Determining Body Fat Percentage

tabilw

How can I measure or determine what my body fat percentage is so I know if I'm successful in losing the body fat and gaining muscle? Does anyone know if there are tools I should purchase or a formula to use?

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

There are websites where you enter a few measurements and it estimates your BF% based on that, you can buy calipers, but the most accurate (and expensive) way to measure body fat is a DEXA scan.

bcattoes

Without the expensive medical tests, or someone with calipers that you are certain is using them correctly (they are very often used incorrectly), your best bet is probably a scale that measures BF through bioimpedance. The problem with these is that they can count water as fat. So, if you are bloated and retaining water you may get a higher reading that when you are not, but it will give you an pretty accurate assessment of your lean body mass (LBM).

Calipers are fairly accurate in the right hands, but may also measure water as fat, since it's pretty hard to tell the difference from the outside of the body, and if you have loose skin from weight loss they may also measure the skin as fat.

tabilw

what is a DEXA scan?

CandiSki

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/

lvtruu1

How can I measure or determine what my body fat percentage is so I know if I'm successful in losing the body fat and gaining muscle? Does anyone know if there are tools I should purchase or a formula to use?

As stated, without what could be an expensive test, you'll never truly know. Use the Military system available online but know it is likely off up to 5%.

Take monthly measurements. As you lose fat/weight you will shrink.

k8eekins

There are websites where you enter a few measurements and it estimates your BF% based on that, you can buy calipers, but the most accurate (and expensive) way to measure body fat is a DEXA scan.

Correct@Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry aka DXA scan.

lvtruu1

There are websites where you enter a few measurements and it estimates your BF% based on that, you can buy calipers, but the most accurate (and expensive) way to measure body fat is a DEXA scan.

Correct@Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry aka DXA scan.

Which can still be off 2 to 5 percent..

kuntry_navy

i use calipers, pretty easy. there is also a tape test you can find, just google military 'body fat test'. the tape test isnt the most accurate

lvtruu1

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/

Oh how I wish this was true...

End of last month stats would put me at 11.4%

Last measurement with handheld device was 12.0%

CarrieStL

Most universities offer Bod Pod (they use on the Biggest Loser) or DXA scans for reasonable prices. I live in St. Louis. Bod Pod is $50 and DXA is $60.

Truly the only way to get honest composition. DXA is far more accurate from my research as it is a FULL body xray.

You can search on this site for a Bod Pod near you: http://www.cosmed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1364&Itemid=420

k8eekins

There are websites where you enter a few measurements and it estimates your BF% based on that, you can buy calipers, but the most accurate (and expensive) way to measure body fat is a DEXA scan.

Correct@Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry aka DXA scan.

Which can still be off 2 to 5 percent..

The most accurate we have out there ...:-) .. @2 - 5%

pineygirl

I just figured out mine. I used the fat to fit calculators (based on Military and Covert Bailey formulas) and also used calipers.

These were the results:

Military: 23.8%
Covert Bailey: 24.3%
7 point Caliper calculation: 23.91%

These all came out to be pretty similar. My scale tells me I'm 35.7% body fat, which I find pretty hard to believe.

I live in the middle of nowhere, so I don't have BodPods or DXA scans available to me.

lvtruu1

I just figured out mine. I used the fat to fit calculators (based on Military and Covert Bailey formulas) and also used calipers.

These were the results:

Military: 23.8%
Covert Bailey: 24.3%
7 point Caliper calculation: 23.91%

These all came out to be pretty similar. My scale tells me I'm 35.7% body fat, which I find pretty hard to believe.

I live in the middle of nowhere, so I don't have BodPods or DXA scans available to me.

Honestly until you get really lean, BF% isn't all that important. (unless you are looking to compete) Work on getting to a healthy weight, use the cheaper methods that you figure out yourself and understand that you'll likely never have the complete picture.
BF% can look so different on people. A guy at 10% could be ripped, or could just be super skinny. The percentage isn't what is really important, it is how you look in the mirror.