he wants to get that down to 25%
[1:39] by the end of the year, and I'm going to
[1:40] help keep him accountable with that.
[1:41] >> So, you need to be one around 100 kilos.
[1:44] So, that's about 220 lb. If you want
[1:46] some accountability, we're here. We can
[1:48] get you back in in a year from now and
[1:50] see where you're at.
[1:51] >> Okay. And this is Alexis. She's a
[1:53] 19-year-old university student, and she
[1:55] said that dayto-day she feels pretty
[1:57] good. What's your energy like in the
[1:58] gym? Like, do you do you feel good?
[2:00] >> Um, in the gym, honestly, yeah. I love
[2:02] going to the gym.
[2:03] >> Alexis measured at 47.2% on BIA and
[2:06] 48.2% on DEXA. And she told me that
[2:09] while she feels fine and doesn't
[2:11] struggle much in terms of day-to-day
[2:12] activities for her long-term health, she
[2:14] does want to get down to a lower but
[2:16] still sustainable body fat percentage.
[2:18] >> I want to go back to where I was like
[2:20] comfortable and confident like every
[2:21] single day leaving my house. I've spent
[2:23] my first year at university and it was
[2:25] not a good time. I was eating a lot. I
[2:27] feel like I my body has changed so much
[2:29] over the last year. Like I almost don't
[2:30] recognize myself.
[2:32] >> That's probably the like toughest thing.
[2:34] >> Not everyone at this level had the same
[2:35] goal though. This is Daniel and he had
[2:37] one of the coolest motivations for
[2:38] losing weight that I've ever heard.
[2:40] >> I want to skydive.
[2:41] >> You want to skydive?
[2:43] >> Yeah. Yeah.
[2:44] >> Okay. That's a new one.
[2:46] >> I have not heard that before.
[2:48] >> The weight limit for skydiving is 220 to
[2:50] 240 lb. So, over the next year, I'm
[2:53] going to help him get there.
[2:54] >> Let's give you like a year and two or 3
[2:57] months. All right. You're going to come
[2:58] back here, get on the DEXA scan,
[3:01] >> and then you're going to book your
[3:02] skydiving. All right.
[3:04] I'm not doing it with you, though.
[3:05] Really? I'm scared of heights. I'm
[3:07] scared of heights. I will film you,
[3:08] though.
[3:09] >> For long-term weight loss, I think
[3:10] having a purpose that speaks to you is
[3:13] crucial, especially if you want to lose
[3:15] a lot of weight, which can feel
[3:16] overwhelming. You need to have a good
[3:19] reason for why you want to do it.
[3:21] >> What is What is fueling this for?
[3:24] >> Like, I've got two children. Like, I've
[3:25] got a 5-year-old and 8-year-old. My
[3:26] boy's five.
[3:27] >> And uh like his sole purpose is to like
[3:30] beat me up. That's like straight up. He
[3:32] wants to be stronger than me. He wants
[3:33] to beat me up.
[3:34] >> You just need to let him do that.
[3:35] >> Exactly. For as long as possible, you
[3:37] know.
[3:38] >> Okay. That's like that. Just beat up
[3:40] your son.
[3:40] >> Yeah.
[3:42] >> And because weight loss often takes
[3:43] longer than people realize, a lot of
[3:45] people do struggle with staying
[3:47] motivated. A lot of people want to find
[3:48] motivation. And the thing is like
[3:50] >> it comes and goes, right? And the key to
[3:53] be able to run on that is to get the
[3:54] habit set up. So it's just like brushing
[3:56] your teeth, right? Like it becomes
[3:58] something you do. When you build that
[4:00] trust in yourself over time that you're
[4:02] going to actually execute on those
[4:04] habits.
[4:04] >> While speaking with people at this
[4:05] level, I realized that even simple
[4:07] day-to-day activities can be a struggle.
[4:09] >> I'm always tired. Like I'm not like I
[4:12] want to sleep all day, but like I'm
[4:13] always fatigued.
[4:14] >> This is the heaviest I've ever been. It
[4:15] always feels like a battle. Like I I'd
[4:17] lose weight and then I would like gain
[4:18] it back and then some. To put on your
[4:20] shoes is like it's just uncomfortable. I
[4:23] never really care so much about my
[4:26] appearance,
[4:27] >> just about the things I can do if I was
[4:31] um not as big.
[4:32] >> And what I found most interesting was
[4:34] that they assumed that if they could
[4:35] just get down to the leanest level, like
[4:38] single-digit body fat, their exhaustion,
[4:40] energy crashes, and trouble sleeping
[4:42] would all go away.
[4:43] >> I'm pretty sure I would feel a lot
[4:44] better like this, right? But
[4:47] interestingly, as we'll see, if you go
[4:49] too far in the other direction, these
[4:51] exact same issues come back around
[4:53] again. In fact, if you get super lean,
[4:55] it can get really bad.
[4:57] >> I know my body is hard and I just can't
[4:59] get to sleep. And when you're that lean,
[5:01] it's like the wind blows and you're
[5:03] awake and you're not getting back to
[5:04] sleep.
[5:05] >> And a little later, I'll show you just
[5:07] how bad things can get at the very
[5:09] leanest level. because unfortunately an
[5:11] incident occurred between two subjects
[5:13] after filming that might have had
[5:15] something to do with mood changes that
[5:16] can come with extreme levels of
[5:18] leanness.
[5:18] >> Okay. Well, we going to have a problem
[5:20] then.
