The cautionary tale of Andreas Munzer.

Body fat percentage. It’s a topic that naturally comes up when discussing bodybuilding. How could it not? The difference between shredded definition and having a gut is strictly based on both muscle tone and body fat percentage. So naturally there’s a tendency to want as low a body fat percentage as possible. No harm in that right? But there are diminishing returns when it comes to extremely low body fat percentage.

Andreas Munzer. It’s a name that many bodybuilding fans have heard before. A name synonymous with low body fat and ripped, striated muscular definition. The Austrian bodybuilder had a pretty legendary physique, one that many people aspire to attain to this day. The unfortunate part about that notion is that the man’s low body fat percentage may have aided in the bodybuilder’s demise.

This is an unfortunate cautionary tale that many aspiring bodybuilders and gym nuts should take into consideration. Though Munzer may have been a physical force, his vascularity and symmetry being the highlights of his form, he may have pushed his body past it’s limits. It begs the question, how low should your body fact percentage be?

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Now, his low body fat percentage may not have been the only cause of the bodybuilder’s death. It’s possible that the bodybuilder was using an excessive amount of anabolic substances which led to his eventually death from organ failure. But the fact that Munzer had a body fat percentage of zero helped to weaken Munzer’s body. Body fat is a essential for padding the organs and the joints. It’s needed for proper cellular function and essentially the key to have your body functioning on optimal levels.

So how much body fat should you have? The ratio differs between men and women. Men require at least 3 percent body fat to function normally, while woman need 12 percent. No matter how you look at it, body fat can be your friend. Too much or not enough can be detrimental to your health. Despite the fact that you want your abs to show with no issues, you have to consider how far you’re pushing your body. If Andreas Munzer’s tragic death has taught us anything it’s this: always be careful about what you put into your body. Besides, it isn’t worth your life to do anything to be totally fat free.

What’s your thoughts on body fat and Andreas Munzer? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

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