How accurate are body fat monitors?

beava
beava Posts: 2
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been increasing my weights over the last few months but have noticed my weight has gone up so i used the body fat monitor in my gym today and my actual body fat has gone down.( Weight 9st4 lb / 17% body fat) how accurate are these monitors? is the weight gain muscle? Although i see a difference in my upper body i don't see much change to my legs.

Replies

  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    What kind of monitor is it? They are not all created equally, as I've discovered. Personally, I think calipers are the least accurate. The scales you step on that weigh you and send the electro-pulse or whatever through your body are mostly accurate. And the hand held devices that kinda look like a little steering wheel (you hold it out in front of you with both hands on) I've found and pretty accurate. None of them are going to be 100%, but I think the last one is as close as you can get. They do body fat % assessments at my gym where a trainer weighs you and enters in all your personal information and then you hold the steering wheel thingy and it measures how much of your body is lean body mass, how much is fat, etc. If your weight has gone up but body fat % down, then YES you are building muscle. Muscle is denser than fat, so that sounds pretty accurate to me.

    BTW, 17% body fat?? I'm JEALOUS.

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