[5:20] >> First, before we see what 40% looks
[5:22] like, I want you to take a guess at what
[5:24] body fat percentage the average man is
[5:26] and what body fat percentage the average
[5:28] woman is in the United States. No
[5:30] cheating by skipping ahead. I'll show
[5:32] you that a little later. So, lock your
[5:34] guesses in. What body fat percentage the
[5:36] average man and the average woman in the
[5:38] US? Okay, this is Hmonish and he
[5:40] measured in at 40.7% body fat on BIA and
[5:44] 37.2% on DEXA. And keep in mind, these
[5:47] numbers are very accurate. DEXA is often
[5:50] considered the reference standard for
[5:51] body composition in exercise science
[5:53] research and in clinical practice. It's
[5:56] very precise and a 2020 review suggested
[5:59] that DEXA and MRI are actually
[6:02] comparably accurate for measuring body
[6:04] fat. And when combined with BIA, what
[6:06] I'm going to show you has tighter
[6:07] control and higher precision than most
[6:09] published exercise science studies. And
[6:12] it's going to be way more reliable than
[6:13] the online body fat charts that are out
[6:15] there, which use way less accurate tools
[6:17] and sometimes pure eyeballing, which can
[6:19] be way off, especially if there are
[6:21] differences in lighting. In this video,
[6:23] I'm going to show you exactly what each
[6:24] level looks like under the exact same
[6:26] lighting. Okay, so compared to 50%, you
[6:28] can see that at 40%, the waistline is
[6:30] down. The overall physique is leaner,
[6:32] but overall body fat distribution is
[6:34] still similar. And this is Katie. She's
[6:37] a nurse who just became a personal
[6:38] trainer herself, and she measured in at
[6:41] 37.6% on DEXA and 40.3% on BIA. 40% body
[6:46] fat on women can look very different
[6:48] from person to person depending on how
[6:50] much muscle they have and their
[6:51] individual body shape. And if we compare
[6:53] a male at 40% to a female at 40%, you
[6:56] can see that the female looks relatively
[6:58] leaner. That's because women store about
[7:00] 10 to 12% more essential fat than men.
[7:03] So 40% on a woman is visually more like
[7:06] 28 to 30% on a man. Men also tend to
[7:09] store more body fat around their
[7:10] stomach, lower back, and neck, while
[7:12] women tend to store more body fat around
[7:14] their hips and thighs. This is in part
[7:16] because estrogen promotes fat storage in
[7:18] the lower body, while testosterone
[7:20] promotes more visceral fat storage
[7:21] around the organs and midsection. That's
[7:23] a trend that'll continue at every body
[7:25] fat level. At 40%, how you feel
[7:27] day-to-day varies a lot from person to
[7:29] person, too. Katie said that overall she
[7:32] feels pretty good, has high energy, and
[7:33] her strength is solid. While Matthew,
[7:35] who came in at 43.8%, said that he does
[7:38] struggle with sleeping, and even some
[7:40] simple tasks like putting on his shoes
[7:42] can be difficult.
[7:43] >> I definitely feel it with like with
[7:44] sleep and stuff like that. I haven't
[7:46] been diagnosed with it, but like I know
[7:48] I have sleep apnea. If I fall asleep on
[7:50] my back, I'm going to wake myself up.
[7:51] being conscious of what shoes I wear. If
[7:54] I'm going somewhere where I might have
[7:56] to take my shoes off, sometimes it's
[7:58] difficult to just like pop my shoes off,
[7:59] you know, cuz I'm heavier.
[8:01] >> At 40% body fat, men typically have a
[8:03] higher risk of cardiovascular disease
[8:05] and metabolic issues. But for women, the
[8:07] risk isn't as elevated. In both cases,
[8:10] though, exercising and eating a healthy
[8:11] diet can do a lot more than you'd think.
[8:14] Even if weight loss isn't occurring
[8:15] right away, research shows that exercise
[8:18] can still significantly improve your
[8:20] health, strength, and mental well-being.
[8:22] And if earlier you guessed that the
[8:23] average body fat percentage for an
[8:25] American woman is around 40%, you'd be
[8:29] pretty much right. Based on 2017 to 2018
[8:31] NHANES data, the average American woman
[8:34] is about 39% body fat. Okay, now we're
[8:37] down to 30% body fat. And this is where
[8:40] things really start to change. This is
[8:42] Septari and he was 30.1% on BIA and
[8:45] 33.3% on DEXA. Your total body fat
[8:49] percentage is 33%.
[8:51] >> Okay.
[8:52] >> All right.
[8:52] >> But keep in mind 30% can look quite
[8:55] different depending on your structure
[8:57] and how much muscle you have. Septari
[8:59] measured in at 33.3% and Greg measured
[9:01] in at 32.5% on the DEXA. So almost
[9:05] exactly the same. But Septari had 97
[9:08] pounds of lean mass and Greg had 150 lbs
[9:11] of lean mass. At this level, how much
[9:13] muscle you carry can have a big impact
[9:15] on how you look.
[9:16] >> You guys are the same body 5%. You had
[9:17] very different reactions. Feel like you
[9:19] were really disappointed and you were
[9:20] not.
[9:22] >> 30% is what some people would call the
[9:24] dad bod look. Assuming you lift weights,
[9:26] you should see some visible muscle
[9:28] outline in your arms and legs, but
[9:30] you're not quite lean enough to see a
[9:31] whole lot of detail or separation. But
[9:33] assuming you sleep well, eat healthy,
[9:35] and exercise, your energy levels should
[9:37] be pretty solid, and your performance in
[9:39] the gym should be good, too.
