Body Fat testing - which method is the best?

Posts: 2,169 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Other than the water submersion thing of course...The scale at the gym (think it's tanita) puts me at 28%, the online measurement calculators put me anywhere between 24 and 29, and I just got a pair of acu-measure calipers that repeatedly comes down to 24.5%...
I have no idea which one is right......

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Replies

  • Posts: 78 Member
    The calipers are going to be the most accurate of the 3....if they are used properly.
  • Posts: 241 Member
    The calipers are going to be the most accurate of the 3....if they are used properly.

    This.
  • Posts: 49,053 Member
    The more sites measured by calipers, the more accurate the reading. And calipers will be more accurate than the other 2.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Posts: 33
    I have a Tanita scale as well and it usually comes up higher than it should, I think. I am waiting for an AccuCaliper that I just ordered. I've heard that the best thing to do is take an average of all three.

    Another way to do it is with measuring tape and entering in the numbers to a website and seeing what it comes up with... http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/

    Then take the average of the scale, caliper, and bfp from measurements.
  • Posts: 1
    All 3 are very good methods, but have different levels of variance (precision)

    According to Philip Goglia, in his book "Turn Up the Heat"

    Water submersion is accurate to approximately +/- 3% variance

    Tanita scale (if it has the hand held electrodes) is accurate to approximately +/- 3% variance

    Calipers are accurate to approximately +/- 5% variance
  • Posts: 320 Member
    nothing is going to be 100% accurate..

    you can look into DEXA also.. its extremely accurate.. up there with the water thing.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-energy_X-ray_absorptiometry
  • Posts: 174 Member
    Calipers will be the most accurate
  • acu-measure calipers besides online do any stores sell them?
  • Posts: 8,980 Member
    acu-measure calipers besides online do any stores sell them?

    Supplement shops often carry them. But they're only a few bucks online vs about $10 in the shops.
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