Body Fat %

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ProjectSYD
ProjectSYD Posts: 104 Member
edited February 2 in Health and Weight Loss
How accurate are measurements for finding your bf%? I don't have access to a calliper , should I invest in one?

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  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Mostly depends on how much you want to spend. Calipers are very cheap (<$10), so they're a fine investment just to see. Bodpod and hydrostatic seem to be generally in the $50-100 range. Dexa scan is even more expensive and fairly rare.

    Picture review is free and is pretty decent (if you can self-evaluate honestly). Online calculators are also free and may work out.

    Just stay away from BF scales. They're waay off the chart for price vs accuracy.
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  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Well, most website calculators put me around 9%. I self-evaluated in the 10-12% picture range. Hydrostatic put me at 11%. So free pictures seemed pretty on-target for me, but ymmv.

    Depends on what you're trying to get out of the knowledge. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't fooling myself in a major way before moving to bulk, so spending a bit of money was worthwhile.

    Sometimes looking in the mirror every day, you lose track of what things are supposed to look like, and focus in on flaws. At least I do. Getting independent data helps.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Mostly depends on how much you want to spend. Calipers are very cheap (<$10), so they're a fine investment just to see. Bodpod and hydrostatic seem to be generally in the $50-100 range. Dexa scan is even more expensive and fairly rare.

    Picture review is free and is pretty decent (if you can self-evaluate honestly). Online calculators are also free and may work out.

    Just stay away from BF scales. They're waay off the chart for price vs accuracy.

    I think newer models of Bio-Electrical Impedance BF scales are much more accurate than they used to be. Like all technology, it is constantly improving and you get what you pay for. My scale was apparently about the same as only hydrostatic weighing (if the above prices are correct) but it was very close to my DEXA results. I'm an old lady so got a DEXA free with insurance to check bone density. But since it showed no bone loss I can't get another for free for 5 years. My BF% hasn't changed much on the scale, which I'm sure is correct as my inches or weight haven't changed either, so I don't know yet how accurately it will measure change.
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