Fat pad and bodyfat %

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

While it is hard to accurately measure both bf% and fat pad ,I thought we could get some insight into how they relate.

I am particularly interested in anyone who has had a body fat test which shows less than 18% and what their fat pad is.

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

I'm pretty sure I'm below 18% body fat. I have decent definition. Does that count?
My fat pad is about 0.75"

[GoingForGold Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GoingForGold]

I assume I'm around 12% and have about 1/4" of padding before the pubic bone that can be parted by a ruler.

When I gain, the first place that inflates are the abs and pad. So sometimes, like this winter probably, I'll be sporting a 1/2" fat pad. I probably go up to the 18% range when I gain 5 to 10 pounds that aren't weightlifting related.

So I'd say I have 1/4" at 12% and 1/2" at 18%. I've never used the shift key so many times in one sentence!

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

Currently have a 1" fat pad or perhaps a tad less and was recently measured at 12% bf at 101kg. Couple of years ago I was 106kg and had 1.25" pad . When I was a middleweight many years ago you could see through my skin and I had virtually no fatpad.

[donjelqer76 Retired ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close donjelqer76]

My fat pad was about 1/4" when I was actively working out and just under 10% bodyfat as tested by caliper. With all the issues I've had with my back this year I haven't been able to work out and I'm currently sitting at 18% bodyfat with just under 1/2" fat pad.

There was a member a few months ago that posted about having a very thick fat pad despite being over 6' tall and only weighing around 150 lbs.

I think that bodyfat percentage and fat pad are definitely tied together at least loosely - but genetics adds a huge variable in there. When losing weight, the body has its own way of determining where to remove body fat from so the point at which the fat pad starts diminishing will definitely be different for everyone

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

I am trying to get a handle on what the normal range is . My experience suggests that if you get low enough bf your fat pad will disappear.
The problem with this is that most guys can't maintain 5%bf for years on end . So at something more reasonable like 10 or `12%bf is it common to have 1" plus? I had assumed it was reasonable common given my pad and bf % but perhaps it isn't.
Of course one must caution that both bf% and fatpad have measurement error.

[imac Retired Moderator Member of the Month Nov 12PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close imac]

My fat pad is just under half an inch but I've no idea what my bmi is, I would imagine it's under 18% but by how much I don't know.

[Padawan787 Moderator ReservePEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Padawan787]

My fatpad is quite thin, 0.5 to 0.75".

I don't know what my bodyfat percentage is exactly but I'm in good shape physically, and most likely under 18%.

[BigO AdministratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close BigO]

I am not sure exactly what my BF% is but I had it measured enuff in the military to safely assume with in 2 points that I am about 18 % and my fatso pad is at about an inch, within an 1/8th given my hydration and fluid retention. I am going to see if I cant get into a strict routine and try and get at 10% and see what difference come out of it.

I will post more info at some time today.

[faithandhope Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close faithandhope]

I have a BF percentage of 5%. My fat pad is almost nonexistent, it is a mere 0.1-0.25"


I'll also say that I have maintained this BFI for the past, probably 4 years if not my entire life. I am an active 20 year old kid, right now I am 5"9" 155 lbs I've worked out and ran and stay very active overall for my whole life right now, I do flooring which is a labor intensive job and as much as I can go to the gym after work. I am starting boxing next week, so I really hope that my very low BFI will work to my advantage

Most of the time when I ask people how much they think I weigh, they see my muscles and put me in the 165-170 range.


Not sure if this was very helpful, but cheers!

[MovingUp Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MovingUp]

you're not 5% sorry, no one maintains that for years and is able to maintain good muscle mass without steroids, in fact, even with steroids I'm not sure people can maintain that for years, 4-5% is essential fat, you go any lower and you're dead

you're probably 8%

[faithandhope Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close faithandhope]

you're not 5% sorry, no one maintains that for years and is able to maintain good muscle mass without steroids, in fact, even with steroids I'm not sure people can maintain that for years, 4-5% is essential fat, you go any lower and you're dead

you're probably 8%

Yes, I am 5%. I took a BFI test 2 years ago and was at 4.8% BF. So I don't know who your trying to call a liar, but take it somewhere else cause it aint me baby.

I've been active my entire lifetime, Whether it was being a kid and spending 3 hours outside running around, to when I was a young teen splitting wood in my yard for hours and also running around, when I was a teen I did sports, worked out on my own, and most days walked home from school... 6 miles, sometimes both ways. I'd walk home 6 miles from school after a 2.5 hour football practice... everyday. Now, I work all day sweating my ass off. When I get home, I walk 2 miles just to get to the gym, run 2 miles at the gym, and when I leave how do I get home? I walk the 2 miles. There hasn't been a day in my life that I haven't done some sort of aerobic or strenuous activity. I am not at 8%, and never have been since I was probably 5 years old.

[BigO AdministratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close BigO]

you're not 5% sorry, no one maintains that for years and is able to maintain good muscle mass without steroids, in fact, even with steroids I'm not sure people can maintain that for years, 4-5% is essential fat, you go any lower and you're dead

you're probably 8%

You are running around being rude on one thread and calling members liars on another, my prediction is that if you keep it up you will be gone in less than a week. Now you can become a better member or a former one. Choice is yours, only 2 green thingys left.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

I had bf% measured many times in my 20's at between 4 and 6%, like f@h my fatpad was nonexistent at this time. At this time I weighed 165lb, not exactly heavily muscled for a guy 6ft 1 in,likewise f@h is 155lb.
Yes f@h your info is of value ,very low bodyfat seems to mean no fatpad, however this is not a practical solution for most guys.

As stated several times bf% is subject to measurement error and I don't think it pays to get hung up on the fine points .

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

I am not sure exactly what my BF% is but I had it measured enuff in the military to safely assume with in 2 points that I am about 18 % and my fatso pad is at about an inch, within an 1/8th given my hydration and fluid retention. I am going to see if I cant get into a strict routine and try and get at 10% and see what difference come out of it.

I will post more info at some time today.

A few years back I may have been around the same bf% ,I have lost a quarter of an inch. Your experience will be interesting.
I wonder what would happen if mine went slightly lower , there must be some tiping point?