Body fat/optimum weight

[Parfaitement Passable]

Hey guys, was wondering if you could help me out.
I'm 19, I'm 6 feet tall and weigh 65kg (143 lbs). I'd like to know what my optimum weight should be, do I focus on losing weight to get to around 60-62kg, or keep 65kg and concentrate on other areas instead?
My other question is body fat, no matter how hard I try I always seem to carry a bit around the stomach that annoys me. I don't know if it's fat reserve or what (after a quick 90k ride it was miraculously gone, only to appear again the next day) and I'd like to get a professional body fat test done. Where can I arrange this and how much should I expect to pay? I live in the UK.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Tapeworm]

Concentrate on building power. By focusing on weight loss first you are putting the cart before the horse. Eat right, train hard, and the weight loss (if needed) will follow. If you get to about 5 watts per kg or more and are still being dropped on climbs, then you may want to address weight.

 

[ergmonkey]

If you're only 19, there's a good chance you'll get leaner over the next few years just by keeping at it. Also, you might try moderating sugar intake if you have any tendency to indulge on sweets. For me, cutting out sweets gets me leaner within about two weeks.

 

[Parfaitement Passable]

Thanks guys.
On the issue of power, I haven't got a power meter because the whole gear is prohibitively expensive. I have no idea what my power-to-weight ratio is, and this is another thing I'd like to get tested. However, price again is an issue. I've heard these things cost a fair amount.

 

[Tapeworm]

Check with your local university, often they need test subjects which usually involves some sort of max test.

Failing that there are many online calculators for calculating power on climbs etc.

Given your dimensions body fat is no a concern... At this stage.

 

[CoachFergie]

Hey guys, was wondering if you could help me out.
I'm 19, I'm 6 feet tall and weigh 65kg (143 lbs). I'd like to know what my optimum weight should be, do I focus on losing weight to get to around 60-62kg, or keep 65kg and concentrate on other areas instead?
My other question is body fat, no matter how hard I try I always seem to carry a bit around the stomach that annoys me. I don't know if it's fat reserve or what (after a quick 90k ride it was miraculously gone, only to appear again the next day) and I'd like to get a professional body fat test done. Where can I arrange this and how much should I expect to pay? I live in the UK.
Thanks in advance!

I would focus on getting lean over building power. I worked out that dropping 5kg would improve my 60sec performance better than increasing my 60sec power by 30 watts. But both work hand in hand. Building your 60min power (no you don't need to have a power meter to train for this) will increase your energy burn and increasing your energy burn with a sensible diet will drop the body fat levels.

6ft and 65kg sounds kind of light. Have you had your skinfolds measured? A reasonable sum of 8 (from 8 dif sites) is around 40-80mm. Lower may compromise the immune system and higher compromises your ability to climb hills and means more of you punching into the wind. A Registered Dietitian or an Exercise Physiologist should be able to perform a skinfold test for you. See if your local University has a sport sci lab or consult a sports medicine clinic as most tend to have a RD as part of the team.

 

[JayKosta]

At age 19 your body is still growing and changing, so maintaining good nutrition and calorie intake is important.
'belly fat' is something that many people have, I think it might be genetic and difficult to eliminate without unhealthy overall fat reduction.
Also, look and ask about the body types of your parents and their siblings - they are probably a good guide ....

I suggest that you read about 'after exercise recovery nutrition for endurance' - and concentrate on endurance atheletes, not 'body builders'.

After a long ride, you will probably have lost quite a bit of fluid, so make sure to drink plently while you ride and afterwards.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[Polyarmour]

Thanks guys.
On the issue of power, I haven't got a power meter because the whole gear is prohibitively expensive. I have no idea what my power-to-weight ratio is, and this is another thing I'd like to get tested. However, price again is an issue. I've heard these things cost a fair amount.

Find a hill and climb it. Best if it's a constant climb. Then go to analyticcycling.com and enter all your details. I have worked out my 5 minute, 10 minute and 20 minute power outputs by doing this and they compare very well with the figures I obtain on the computrainer.

