How much fat should you have? I have no clue. Each person’s body is different. But, as a personal trainer, I know what I like to see: muscles! And if I can see abdominal muscles, I really get excited. I usually don’t like numbers like weight and BMI because they don’t give an accurate picture.
For instance, some people carry more muscle than others. I had two clients about 10 years ago. Both were six-feet tall and muscular with very little body fat. Yet one weighed 180 and the other 205 pounds. One client was an avid runner while the other was a basketball player.
Was one in better physical condition and superior metabolically than the other because of a 25-pound weight difference? Who knows, but each was happy with his physique and physical prowess in their respective sports.
Honestly, that’s all I cared about. My job is to get people to the point where they are pleased with their physique and performance, regardless of my own biases regarding what I like from a superficial perspective.
Currently, I fluctuate between 194 to 197 pounds at 5’11”. My weight is about the same as it was 30 years ago and I’m fairly muscular. Every time I get on one of those scales that measures body fat percentage, I’m in the 9 to 12 percent range. I’m extremely happy with range, although most height and weight charts say I’m overweight. Sometimes the numbers don’t tell the whole story, so don’t worry about them too much.
