Body Fat

[tractor]

There's been a few estimates thrown around of body fat percentage. I have no idea where I am at. What's the best/easiest way to figure out what your body fat percentage is? I'd like to figure it out so I can have a baseline to work off of.

[azphx1972]

It depends how accurate of a reading you want to get. I've had the skinfold test done, and I've used devices (handheld fat readers, scales) that utilize bioelectrical impedance analysis. It's been a while since I've seen hydrostatic testing offered by my gym (they utilize handheld readers now), but I would like to try some of the more scientific methods:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage#Measurement_techniques

[tractor]

I hear they now have scales out on the market that will help calculate body fat percentages. Has anyone tried one?

[tractor]

Apr 20, 2011 14:51:31 GMT -5 azphx1972 said:

It depends how accurate of a reading you want to get. I've had the skinfold test done, and I've used devices (handheld fat readers, scales) that utilize bioelectrical impedance analysis. It's been a while since I've seen hydrostatic testing offered by my gym (they utilize handheld readers now), but I would like to try some of the more scientific methods:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage#Measurement_techniques

It's great that your gym has people willing to help. Mine is so "old school" that if I asked, I don't know if anyone would know what I was talking about.

[azphx1972]

Apr 20, 2011 14:54:23 GMT -5 tractor said:

I hear they now have scales out on the market that will help calculate body fat percentages. Has anyone tried one?

I have one, but most people will tell you they're not that accurate since a variety of factors (food, water intake, etc.) can throw them off. That said, I use mine to monitor changes, not to get an accurate reading.

www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/bodyfatscales.html

[Formerly SK]

I got one of the handheld devices off Amazon. Maybe $40. It was within .5% of what my personal trainer measured me when I saw one last summer (using various skin calibrations) so I'm content with its accuracy.

[flopsy]

any test using water displacement will be the most accurate. caliper tests are ok.

[shandi76]

I've got a Tanita InnerScan Body Composition Monitor (BC-543). It allegedly measures my weight, body fat%, bone mass, water %, muscle mass, and visceral fat levels, and calculates my basal metabolic rate.

I'm not convinced it's all that accurate. Over the past month my bone mass has apparently varied by half a pound, my muscle mass by half a stone (7lbs), and my body fat percentage by 4%. It also does different calculations depending on whether you tell it you are normal or an athlete (if I included the variations for both the ranges would be much higher - I based them all on elite). For me, I think I'm somewhere between the two, so both give inaccurate readings and I just have to average them out. The body fat readings I get at the gym are usually the same as the athletic readings from these scales though.


They usually give a higher fat reading if I am dehydrated. They also only measure lower body fat, which is inaccurate if you are pear-shaped (which I am).

[pig]

The number is just a novelty. No need to know what it is, it's how you look.

[RoadToRiches]

The most accurate way is to get in a tank. Then, use calipers, then handheld then scale.