[9:40] >> I almost like the way I look a little
[9:42] bit with the fat on.
[9:43] >> Yeah. Hey,
[9:44] >> it gives me the size. I
[9:45] >> I actually like that look, too.
[9:46] >> But if you don't have those healthy
[9:48] lifestyle habits, 30% can definitely
[9:50] feel uncomfortable. And for men, 30% is
[9:53] still above what most health
[9:54] organizations would consider optimal for
[9:56] long-term health. And if earlier you
[9:58] guessed that the average American male
[10:00] was 30% body fat, you'd be pretty close.
[10:03] Based on 2017 to 2018 data, the average
[10:06] American male is about 27% body fat. So
[10:10] if you're a man with 30% body fat, you'd
[10:12] land right here. About 40% of men have a
[10:15] body fat percentage higher than you, and
[10:17] about 60% of men have a body fat
[10:19] percentage at or below you. So if you're
[10:22] at this level and you'd like a smart
[10:23] nutrition app that can coach you to a
[10:25] leaner physique, try out MacroFactor.
[10:26] I'm a part owner. We've got over 400,000
[10:29] users and I'll put a link to a twoeek
[10:30] free trial in the description box below.
[10:32] Okay, so this is what 30% body fat looks
[10:34] like on a male and this is what 30% body
[10:36] fat looks like on a female. This is
[10:38] Breen and she measured at 28.4% body fat
[10:42] on DEXA and 28.2% body fat on BIA. So
[10:46] just a little under 30%. According to
[10:48] the American College of Sports Medicine,
[10:50] this is a healthy and sustainable body
[10:52] composition for a lot of women. Your
[10:54] body fat percentage 28.0.
[10:57] >> Okay. Nice.
[10:58] >> Yeah. So, you're you're obviously
[11:00] squarely within the healthy range.
[11:02] >> Once you account for female essential
[11:03] fat, 30% on a woman is about the same as
[11:06] 20% on a man. Here, energy levels and
[11:08] performance in the gym tend to be great.
[11:11] >> I feel like I wake up with a lot of
[11:13] energy, especially compared to my
[11:15] partner who I live with.
[11:16] >> And 30% on a woman is leaner than most
[11:18] people realize.
[11:19] >> I just feel like we hear 15, 10, like we
[11:21] hear such low numbers all the time. I
[11:23] think someone would look at you and be
[11:24] like, "Oh, you look amazing." But they
[11:25] wouldn't think like 28%. The pictures on
[11:28] Google, too. They're so different. I'm
[11:30] like, "It shows 30%." And I'm like,
[11:32] "That is not everything that I
[11:34] >> Exactly." That That's why I want to do
[11:35] this to give people like an updated
[11:37] standard.
[11:37] >> In the USA, if you're 30% body fat as a
[11:40] female, suddenly only about 10% of women
[11:44] are leaner than you and about 90% of
[11:46] women have a higher body fat. All right,
[11:48] we're just past the halfway point on our
[11:50] journey from 50% all the way down to 5%
[11:53] body fat. And here at 20%, we're really
[11:56] starting to lean out. Based on my time
[11:58] on the internet, most people seem to
[12:00] think that a male at 20% body fat looks
[12:03] something like this. But it actually
[12:05] looks like this. This is Jay, and he
[12:08] came in at 20.8% body fat on DEXA and
[12:11] 18.6% on BIA. So yeah, really close to
[12:15] 20%. And you'll notice once again that
[12:17] even at the same body fat percentage,
[12:19] your look can vary quite a bit depending
[12:21] on your bone structure and muscle mass.
[12:23] Nicholas came in at 19% on Dexa, but
[12:26] because he's shorter and he carries more
[12:28] muscle, his 20% looks quite a bit
[12:30] different from Jay's 20%. And I'm
[12:32] shorter than both of them. And 20% on me
[12:35] looked like this. Last year, I bulked up
[12:37] to 20.6% body fat. And this was my
[12:40] physique. You see, just because you're
[12:42] 20%, doesn't mean you're going to look
[12:43] or feel like someone else at 20%. We all
[12:46] have different genetic set ranges where
[12:48] our bodies are most comfortable. 20%
[12:50] body fat for me actually feels too high.
[12:52] I felt sluggish and bloated. For me, my
[12:55] body is a lot more comfortable and
[12:56] performs better in the 10 to 15 zone,
[12:59] but that comfortable set range is highly
[13:01] genetic, and it's a little different for
[13:03] everyone. For some men, it's a bit
[13:04] higher. Let's say 20 to 25%. If they try
[13:07] to get below 20%, they start to feel
[13:10] hungry, depleted, and low energy. In
[13:12] that case, I think maintaining a
[13:13] slightly higher level at around 20% is
[13:16] actually smart. So, you avoid constant
[13:18] yo-yo dieting. Assuming you lift weights
[13:20] at 20% body fat, your arms and shoulders
[13:22] will have some noticeable definition.
