Measuring body fat %

missionskinnynow
missionskinnynow Posts: 88 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So how do you guys measure your body fat % ? I tried the machine at GNC, it showed me 27%. 3 months and several lbs later, it shows 30%. I gave it the finger and walked away! :D Apparently they're supposed to have an error margin of 8%! I've also tried a bunch of calculators online but they all show me different answers :/
What're some of the more accurate ways to measure body fat % ?

Replies

  • DamianaKitten
    DamianaKitten Posts: 479 Member
    Just as a side note (and someone correct me if I'm wrong)...

    If you've not been doing strength training/getting enough protein, it may be possible that you have a higher BF% now than you did before due to losing LBM. I have no idea what you're doing for exercise, so it may not apply.

    As for the machines, I've never gotten a consistent reading even during the same day because hydration plays a part in how they operate. I use the military method of tracking BF%, but it's known to be inaccurate. :laugh: There are some different tests that can be done, I think stuff like water displacement tests. I'm not really familiar, though.
  • cpusmc
    cpusmc Posts: 122
    tape measure and ibody fat calc app using US Navy setting.

    i have compared it against a dunk tank and found it was within 2%, so that was good enough for me...

    good luck...
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    Calipers are ok, but it's tough to do on your own and inconsistent. Measuring tape is a great way to meature proportions, though bf% calculations based on tape are inaccurate.

    Truely best bet is finding a local "BodPod" (location on website) and using that. It's very accurate, though it'll cost you around $50.
  • snoodled
    snoodled Posts: 57
    I have a scale (bioelectrical impedance) that measures my BF%. It seems to be pretty accurate considering, just like my weight, it's difficult to see them numbers drop. lol. Most of the ways you can measure it yourself are going to have some error margin, like with skin calipers. However, I wouldn't trust that machine at GNC. It's probably broken. I hear some doctors can do it for you using DEXA.
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    Accumeasure calipers, tape measure and Navy Formula, formula based on BMI, and a bio-impedence scale. I average all of them and consider that my number.

    Out of all those, the Accumeasure is the only real outlier. It is routinely lower than the others although most people claim the calipers are more accurate.

    At the end of the day I think it really doesn't matter how you calculate it as much as you pick one and track the trend.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    I did tape (Navy method with neck, waist, hips) and BodPod, both were within 1%.

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