Can you really base yourself on those Ideal weight calculator...

[lightout]

Hi
I am 33, 6'2",medium built 208 lbs right now but going down was 238 lbs a few months ago had to stop activities for almost 10 months due to injuries and i have been doing alot of cardio lately and now i am starting the weight training again.I keep checking on the net all those Ideal weight calculator base on your height and age BUT are these really accurate? because for a 6'2" male they say the ideal weight is between 148lbs-194lbs but come on 150 lbs at 6'2" your just skin and bones,people that do weight training can't go by does weight calculators right? thanks

 

[Big A]

Those dont mean shit, they dont know how much muscle and fat a person has. There is a something like that on the wall at my docs that says im almost obese. Im sitting at 9-10%bf right now. They are completely inaccurate.

 

[Big_BK]

All the indexs arent for athletes of any kind.

 

[LucSulla]

Penn and Teller actually did a segment of Bullshit about the Body Mass Index. It is basically a bunch of nineteenth century hooey that has been around so long that people assume it is true. Based on BMI, almost everyone one playing football is obese for instance...from the O-line to the guys with six packs. Unfortunately, your health insurance company uses this measurement to set your rates despite the fact that it says virtually nothing, unlike knowing what percent body fat you are.

For the record (all for men), 22 percent and down is considered acceptable, though you won't look cut that high. Under 17 percent is considered fit. As you fall under 12 percent you will begin seeing more cut, like abs and such. Above 25 percent is condsidered obese. These figures are much, much more accurate for a generalized assumption of health and fitness. If you are an acceptable percentage and you look how you want to look, throw that BMI hoo-doo out the window. It's just more cookie cutter nonesense.

 

[musketeer]

I agree with what's above, but overall bodyweight does affect your health. You think it's good for your heart to be 280lbs (even if you are 12%) ? Skinny people tend to live longer and get less nasty diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease.

As an a aside, my Dad told me the Air Force fired a guy for being over his BMI - he was 6ft 240 (down from 260 to try and stay in) used to hit the gym every day - could do two sets of 20 chin-ups, looked like a pro boxer. And you should see some of the tech guys who look like those skinny-fat fucks walking around.

 

[Tatyana]

Like all scientific measurements, it only relates to about 95% of the population.

BMI and ideal weight calculators are useful for the general population, but not for people who train.


I would go with bodyfat percentage and how you look.

 

[LucSulla]

I agree with what's above, but overall bodyweight does affect your health. You think it's good for your heart to be 280lbs (even if you are 12%) ? Skinny people tend to live longer and get less nasty diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease.

That's probably a fair assessment. Unlike my first post where I have actually read some of the studies, I haven't really read anything on the effects of high mass/low body fat as one gets older. There are some obvious anecdotal cases to speak to your point, and based on that I would have to agree that there is a point where size is a detriment regardless of it's nature.