I Got Tanked! (Hydrostatic Weigh-In)

[aufhebung]

I tend to lurk on the discussion boards more than I post, but I thought I'd tell you about my experience with hydrostatic body composition testing. I've been curious about my body fat percentage for a while, but today I finally decided to take advantage of the hydrostatic tank at a nearby hospital fitness center. They also did a 7-point skin fold assessment with calipers, and my results were as follows:

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 154

BF%, calipers: 18.5%
BF%, hydrostatic: 18.5% (S.F. formula), 17.75% (H.W. formula)
Lean weight: 125.49 lbs (S.F.), 126.7 lbs. (H.W.)
Fat weight: 28.5 lbs (S.F.), 27.3 (H.W.)

Considering the fact that I used to weigh 220 lbs and was three-point caliper tested at 33% BF a few years ago, I'm pretty pleased with those stats...but I'm also trying to figure out where to go from here. My goal is to be somewhere between 15 and 17% body fat, but I also want to add some lean mass. Anyhow, I was very pleased to see how accurate the caliper measurements were...

But guess what? My Omron bioelectrical impedence body composition monitor was reading me at 26% body fat! I knew those things weren't very accurate, but DAMN!

 

[musclemom]

I tend to lurk on the discussion boards more than I post, but I thought I'd tell you about my experience with hydrostatic body composition testing. I've been curious about my body fat percentage for a while, but today I finally decided to take advantage of the hydrostatic tank at a nearby hospital fitness center. They also did a 7-point skin fold assessment with calipers, and my results were as follows:

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 154

BF%, calipers: 18.5%
BF%, hydrostatic: 18.5% (S.F. formula), 17.75% (H.W. formula)
Lean weight: 125.49 lbs (S.F.), 126.7 lbs. (H.W.)
Fat weight: 28.5 lbs (S.F.), 27.3 (H.W.)

Considering the fact that I used to weigh 220 lbs and was three-point caliper tested at 33% BF a few years ago, I'm pretty pleased with those stats...but I'm also trying to figure out where to go from here. My goal is to be somewhere between 15 and 17% body fat, but I also want to add some lean mass. Anyhow, I was very pleased to see how accurate the caliper measurements were...

But guess what? My Omron bioelectrical impedence body composition monitor was reading me at 26% body fat! I knew those things weren't very accurate, but DAMN!

Hey Auf, glad you're not lurking anymore! Thanks for sharing, BTW. I've wanted to get one of those done but always manage to never have any money to blow on it.

Oy, those bioelectrical things! I knew they were pretty bad, especially when it came to women.

Pretty cool that the calipers and hydrostat were both right on the money. And EXTREME congratulations on the fat loss, that is an outstanding achievement.

And if you're a long time lurker, you know the drill. We know your BF, we need details on your daily meal plans and current exercise routine and the ladies can make suggestions.

Again, so glad you came out into the light!

 

[aufhebung]

Hey musclemom, thanks for the encouragement! As you might imagine, I've been on a number of rather strict nutritional plans over the last couple of years, but currently I am eating along the lines of John Berardi's Precision Nutrition program. It's pretty standard, as far as things go...

I used to break every meal I ate into macronutrient percentages and cycle my carbs. Now I basically eat around 1600 - 1800 calories a day which are broken down into approximately 5 small meals. Each meal consists of a complete lean protein (whey shake, chicken breast, lean pork tenderloin, buffalo, etc.) and at least one serving of vegetables (spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, etc.). I only eat non-fruit or vegetable carbs after a workout, and even then, I shoot for complex carbs. I avoid simple sugars, but on the occasion that I do eat them, I try to make sure it's after a workout. I had surgery a couple of months ago and won't be cleared to do any strenuous lifting for another couple of weeks, but I still keep my protein intake at around 100g a day at a minimum.

Normally, I train in mixed martial arts and submission grappling for 5 - 10 hrs a week. However, due to my recent surgery, I've been out of training for a couple of months. Instead, I've been doing 30 minutes of cardio 6 days a week (alternating elliptical and running on the treadmill, keeping my HR around 175, occasionally doing HIIT to keep things interesting).

What do you suppose will be the biggest challenges for me from this point on? Should I be worrying more about fat loss or muscle growth (or both)? P.S., I'm scrawny, and I carry most of my fat around my midsection and sides. I'm trying to develop a workout plan for the fall, and I'm not sure what percentage of my workouts (outside of mma/grappling) should be focused on strength training and cardio, respectively.

 

[musclemom]

Hey musclemom, thanks for the encouragement! As you might imagine, I've been on a number of rather strict nutritional plans over the last couple of years, but currently I am eating along the lines of John Berardi's Precision Nutrition program. It's pretty standard, as far as things go...

