how do you interpret skinfold tests?

Dom_m
Dom_m Posts: 336 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I wonder if anyone has any experience with skin fold tests? I got it done by the AIS the other day and just had the results emailed to me. I'd love to have someone explain it a bit more.

They told me not to pay much attention to the body fat %. They focus on the sum of skin fold measurements when they train their athletes. They actually focus on the Sum of 7 which they didn't report (weird?) but its equal to Sum of 8 minus the abdominal, which in my case is 60.2 - 10.2 = 50mm.

So my results, which I really don't understand very well are:

Somatotype (Heath-Carter)
Endomorpy: 2.0
Mesomorphy: 5.3
Ectomorphy: 2.5
(0.5 to 2.5: low... 2.6 to 5.4: moderate... 5.5 to 7: high... >7: extremely high)

Body Mass Index: 23.8 (well I'd already eaten, I think its closer to 23.3 in the morning, but who's counting?)
(LINZ males, 20-29 years old: mean 24.3, standard deviation 3.1; 30-39 years old: mean 25.7, standard deviation 3.6)

Waist to Hip Ratio: 0.75
(LINZ males, 20-29 mean: 0.84, standard deviation: 0.06; 30-39 mean 0.87, standard deviation 0.07)

Sum of 6 skinfolrds: 48.8mm
Triceps, subscapular, supraspinale, abdominal, front thigh, medial calf
(LINZ males, 20-29: mean 77, standard deviation 32.8; 30-39 mean 91.3, standard deviation 37.3)

7.7% body fat (Yuhasz)

Sum of 8 skinfolds: 60.2mm
Triceps, subscapular, biceps, iliac crest, supraspinale, abdominal, front thigh, medial calf

Replies

  • MiekeJ
    MiekeJ Posts: 139
    Hmmm, I defnately can't help you! Are those results good? If so, TOP STUFF! :-) haha
  • aszymans
    aszymans Posts: 4
    I'm confused as well... I'm an American that has trouble with the metrics. ;-) It sounds like it should be good?

    ~Amy
  • savvystephy
    savvystephy Posts: 4,151 Member
    Yeah on the 7.7% BF! Awesome! :smile: Great job Dom! I bet you're looking smokin hot. :tongue:
  • savvystephy
    savvystephy Posts: 4,151 Member
    Somatotype (Heath-Carter)
    Endomorpy: 2.0
    Mesomorphy: 5.3
    Ectomorphy: 2.5
    (0.5 to 2.5: low... 2.6 to 5.4: moderate... 5.5 to 7: high... >7: extremely high)

    Would have to do with this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatotype_and_Constitutional_Psychology

    So I am guessing you are a Mesomorph: characterized by medium bones, solid torso, low fat levels, wide shoulders with a narrow waist; usually referred to as muscular.
    Body Mass Index: 23.8 (well I'd already eaten, I think its closer to 23.3 in the morning, but who's counting?)
    (LINZ males, 20-29 years old: mean 24.3, standard deviation 3.1; 30-39 years old: mean 25.7, standard deviation 3.6)

    Waist to Hip Ratio: 0.75
    (LINZ males, 20-29 mean: 0.84, standard deviation: 0.06; 30-39 mean 0.87, standard deviation 0.07)
    BMI is great and the waist to hip ratio means you have a low health risk.
    Sum of 6 skinfolrds: 48.8mm
    Triceps, subscapular, supraspinale, abdominal, front thigh, medial calf
    (LINZ males, 20-29: mean 77, standard deviation 32.8; 30-39 mean 91.3, standard deviation 37.3)

    7.7% body fat (Yuhasz)

    Sum of 8 skinfolds: 60.2mm
    Triceps, subscapular, biceps, iliac crest, supraspinale, abdominal, front thigh, medial calf

    Check out the table here: http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/skinfolds.htm
    You are in excellent for normal male and good/excellent for athletic male. :smile:

    Great job Dom! :flowerforyou:
  • Dom_m
    Dom_m Posts: 336 Member
    Steph,

    Thanks, that was really useful!
    (aszymans, Meike, thanks for you too :)

    I had a look at the table you linked to, which is exactly what I was looking for. The table is for Sum of 7 measurements (I have to delete the Iliac Crest measurement from my sum of 8, which was 8.2). So for that table, I'd be 52, which is just north of the middle of the "excellent" range for an athletic male (excellent = 40-60). So I wonder why I don't have a six-pack? I kinda expected that from anyone in the "athletic" category. If p90x doesn't get of it, then I'll start to worry :)
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