[13:24] And under good lighting, you should even
[13:26] see the outline of your abs when you
[13:28] flex them. For men, research shows that
[13:30] this can be a sustainable and healthy
[13:31] body composition to maintain. For most
[13:33] people, energy levels and performance in
[13:35] the gym should be really solid. And if
[13:37] you're 20% body fat, you're probably
[13:39] leaner than you think. Only about 12% of
[13:42] men are leaner than this in the US. So,
[13:45] if you get to 20% body fat, you're
[13:47] actually in a very small group. And for
[13:49] women, this is what 20% body fat looks
[13:51] like. This is Christina, who's been
[13:53] training consistently for over 10 years,
[13:55] and she measured at 21.4% on DEXA, 17.5%
[14:00] on BIA. Here you can definitely see
[14:03] visible muscle shape and more definition
[14:05] through the midsection. For some, this
[14:07] level of body fat will be lower than
[14:08] where your body is comfortable. For
[14:10] others, this can be healthy and
[14:12] sustainable.
[14:12] >> You are
[14:13] >> Uh-huh.
[14:14] >> 18.3%
[14:16] body fat.
[14:16] >> Stop it.
[14:18] >> But given that 20% is where a lot of
[14:20] pro- female athletes sit, I was a little
[14:22] surprised to see that some women still
[14:24] thought 20% was a bit too high.
[14:26] >> No. Like I I want to look cut. Like I
[14:29] want to look like Oh my god. Like she's
[14:30] jacked. Yes, you do. You You actually
[14:32] do. I don't know if you know that or
[14:33] not.
[14:34] >> Remember, 20% on a female is closer to
[14:36] 10% on a male. And here's the thing. If
[14:39] you're a woman, you have 20% body fat in
[14:41] the US. Less than 1% of the female
[14:44] population is leaner than you. Actually,
[14:46] only about 2% of women in the United
[14:48] States have a body fat percentage under
[14:50] 25. So unless you're genetically very
[14:52] lean or you want to maintain a certain
[14:54] level of leanness for your sport, this
[14:56] is about as lean as most women can
[14:58] realistically sustain and hold while
[15:00] still feeling healthy and performing
[15:02] optimally. All right, next stop. Now
[15:04] we're down to 15% body fat. And this is
[15:06] where things get interesting. This is my
[15:08] friend Shamar, who's lost 25 lbs since
[15:11] the last time I saw him, and he came in
[15:13] at 15.3% on DEXA, 15.4% on BIA. At this
[15:18] level, you can see clear muscle
[15:20] separation, even some vascularity,
[15:22] especially in the biceps and forearms.
[15:24] Your abs will be clearly visible, even
[15:26] under average lighting. But I still
[15:28] wouldn't call this extreme leanness. I
[15:30] actually think most men should be able
[15:32] to maintain this level of leanness year
[15:33] round as long as you train hard and you
[15:35] pay attention to your diet. It'll take
[15:37] some discipline, but it's realistic.
[15:39] That said, if you have a genetically
[15:41] higher body fat set range, you may
[15:43] notice hunger creeping in at around this
[15:44] level. So, if you're trying to maintain
[15:46] 15% body fat, you will need to pay
[15:49] attention to your food environment. If
[15:51] there are a lot of processed, delicious
[15:52] foods around the house, you'll probably
[15:54] quickly snack your way up to 20%. Your
[15:56] gym performance and strength should be
[15:58] really good at this level, and most
[15:59] people shouldn't have to suffer too much
[16:01] to get there. But, you might be
[16:03] surprised. If you're coming from a
[16:04] higher level of body fat, hitting 15%
[16:07] might take some serious dedication.
[16:09] >> 15.6.
[16:10] >> 15.6, man. Okay.
[16:12] >> I'm going right now.
[16:14] >> Yeah. Bedexa is the ego killer.
[16:18] >> Yeah, I'm doing more than the average
[16:19] bear to uh to be low body fat. So,
[16:22] >> but let me ask you, are you are you
[16:23] happy with your physique?
[16:25] >> Yes, overall I'm happy with that. Made a
[16:26] little progress
[16:27] >> and your performance.
[16:28] >> Yep. Yeah. No, I feel fine.
[16:29] >> Well, then just enough.
[16:30] >> Yeah.
[16:31] >> Still, if you have more muscle mass and
[16:33] you're genetically leaner, you might be
[16:34] able to cruise down to 15% without much
[16:37] struggle at all.
[16:37] >> I feel way better cuz that I'm 25 lbs
[16:40] down.
[16:41] >> Yeah, I'm too MySp are better. clarity
[16:43] is better.
[16:44] >> Here's what I think. I think it's
[16:45] because you've taken your time. You have
[16:46] a crash diet. You're still training
[16:49] super hard
[16:50] >> and you have a lot of muscle, you know?
[16:52] So, when you get rid of the fat
[16:54] surrounding you, you actually look
[16:55] bigger.
[16:56] >> I look bigger.
[16:56] >> You do look bigger. You look like I look
[16:59] bigger.
[16:59] >> Yeah, I know. Yeah, that happens.
[17:01] Regardless, 15% is leaner than you
[17:03] think. Only about 2% of American men are
[17:06] below this level of body fat. And for
[17:08] women, 15% looks like this. Meet
[17:12] Vanessa. She's currently training for a
[17:13] High Rocks competition, which is a
[17:15] hybrid event that combines running and
[17:17] various exercise stations. And she came
[17:19] in at 15.7% body fat on DEXA, 14.8% on
[17:24] BIA. And like I said, since women need
[17:26] about 10 to 12% body fat just for basic
[17:28] survival needs, this level of leanness
[17:30] is typically only seen in serious
[17:32] athletes preparing for a specific event.