I used to break every meal I ate into macronutrient percentages and cycle my carbs. Now I basically eat around 1600 - 1800 calories a day which are broken down into approximately 5 small meals. Each meal consists of a complete lean protein (whey shake, chicken breast, lean pork tenderloin, buffalo, etc.) and at least one serving of vegetables (spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, etc.). I only eat non-fruit or vegetable carbs after a workout, and even then, I shoot for complex carbs. I avoid simple sugars, but on the occasion that I do eat them, I try to make sure it's after a workout. I had surgery a couple of months ago and won't be cleared to do any strenuous lifting for another couple of weeks, but I still keep my protein intake at around 100g a day at a minimum.

Normally, I train in mixed martial arts and submission grappling for 5 - 10 hrs a week. However, due to my recent surgery, I've been out of training for a couple of months. Instead, I've been doing 30 minutes of cardio 6 days a week (alternating elliptical and running on the treadmill, keeping my HR around 175, occasionally doing HIIT to keep things interesting).

What do you suppose will be the biggest challenges for me from this point on? Should I be worrying more about fat loss or muscle growth (or both)? P.S., I'm scrawny, and I carry most of my fat around my midsection and sides. I'm trying to develop a workout plan for the fall, and I'm not sure what percentage of my workouts (outside of mma/grappling) should be focused on strength training and cardio, respectively.

Well, the first challenge is to get medical clearance for workouts

And from my perspective, it sounds like you've got a really good foundation to work from in terms of general training and fitness knowledge.

You don't have much fat to lose, hon, not at 18% (well, unless you wanted to compete).

It's always the same basic rules, you're going to want to build mass first, then whittle down ... and I know that's a bitter pill to swallow when you've just lost so much weight but your body will only put on muscle when it perceives that there are the calories to do it. You're going to need to change up your macros, think 40 protein/30 carb/30 fat. So you might want to add maybe 100 calories or so a day (get yourself in the 1900 to 2000 a day range) when you can get back to lifting and you might even want to reduce your cardio a bit, alternating it with your martial arts.

Oh, and check this site out, I think you'll find some very good info there Training :: stumptuous.com

 

[aufhebung]

I'm quite familiar with Krista Scott-Dixon's website--she's a consultant for Precision Nutrition and competes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (there aren't very many women in the sport). She's awesome, and since you recommended her site, I'm willing to bet that you're pretty awesome yourself!

Thank you for the macro profile tip--you are correct that the thought of adding calories is a bitter pill to swallow. Funny how that works, isn't it? I once was fat because I ate too much, so now I'm scared to eat a few hundred calories more for fear that I'll get fat again. And yet I want muscular hypertrophy. Body dysmorphia is a bitch.

*sigh*

I'm not interested in competing in bodybuilding (too lanky anyhow) or figure competitions, but I want to be the best I can be, especially as a fighter. And I do compete in that, for what it's worth.

 

[musclemom]

I'm quite familiar with Krista Scott-Dixon's website--she's a consultant for Precision Nutrition and competes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (there aren't very many women in the sport). She's awesome, and since you recommended her site, I'm willing to bet that you're pretty awesome yourself!

Thank you for the macro profile tip--you are correct that the thought of adding calories is a bitter pill to swallow. Funny how that works, isn't it? I once was fat because I ate too much, so now I'm scared to eat a few hundred calories more for fear that I'll get fat again. And yet I want muscular hypertrophy. Body dysmorphia is a bitch.

*sigh*

I'm not interested in competing in bodybuilding (too lanky anyhow) or figure competitions, but I want to be the best I can be, especially as a fighter. And I do compete in that, for what it's worth.

Well, all you can do is continue with your current regimen until you've recovered from surgery. Then start hitting the gym and tweak up your macros. Maybe think about just adding an extra 100 or so calories a day in the form of a protein supplement or extra protein at first You will crave more food if you ramp up your weight training and it's focused on hypertrophy, no getting around it. You'll wake up thinking the family pet looks particularly nummy

 

[RottenWillow]

I tend to lurk on the discussion boards more than I post, but I thought I'd tell you about my experience with hydrostatic body composition testing. I've been curious about my body fat percentage for a while, but today I finally decided to take advantage of the hydrostatic tank at a nearby hospital fitness center. They also did a 7-point skin fold assessment with calipers, and my results were as follows:

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 154

BF%, calipers: 18.5%
BF%, hydrostatic: 18.5% (S.F. formula), 17.75% (H.W. formula)
Lean weight: 125.49 lbs (S.F.), 126.7 lbs. (H.W.)
Fat weight: 28.5 lbs (S.F.), 27.3 (H.W.)

Considering the fact that I used to weigh 220 lbs and was three-point caliper tested at 33% BF a few years ago, I'm pretty pleased with those stats...but I'm also trying to figure out where to go from here. My goal is to be somewhere between 15 and 17% body fat, but I also want to add some lean mass. Anyhow, I was very pleased to see how accurate the caliper measurements were...

But guess what? My Omron bioelectrical impedence body composition monitor was reading me at 26% body fat! I knew those things weren't very accurate, but DAMN!

Agreed. They are indeed crap. They are heavily effected by your hydration level, the amount of food that may be in your gut, and of course the quality of the unit.

Thanks very much for sharing. Good to know that a properly performed skinfold can be so consistent with hydrostatic.