RP Strength Podcast The Truth About Body Fat Myths with Dr. Pak
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Mar 9, 2026 Dr Pak, a physician and fitness educator known for evidence-based takes on body composition, debunks measurement myths. He explains why scans disagree and why waist measures, photos, and gym progress matter. They discuss how body fat relates to muscle gain, sensible bulking, and why maintenance is hardest. Practical tracking beats obsessing over single tests.
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Body Fat Tests Give Noisy Conflicting Numbers
- Body fat percentage tests (DEXA, Bod Pod, BIA) are noisy and can differ widely for the same person.
- Dr Pak recounts Mike's video showing extreme variance and his own DEXA shifting from 9.4% to 10.4% with implausible arm muscle loss.
Nick's Frustration With Conflicting DEXA Results
- Nick bought multiple DEXA scans chasing a low number and found inconsistent results across diets.
- He describes a contest-prep diet where he looked leaner but the DEXA barely changed, which made him stop trusting scans.
Triangulate Progress With Circumference And Performance
- Use circumference measurements, mirror photos, gym performance, and daily weight trends instead of obsessing over one body-fat scan.
- Dr Pak recommends waist-to-height ratio (~0.5) plus arm/chest measures to triangulate visceral fat and progress.