[17:35] For a lot of women, this is where things
[17:37] can start to take a negative turn,
[17:38] especially if you're sustaining this
[17:40] level of leanness for a long period of
[17:41] time. Your hunger hormones can increase,
[17:43] energy can drop off, and you may lose
[17:45] your menstrual cycle. Staying this lean
[17:47] for years can also cause bone mineral
[17:49] loss and gut issues.
[17:50] >> How's your hormonal?
[17:52] >> It's sensitive. They don't want to put
[17:54] extra stress on my system. Okay?
[17:56] >> Otherwise, my period will get kind of
[17:57] wonky or like my sleep will get kind of
[17:59] messed up. That said, there definitely
[18:01] is a fraction of women who seem to do
[18:02] fine at this level without any major
[18:04] issues. Still, for most women, 15% will
[18:07] be low, and sitting closer to 20% is
[18:10] going to feel healthier and more
[18:11] sustainable for long-term health. And I
[18:13] don't know, I think this is cool. Two of
[18:15] these people are the exact same body fat
[18:18] percentage, which goes to show that just
[18:20] because you have the same number as
[18:21] someone else doesn't necessarily mean
[18:23] you're going to look like them. I saw a
[18:25] YouTube personality that the weight that
[18:27] she was aiming for or said that was
[18:29] sustainable for her was way too light
[18:31] compared to me. But because we were the
[18:33] same height and like had similar goals,
[18:35] I like pointed to her and was like,
[18:37] "That's what I should do." But it wasn't
[18:39] sustainable or safe for me to do that.
[18:42] >> Even if you're the same height, weight,
[18:43] and body fat percentage, you can still
[18:45] have drastically different metabolisms
[18:47] from someone else. So, it's like
[18:49] everyone truly is their own unique
[18:52] person, and you have to figure out what
[18:54] goal makes most sense for you.
[18:55] >> Yeah. And what's most sustainable.
[18:57] >> Exactly. Okay. At this point, we've gone
[18:59] from 50% body fat all the way down to
[19:02] 12%. This is Jimmy, and he came in at
[19:05] 12.1% on DEXA, 13.8% on BIA. And as you
[19:10] can see, this is a very, very fit look.
[19:13] At this level, most men will have a
[19:15] fully defined six-pack with just a
[19:17] little fat covering the lower abdominals
[19:19] and a little fat left on the lower back.
[19:21] But at 12%, you should be lean enough to
[19:23] see some visible striations, especially
[19:25] when you flex under good lighting.
[19:27] >> I want people to appreciate like this is
[19:29] a true 12% physique. For most men, your
[19:32] performance will still be solid in the
[19:34] gym, but to be honest, most men won't be
[19:36] able to maintain this level of leanness
[19:38] without some serious discipline. You'll
[19:40] most likely need to track your calories
[19:41] or follow a meal plan. Most men won't
[19:44] just sit here without some active
[19:45] dietary restriction. Some men will be
[19:48] able to maintain 12% no problem. But for
[19:51] most men, this is about as low as you
[19:53] can go without feeling like you're
[19:54] constantly dieting. 12% body fat is
[19:57] lean. Much leaner than people realize.
[19:59] In fact, a recent data report of over
[20:01] 9,000 American men revealed just how
[20:04] many people are actually below 12% body
[20:07] fat. How many out of the 9,000 do you
[20:10] think were under 12% body fat?
[20:12] >> 200.
[20:13] >> Maybe 500.
[20:15] >> 500.
[20:15] >> 500.
[20:16] >> 9,000 people. 400 people.
[20:18] >> One person.
[20:19] >> What?
[20:20] >> One.
[20:21] >> One person.
[20:21] >> Oh my god.
[20:22] >> Isn't that crazy? So, it goes to show
[20:23] like how lean that really is when you
[20:26] compare to the general population,
[20:27] right? For women, 12% is virtually
[20:29] unheard of outside of bodybuilding
[20:31] stages. At this level, you're just about
[20:33] down to only having essential body fat
[20:36] left. Performance-enhancing drugs are
[20:37] often needed to get this lean, and even
[20:40] then, strength and energy in the gym
[20:41] will almost always take a hit. Chances
[20:43] are, you'll be constantly thinking about
[20:45] food. Just ask Alicia here.
[20:47] >> I I crave a lot of chocolate. A lot of
[20:51] chocolate. Like I thought I was buying
[20:52] like a small bag of like chocolate
[20:53] chips, but then I ordered like a really
[20:55] large bag and I like craving them and I
[20:58] was just like handful and like ate them
[21:00] and I'm like, I don't even know why I
[21:02] You are like me. That has literally been
[21:04] me the last week with literally with
[21:08] chocolate chips on oatmeal.
[21:09] >> She's a pro bodybuilder hoping to get
[21:11] back on stage soon. And she came in at
[21:13] 12.2% body fat on Dexa, 14.7 on BIA.
[21:18] >> So, I'm just kind of like go go go all
[21:19] day. But then when I get home and I'm
[21:21] finally like,
[21:22] >> then I'm like, "Oh my god, I'm hungry. I
[21:24] could eat the world. Like, I want to eat
[21:25] everything."
[21:27] >> Okay. On our journey from 50%, we've got
[21:29] a couple levels of leanness left to go.
