What should your body fat be?

Barry Sears’s Bestseller, Enter the Zone, states that “your percentage of body fat is the most important measurement you have to determine your progress toward physical fitness” (1995:263). Below is Sears’s list of body-fat percentages for elite athletes that will allow you to put your percent of body fat into a better perspective. It is important to note that males will always have a lower percent of body fat than females and the references listed below are world-class or professional athletes.

Reference Group –Males Percent Body Fat

Gymnasts, Wrestlers 4

Body Builders 5

Basketball Centers 7

Cross-Country Skiers, Triathletes 8

Racquetball Players 9

Basketball Forwards, Soccer Players 10

Swimmers 10

Distance Runners, Football Defensive Backs 11

Basketball Guards, Football Linebackers 12

Football Offensive Backs 13

Power Lifters, Shot Putters, Discus Throwers 17

Ideal Male 15

Average American Male 23

Reference Group—Females Percent Body Fat

Gymnasts 14

Racquetball Players 15

Aerobic-Dancer Instructors 17

Cross-Country Skiers 18

Swimmers 19

Tennis Players, Alpine Skiers 20

Track and Field, Basketball and Volleyball Players 21

Average Anorexic Patient 10

Ideal Female 22

Average American Female 32