InBody Analyzer really wrong?

Tacklewasher

So I signed up for a PT at the gym, and one of the first things he did was have me stand on the body analyzer, hold the arm things and it spat out a fat%

Said 19.7% BF.

It's wrong.

It's really wrong.

My home scale (I know these things are crap) say 27% and given how I look, that is much more believable.

We both knew it was wrong so I did it again. 19.8% BF.

I'm not worried about this, I know it's wrong just wondering why it would be so wrong?

Has me curious is all.

Silent_Soliloquy

InBody analyzers range from 150$ jokes to 10,000$++ machines that have precision similar to DEXA.

Any way to find out what machine you used?

Did it graph your limbs individually?

Keep in mind, the precision is dependent on you. Same clothes, same rested state, same time of day ...
Given very closely measured testing conditions, the precision is on part with a DEXA test.

Last note: Precision is not accuracy. Even DEXA is not very accurate.

But in measuring bodyfat what you really want is to show a rate of loss or gain, so I'd take precision over accuracy any day.

sijomial

Try the Inbody for 6 weeks under consistent conditions and you will have a better idea.

I use a similar device at my gym and the trend is OK but with some seriously daft individual readings.
Oh poo - I lost 6 pounds of muscle last week.
Oh great - I gained 6 pounds of muscle the next week.

Neither was accurate sadly in reality, I neither lost or gained that 6 pounds of muscle.
Was it the Chinese takeaway before one reading that screwed things up?
Was it being slightly dehydrated before the next?

Does it really matter if you look in the mirror and think - hmmmm, more work required?

Azdak

You have to have consistent conditions with the InBody—including time of day, fasting, exercise schedule. If you work out within 24 hours or even if you drink a volume of water before the test—these can affect the results.

I tested myself every three weeks for 6 months on an InBody 570 during a time when I lost 40 pounds. I found the test-to-test results remarkably consistent, but I was pretty rigid about testing under constant conditions.

StargazerB

sijomial wrote: »

Try the Inbody for 6 weeks under consistent conditions and you will have a better idea.



Does it really matter if you look in the mirror and think - hmmmm, more work required?

This! I think this is where it's at. Look in the mirror and decide from there what you need to do. Take progress photos. Track your measurements. If you feel the need to know your bf% then pick a way to read it (stay consistent with the device and your conditions) and trend it with everything else. I spent way too much time fussing over what my bf% was when in reality I base my goals and plans off of what I'm looking like.