[21:31] And it gets pretty intense. For men at
[21:33] around 10% body fat, I've got three
[21:36] different examples. Nicholas came in at
[21:38] 10.5%, Ali at 9.0, and my latest Dexa
[21:43] also came back at 9.0% body fat. At this
[21:46] level, your abs will be clearly defined,
[21:48] and you should have visible separation
[21:50] in all the heads of any given muscle. In
[21:52] all three of us, you can see a clear
[21:54] outline of the different heads of the
[21:55] triceps and noticeable striations
[21:57] through our chest and shoulders. At 9 or
[21:59] 10%, your midsection will be pretty
[22:01] ripped, and there shouldn't be any
[22:02] noticeable pouches of fat anywhere on
[22:04] your back or legs. Here I am at 9% and
[22:07] you can see clear separation between all
[22:08] the heads of my quads and feathering in
[22:10] my back and hamstrings. 9% is very lean.
[22:14] I was even surprised that Olly clocked
[22:16] in at 9% because his arms look so
[22:18] shredded in vascular. I honestly
[22:20] expected him to be closer to 7 or 8%.
[22:23] But that's the thing, 9 to 10% is leaner
[22:26] than people think. The fitness community
[22:27] has said for years that
[22:28] >> 10 to 12 10
[22:30] >> is the healthy, not too lean sweet spot
[22:32] that men should aim for.
[22:34] >> You can get all the definition that you
[22:35] want and still have performance
[22:37] capabilities without sacrificing quality
[22:39] of your life.
[22:40] >> But I'm not sure that's true. Getting
[22:42] down to or just below 10% body fat
[22:45] usually requires a lot more sacrifice
[22:47] than many people are willing to make.
[22:49] And for the vast majority of men, 10%
[22:51] probably simply won't be sustainable
[22:53] without some serious dietary
[22:55] restriction. and highly disciplined
[22:57] training. I do this as a career. I think
[22:59] I'm genetically leaner than most people
[23:01] and getting to 10% was harder than I
[23:03] expected, but genetics are huge and some
[23:06] people can maintain 10% body fat without
[23:08] any major issues for sure. How do you
[23:10] feel dayto-day?
[23:11] >> H great honestly like this is this would
[23:13] probably be my like like my default
[23:15] >> really the fact that you are performing
[23:17] well, you're feeling good, your energy
[23:19] is good at that percentage. Okay, this
[23:21] good healthy percentage for you, right?
[23:23] This is the power of genetics. But
[23:24] that's the thing. I think most guys who
[23:26] actually do get to or just below 10% are
[23:29] usually genetically leaner and so they
[23:31] can hold it a lot more easily. Then
[23:33] those guys make the suggestion that
[23:34] that's the sustainable sweet spot, not
[23:36] realizing that most people will have to
[23:38] struggle to get there. And for them, it
[23:40] may not be worth it. So unless you have
[23:42] really good genetics, you most likely
[23:43] won't just end up at 10% body fat. It's
[23:46] certainly an achievable goal, but for
[23:48] most people, it will be a challenge and
[23:50] it will require some serious dietary
[23:52] structure. Oh, and for women, most
[23:54] research cites 10% body fat as the
[23:56] leanest level biologically possible. So,
[23:59] I do not recommend getting to this level
[24:01] unless you're doing it for a short-term
[24:03] competitive purpose. Ideally, under the
[24:04] supervision of a coach or a medical
[24:06] professional, but I did manage to find a
[24:08] couple examples. AJ is a professional
[24:10] bikini competitor, and her DEXA scan
[24:12] came back at WA.
[24:18] >> I have never seen this in my life. Look
[24:21] at this.
[24:23] 9.9.
[24:25] >> But this level of body fat doesn't come
[24:27] without serious side effects.
[24:28] >> It feels terrible. It feels so bad. If I
[24:32] brush my hair, a lot of hair comes out.
[24:34] I haven't had a period in quite a long
[24:36] time. My last period might have been
[24:40] May. I know it's going to take a while
[24:42] to get it back.
[24:43] >> Gia is also a national level competitor
[24:45] and she came back even leaner. 9.1% body
[24:48] fat. Absolutely mind-blowing. But again,
[24:51] this is a very short-term thing that I
[24:53] wouldn't recommend outside of very
[24:55] serious competitive contexts.
[24:57] >> 3 weeks ago, I started to notice like a
[25:00] significant dip in my energy levels to
[25:03] the point where I would stand up and
[25:04] I'll be like, "Wo!"
[25:06] >> And just like walking up the stairs or
[25:09] just walking
[25:10] >> become like it felt like such a chore.
[25:12] >> Yeah.
[25:13] >> And food cravings at this level are
[25:15] usually absolutely out of control.
[25:17] >> I went out for sushi. I think I had like
[25:20] four or five rolls of sushi and five
[25:22] guys plus fries plus eat that entire
[25:25] day. Your body is metabolizing it so
[25:28] quickly. But the more you eat, the more
[25:30] your body wants food. So
[25:32] >> given the extreme health risks of going
[25:33] any lower, this is the leanest level
[25:36] I'll be showing for women, but there's
[25:37] still two levels left for men. And the
[25:40] last level gets pretty wild. Okay, 8%
[25:42] body fat is what I would consider
[25:44] shredded. This is Luke. He's a
[25:46] professional natural physique competitor
[25:47] two weeks out from his competition. And
[25:49] his body fat came back at 8.4% on DEXA,
[25:53] 9.5% on BIA. At this level of leanness,
[25:56] you'll have clear deep striations in
[25:58] almost all your muscle groups. Usually,
[26:01] the only muscle not fully striated at 8%
[26:03] body fat is your glutes. And that may
[26:05] sound awesome and you do look super
[26:07] ripped, but if you are willing to make
[26:09] the sacrifices necessary to get here,
[26:11] you're still going to have to deal with
[26:12] some side effects. Your testosterone
[26:14] usually starts to drop off simply
[26:16] because your body is sending every
[26:18] signal to just go find some food. No
[26:20] time for reproduction, you need to eat.
