Muscle mass scales

Making_changes7

Hey! I want to track my muscle mass over time. I was wondering if anyone has purchased a scale that gives body fat % and muscle mass %. I know I could use calipers but honestly.. I'd rather not. I also know I can look in the mirror but I want something that gives me some quantitative analysis.

Could you please give me some information on whether or not these scales are (relatively) accurate and, if so, which ones you would recommend purchasing?

Thanks!

grantdumas7

Bodyfat scales are inaccurate and none of them track muscle mass %.

Fithealthyforlife

Yep, you're definitely going to be better off with a tape measure and cailiper.

Making_changes7

Sad Why is it that they're so inaccurate?

At my gym I have done a body composition analysis test. Are those also inaccurate?

So.. not a single scale has been produced that can give me fairly decent results?

212019156

I used to work in the body comp industry specifically dealing with DEXA devices. So I have had the opportunity to work with and compare the different methods for determining body comp. Although DEXA is the most accurate out of all of them, the rest of them are probably "good enough" unless you are a researcher that needs very precise numbers. In the end if you jump up and down and it jiggles that is fat.

terizius

Sweet - I personally use the tape measure and caliper method, but I understand not wanting to do it. It takes more time and you usually have to have someone else help you. I've been contemplating getting a handheld body fat device in the past. I have a personal trainer friend that tests me occasionally. Anyway, I've found that there is about a 1-1.5% difference between the calipers and the device, so who knows where I'm "officially" at. But, either method is great for tracking "changes" in body composition, if not the exact %'s. Thats why I track anyway.. to see the changes.

Here's one on Bodybuilding.com for about $45. If you get it, let us know how it works.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/omron/fat-loss-monitor.html

terizius

Continuing on this topic, here is an excerpt from an article I just read on body fat measuring devices..

"Are they accurate? No. They give an estimate and studies have concluded that body fat scales do not give precise readings. Consumer Reports tested body fat scales and found them all to be inaccurate. Factors such as body type, body temperature, hydration, and recent exercise can have a noteworthy impact on the number you see on the scale. Even wet or sweaty feet can skew the results. Whether or not you get a true analysis, what you can do is use that number to gauge your progress. But you must be consistent when you weigh yourself, so do it at the same time of day, drink/eat approximately the same amount, don't do it directly after exercising, and use it in a room that is generally a stable temperature. Utilize the body fat scale as a means of tracking trends rather than focusing on what that number is or comparing that number to what you think your body fat should be."

Article Link: http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/body-fat-scales-do-they-really-work.html

sijomial

I would take a slightly different angle to the other posters....

If you are already quite lean and want to know the precise numbers then not really good enough for that purpose.

On the other hand if you have a way to go and want to track trends over time and realise that they can give some odd readings due to fluctuations in hydration then they are very convenient and, if used properly, would be close enough.

I took my BIA scales (which has both hand and foot contacts) along with me when I had a BodPod analysis done and the results were almost identical. But I also see some quite large variations from day to day....

paygep

^this^

I like my body fat scale. It gives me something to at least go by. I can see the trend, even if it may not be spot-on from day to day.

212019156

This is true for the consumer level impedance devices. There are high end ones out there that are pretty damn accurate.

heybales

The problem with all of these methods, they are measuring for body fat, not muscle mass. Even the high end stuff.

Figure out the body fat, subtract from total weight, and you are NOT left with muscle mass, you are left with Fat Free Mass (FFM), or Lean Body Mass (LBM), which includes muscle mass along with everything else not fat.

DEXA scan is the only thing claiming to give analysis of muscle mass separate from LBM as a whole, but that loses accuracy, as the more accurate part is still the fat mass.

The nice thing about what Consumer's Report found was that while all the scales were not accurate, some were very consistent, so they would at least indicate a good trend for what was happening.

The body calipers in the hands of a trained experienced person can be 5%, otherwise 10%, doing the 7-site method.

Measurement method is nice because you aren't going for the same spot (except abdomen at the belly button), everything else is max or min measurements. And that may change exactly where it's at, but if you can keep the tape measure level around the spot, doesn't matter.
But those can be thrown off by body differences, so best to use a couple calc's that use many different measurements, like Covert and Military/Navy. 1 study showed they can be 5% accurate too up to obese range, then they lose it.

The BIA methods on good scales or pro methods seem to show up to 5% accurate, but that depends on you having proper setup of hydration and such.

OverDoIt

When the sidewalk crack's beneath your feet. And your enemies run for cover, you muscle mass is doing just fine. that is my scale. Hahaha

OverDoIt

The mirror is the cheapest and most accurate one I know of.

WALKSMARATHONS60

Hey! I want to track my muscle mass over time. I was wondering if anyone has purchased a scale that gives body fat % and muscle mass %. I know I could use calipers but honestly.. I'd rather not. I also know I can look in the mirror but I want something that gives me some quantitative analysis.

Could you please give me some information on whether or not these scales are (relatively) accurate and, if so, which ones you would recommend purchasing?

Thanks!

In the hands of a very skilled and experienced person, calipers can be extremely accurate. But the problem is trying to get an accurate measure of fat thickness under the skin. There are ultrasound devices which can measure this fat thickness exactly and translate it into percentages. This rivals DEXA in accuracy. The muscle mass however, will have to be extrapolated from the other measurements but it is reasonable because the other measurements are accurate. I have found the BODYMETRIX HOME UNIT which sells for about $500. I do not have one myself.

GertrudeHorse

I have the Omron (forget the model number but it cost about $80USD). It measures body fat and muscle percentage but it isn't very accurate and sometimes gives 15% difference from callipers (for the fat reading anyway). I have heard good things about Tatiana brand but I think you need to spend upwards of $300 to get anything accurate.

212019156

DEXA is about as accurate as you could ever get. I worked with DEXA devices for almost 14 years. I used to fix the devices, train people on how to use them and performed some small animal studies on them.

The most accurate method of determining body composition is to chemically ash your subject, but of course that would kill them. To verify the accuracy of DEXA the company I worked for scanned meat blocks and then had them chemically ashed. The result were pretty much spot on. So if you want to know your true body composition get a DEXA scan.

If you don't care about that level of precision (which I'm not sure why you would), then any of the other traditional methods will give you reasonable results. I've scanned so many people that I can usually approximate their body fat level by looking at them in a swim suit.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

My scale tells me I am 36% body fat.

OverDoIt

BusyRae,
Maybe closer to 3.6 than 36 % keep it up homegirl.

SideSteel

James Krieger has good things to say about this topic:
http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=146

Springfield1970

My scales are rubbish for that. I use calipers, tape measure, and the thing that works for me most of all is my skinny jeans with no lycra. For them to be the same fit feel at a gradually higher and higher body weight is a good way of telling things are going in the right direction.

I have spent a lot of time and effort figuring out my burn rates though, so know how to build muscle and cut fat.

Springfield1970

My scale tells me I am 36% body fat.

Mine tell me I am 27.5% , I'm about 20-21 at the moment.