So, what’s the deal with the name? What’s Around Fifteen Percent? Why fifteen? Why so inexact?
Well, Around Fifteen Percent is the amount of body fat I am aiming for.
That was easy.
The other two questions are gonna require a little more effort though…
Fifteen is a nice round number that is in the healthy range for men of my age. If I was a woman it would probably be somewhere in the twenty percent range. It also factors in my build – like I said, I’ve always been a chunky monkey. If I had a smaller frame or a leaner disposition I could see myself getting tempted to try for twelve or even ten percent.
But, I’m not a model or a bodybuilder. I’m not dialing it down for a photoshoot, or trying to sell my latest fitness program via a combination of YouTube and social media. I’m just a fat dude who’s fed up of being fat.
At fifteen percent, my top two abs might show … immediately after a workout … with good lighting … if I pose. But, more importantly, it shouldn’t have a negative effect on my sleep, libido or mood. And, it should be something I can maintain, not just for the summer, but all year every year.
I know, there are guys out there – influencers and social media celebrities – who walk around with their abs out and tops off year round at ten percent MAX. But, there are a number of realities that should be considered:
- They’re about half my age. It’s not a hard and fast rule, there are exceptions and I’m using guesswork and rounding, but, they tend to be in their twenties while I’m in my Forties.
- Aesthetic fitness is their life. These are people who have built their entire lives round how they look. They spend multiple hours 5+ days a week in the gym and most of the rest of the time concerned with eating and sleeping.
- They’re using ‘questionable’ supplements. It’s a whole big debate and I’m not here to call anyone out – I’m not fussed what someone else sticks in their body (although I would prefer it if they were honest, specially if they’re role models or sales people) – but let’s not pretend it’s not even a thing.
- We don’t see the full story. We’re fed edited videos and that one perfect picture to show us exactly what they want us to see. Maybe they are constantly angry off cam, blowing up at the slightest thing. Maybe, it’s always tired. Or, Hungry. Maybe, they regularly experience ED. Maybe, they’re fine right now, but will be f@cked five or ten years from now. The point is, we just don’t know and shouldn’t automatically buy in to the illusion of perfection being sold.
I’m not saying it’s impossible to walk around with a single digit body fat day in day out. Obviously it’s not. I’m saying that I’m not willing to accept the compromises necessary to make it a reality. I can’t turn back time. I want health and fitness to improve my life not be my life. I don’t want the risk or financial expense of that kind of supplement. And, I’m not deluding myself into thinking those lifestyle choices come without consequence. Thus, I settled on a very conservative and healthy fifteen.
(Side Note: I am aware I have been using a lot of male pro-nouns. This is representative of my experience. The pressure on women to conform to an idealised standard of beauty is noticeably and significantly worse, and, extends far beyond body shape. My expectation is that in general form and shape my observations regarding this type of media will remain valid regardless of gender. However, please feel free to share your experiences if there is more to add or something to correct.)
And around is because I don’t have an accurate way to measure my body fat percentage. I’m not convinced anybody really does.
When I finally start doing measurements I’ll probably use The Navy Method to estimate body fat because it’s quick and cheap and easy. But, it’s only estimated to be accurate to approximately 3-4%. That means a calculation of 15% could actually be anywhere between 11-19%.
If I save up to buy some calipers, that won’t improve things all that much and may actually decrease accuracy. According to Dr Vivian H. Heyward, author of “Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription,” caliper-test accuracy depends on test-administrator proficiency, caliper model and choice of estimation equation. And, a best case scenario would only offer a slight improvement to accuracy at plus or minus 3.5%.
Even if I decided to fork out my cash for a DEXA scan and found one in the UK that wasn’t too far away from me and specialised in body fat analysis rather than testing for osteoporosis, I’d still only be looking at improving the error rate to 1-2%.
With no way to be accurate, I can see no benefit to being hung up on a meaningless number. It’s relative value may have some use – if it changes from twenty-one to nineteen it is shows movement in the desired direction. But, that doesn’t mean I can say with absolute confidence and certainty “I am 19% body fat”.
I’ll most likely end up using, how I look in the mirror, how I feel and what size jeans I can fit into as benchmarks over and above any actual percentage I measure. But, that doesn’t quite trip off the tongue.
Moreover, choosing Around Fifteen Percent as a goal, conceptually solidifies my purpose. I’m not chasing abs. Or trying to look like X celebrity. I’m not going to turn my life upside down. It’s meant to be beneficial and sustainable not a sacrifice for hollow short term change.
Around Fifteen Percent 