[26:22] No time for sleep, you need to eat. You
[26:25] might be thinking about food all day and
[26:27] night.
[26:27] >> If you could have one cheat meal right
[26:29] now, what would it be?
[26:31] >> Sushi. I didn't even have to think.
[26:35] Now, while there may be a few extreme
[26:37] genetic outliers who can get here
[26:39] without any serious discomfort, the vast
[26:41] majority of men will only be able to
[26:43] sustain this level of leanness for a
[26:45] short period of time. A B CDE E F G. Can
[26:49] you start reciting that backwards for
[26:50] me? Starting at G. I couldn't do that
[26:53] even if I wanted.
[26:56] >> But do you do you find that you have
[26:57] like brain fog? Like you can't always
[26:59] get the words you want and that kind of
[27:00] thing.
[27:01] >> Yeah.
[27:01] >> I'm running in like slow motion at all
[27:03] times. The littlest of things can annoy
[27:05] me and agitate me so much.
[27:07] >> If you want to get to 8% body fat for a
[27:08] photo shoot or a competition, I do think
[27:10] there is a relatively healthier way to
[27:12] do it as a male. Eat high protein, don't
[27:15] diet too quickly, prioritize
[27:16] nutrient-dense whole foods, and try to
[27:18] keep your cool. But it can get tricky
[27:20] after the diet is over. That's because
[27:22] your body is constantly screaming at you
[27:24] to eat more. And so, a lot of men will
[27:27] quickly rebound in weight, often times
[27:29] shooting over where they were before
[27:31] they even started. That's why I don't
[27:33] usually recommend getting to
[27:34] single-digit body fat unless you have a
[27:36] really good reason for it and a solid
[27:38] plan for after the diet is over. But
[27:41] there's still one level left to go.
[27:43] >> People don't realize to get to 5% that's
[27:45] like a next level kind of dieting.
[27:48] >> I personally think it's impossible for
[27:51] most men without enhancement. It's very
[27:54] hard because it drives the muscle up and
[27:55] so you get the percentage down. Okay, so
[27:57] we started at 50% and now we're all the
[27:59] way down to 5% body fat. This is Lachlan
[28:03] and he's 3 weeks out from a classic
[28:05] physique competition and he came in at
[28:07] 5.5% on DEXA and 3.1% on BIA.
[28:12] >> 5.5.
[28:13] >> Oo,
[28:14] >> shredded man. I told you that's awesome.
[28:17] >> This is an extreme, borderline dangerous
[28:19] level of leanness and it generally only
[28:21] makes sense in the context of
[28:22] bodybuilding contest prep. At this
[28:24] level, you'll have dense, grainy muscle
[28:26] separation. And honestly, it's very,
[28:28] very difficult to achieve without
[28:30] anabolic assistance simply because as
[28:32] you naturally cut down below 6, 7, or
[28:34] 8%, your body starts to eat away at your
[28:37] muscle. No matter what you do, the side
[28:39] effects to get this lean are going to be
[28:40] rough. Your body's going to be sending
[28:42] you every possible signal to please go
[28:45] eat all hours of day and night. And it's
[28:48] interesting because the fitness industry
[28:50] praises leanness so much. A lot of
[28:52] people think the leaner you get, the
[28:54] healthier you get. But that isn't true.
[28:56] >> The body fat that I'm at right now is
[28:57] not attainable long term. The little
[28:59] tasks in life become the most
[29:01] challenging. Getting out of your car to
[29:02] walk into work.
[29:04] >> It's like you got to sit there and
[29:05] think, "Oh, I got to go do this." You
[29:06] know what the the irony is? We both go
[29:08] through the same problems, but we both
[29:10] have different goals and journeys in
[29:12] life. And this is where it gets crazy
[29:14] because I do think this level of
[29:15] leanness, especially combined with
[29:17] certain special supplements, can cause
[29:19] people to act in ways they no longer
[29:21] recognize. After filming this video,
[29:23] Lachlan ran into Ali, our 9% subject, at
[29:26] the gym and acted completely out of
[29:29] line.
[29:29] >> My studio is for posing and for other
[29:31] stuff, not to be on a phone call. Why
[29:33] can't you go down there? You don't need
[29:34] the lighting.
[29:35] >> I go somewhere else. This is the posing
[29:37] room.
[29:38] >> This is Dude, the posing is downstairs.
[29:40] I'm not trying to be a skinny ass before
[29:43] I snap.
[29:44] >> Okay. So, what
[29:45] >> can I Can you talk to me like a brother?
[29:48] >> You're not brother, dude.
[29:49] >> Why are you being so
[29:50] >> This isn't a live streaming spot, dude.
[29:52] If you want to go do that, you can do
[29:53] that outside. You can do that over
[29:54] there. I need the lighting to post.
[29:56] >> The incident ended up going viral on
[29:58] social media. And to be honest, my
[30:00] initial reaction was to think it was
[30:02] staged. What are the chances that two
[30:03] subjects from this video just happen to
[30:06] run into each other and get in an
[30:07] altercation the very next week? So after
[30:10] the incident, I wanted to give them both
[30:11] a call to make sure everything was all
[30:13] right and to get their thoughts on why
[30:14] this happened.