At 65kgs and 6ft you are light enough. It's all about power now.

 

[Parfaitement Passable]

Thanks a lot everybody, you've all been very helpful!

 

[DirtyWorks]

Find a hill and climb it. Best if it's a constant climb. Then go to analyticcycling.com and enter all your details. I have worked out my 5 minute, 10 minute and 20 minute power outputs by doing this and they compare very well with the figures I obtain on the computrainer.

At 65kgs and 6ft you are light enough. It's all about power now.

My personal suggestion is to stick to the 5's and do maybe one 10 minute climb. IMHO, the 20's are too long if the goal is to increase power. This is a minor point and a personal thing in two great suggestions.

You are below 70kg. That's good enough!

One last one, I use an exercise bike at the gym that averages watts at the end of a session. Reliable when comparing it against itself for week-over-week increases in Watts.

 

[Michele]

If you get to about 5 watts per kg or more and are still being dropped on climbs, then you may want to address weight.

Geez...I guess I have some problems with that number!
I wish I could be up there.

 

[ergmonkey]

One last one, I use an exercise bike at the gym that averages watts at the end of a session. Reliable when comparing it against itself for week-over-week increases in Watts.

Agreed. Many indoor "power measuring" devices are not particularly accurate in terms of absolute watts but are, nonetheless, very consistent from one use to the next. Thus, you can't do testing on these indoor trainers to determine how many watts per kilo you're putting out, but you can certainly use these devices to track your own progress.

One word of caution, though: often times you can "cheat" these gym bikes by messing around with cadence and speed. For instance, I've found many to grossly over-estimate my "power increases" at very high cadences (like if I go from riding 95rpm to 110rpm at the same resistance level). So, if you want to test yourself, use fairly similar conditions.

 

[durianrider]

Im 6ft and 65kg too. Here is a shot from 2 days ago.

I dont know many guys that can out climb me and those that do have the same or a bit higher BMI. So thinking that you need to drop weight with your current BMI to get fasters is BS. I know a guy with a BMI of 16.4 and he climbs like his bike has double flats and with a rusty chain and his seat 4 inches too low. He has starved himself to get to that weight and now is riding like a starvation victim. Some people learn the hard way, some dont learn.

Another important thing that nobody has mentioned is how you got to that weight. Did you get there by starving, skipping meals, using stimulants etc? If so, get ready for your body to rebound and freak out very shortly. It might take a year for you to get back to health and fitness but your young.

If you got there by high carb, high cal, low fat, wholefood healthy eating, early nights, sufficient hydration and SMART training then hi 5'z!

Oh yeah, get a power meter online! They are so cheaper now and it takes the guess work out of training 100%. BEST thing Ive ever bought. Im banging out a higher WPKG at 65kg than at 62kg when I was overtraining via ignorance.

Focus on health and fitness vs weight and you will get your best in the long run.

 

[function]

Im 6ft and 65kg too. Here is a shot from 2 days ago.

I dont know many guys that can out climb me and those that do have the same or a bit higher BMI. So thinking that you need to drop weight with your current BMI to get fasters is BS. I know a guy with a BMI of 16.4 and he climbs like his bike has double flats and with a rusty chain and his seat 4 inches too low. He has starved himself to get to that weight and now is riding like a starvation victim. Some people learn the hard way, some dont learn.

If you got there by high carb, high cal, low fat, wholefood healthy eating, early nights, sufficient hydration and SMART training then hi 5'z!

Oh yeah, get a power meter online! They are so cheaper now and it takes the guess work out of training 100%. BEST thing Ive ever bought. Im banging out a higher WPKG at 65kg than at 62kg when I was overtraining via ignorance.

Focus on health and fitness vs weight and you will get your best in the long run.

I never thought i'd ever be in agreement with a guy who posts a shirtless picture, but i'm absolutely with you here. At the OP's age and weight, he should not be concerned about dropping anything, your biggest gains at this point are from staying healthy and getting some good training in, your body will naturally follow.