[30:15] >> Um, what would I say to him? Well, I
[30:17] would, you know, I would apologize and
[30:18] tell him that I'm like, I apologize for
[30:20] the way I handled things. Cuz I I do
[30:22] take responsibility. That was not who I
[30:24] am. I reacted out of emotion and not
[30:26] logic. And that happens to people
[30:28] sometimes. It happened to me. I feel
[30:30] bad. I'll learn from it. I'll grow from
[30:31] it. That's how that's how I roll. Okay.
[30:33] >> First of all, I didn't expect the video
[30:34] to do the way it did. I don't feel so
[30:37] good about it because he's getting a lot
[30:38] of hate. M Ali had a good attitude about
[30:40] the situation too, reiterating that it's
[30:43] never okay to body shame someone and we
[30:45] want the gym to be a place where
[30:46] everyone feels safe and welcome no
[30:47] matter their shape or their size.
[30:49] >> Yeah.
[30:50] >> You know what's funny, Jeff, is like
[30:51] I've never had any sort of experience
[30:53] with feeling any different while using
[30:55] that sort of supplementation. But it's
[30:57] almost like this video made me think
[31:00] like, oh man, maybe I did roid rage. You
[31:02] know what I mean? Like
[31:03] >> I don't know if roid rage is like a real
[31:05] thing or not. Like I I haven't seen much
[31:08] in the way of like actual science about
[31:10] it, but anecdotally like you do tend to
[31:14] see that like the higher dosage guys
[31:16] like they do tend to let their temper
[31:18] get the best of them more often, but it
[31:21] seems to be very individual. I mean I I
[31:23] agree with you like it's it's not an
[31:24] excuse and it should like that type of
[31:26] behavior is not acceptable for sure
[31:28] obviously. Um but I think like it's a
[31:31] contributing factor you know like it is
[31:33] a contributing factor.
[31:35] >> Okay. So, with all this in mind, if you
[31:37] want the best combination of health,
[31:38] performance, and aesthetics, what's the
[31:41] ideal body fat percentage for you? Well,
[31:43] I know I detailed a lot of different
[31:45] body fat percentages in this video, but
[31:47] honestly, the precise number doesn't
[31:49] matter as much as you think. That said,
[31:51] for most women, 20 to 30% is usually the
[31:54] sweet spot. But genetic differences are
[31:56] huge. So, if you fall outside that
[31:58] range, it doesn't necessarily mean
[31:59] you're automatically unhealthy. Not at
[32:01] all. In fact, the American College of
[32:03] Sports Medicine recommends 20 to 32% as
[32:06] the optimal healthy range for women.
[32:08] Going a bit higher or a bit lower isn't
[32:11] game over. For men, the ACSM cites 10 to
[32:14] 22% as the healthy range. I think 10 to
[32:18] 20% is the sweet spot, though. If your
[32:20] main goal is lean aesthetics, aim for
[32:22] the lower end of that range, so 10 to
[32:24] 15%. If your main goal is maximum
[32:26] strength performance, the upper end of
[32:28] that range might be a bit better, so 15
[32:30] to 20%. And since the body fat charts
[32:32] currently online really aren't the best,
[32:35] here's one that I put together using the
[32:36] real life subjects in this video if you
[32:38] want a screenshot. But honestly, if
[32:40] you're trying to get healthier, I think
[32:42] rather than fixating on a specific body
[32:44] fat percentage, you should focus on how
[32:46] you're moving, how you're training, how
[32:47] you're eating, and how you're feeling.
[32:49] What matters isn't the perfect
[32:51] percentage. It's finding a range where
[32:53] you can live a healthy and balanced
[32:55] life. Body fat percentage is just one
[32:57] piece of the puzzle. It doesn't define
[32:59] your worth and it doesn't tell the whole
[33:00] story of your health. The real goal is
[33:02] to find a balance that makes you feel
[33:04] strong, healthy, and confident. And like
[33:07] I mentioned earlier, so much of finding
[33:09] that healthy, sustainable body fat level
[33:11] comes down to your nutrition. So if
[33:13] you're looking to get your diet in
[33:14] check, I recommend using my nutrition
[33:15] approactor. It isn't just a calorie
[33:18] tracker. It actually coaches you to your
[33:20] goal using science-based algorithms and
[33:22] weekly check-ins. And unlike most diet
[33:24] apps, it's actually very approachable.
[33:26] We don't punish you if you miss a day
[33:28] here or there, and we won't send you
[33:29] stressful alerts or guilt trip you about
[33:31] eating so-called bad foods. We even have
[33:34] a dynamic maintenance mode, which you
[33:36] can switch to as soon as you hit your
[33:37] goal weight to make sure that you
[33:39] maintain your weight once the cut is
[33:41] over. Or you can switch to a lean bulk
[33:43] if you'd rather start gaining. Either
[33:44] way, just use code Jeff when you
[33:46] download on the App Store or Google Play
[33:48] and that'll get you 2 weeks for free.
[33:49] All right, that's it for this one, guys.
[33:50] Shout out to everyone who participated
[33:52] in this video. Dexa scans are really
[33:54] timeconuming. Everybody has to come in
[33:56] fasted. It's a whole lot of work. And I
[33:58] really appreciate all you guys for
[33:59] coming out to the lab and helping with
[34:01] this video. It really means a lot. Don't
[34:02] forget to leave me a thumbs up if you
[34:04] enjoyed the video. Subscribe if you
[34:05] haven't already. And I'll see you all
[34:06] here in the next