Measuring Body Fat %

Options
AAAmom2008
AAAmom2008 Posts: 25 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok...I'm trying to lower my body fat. As of now, I'm only using my WW scales for tracking. My Trainer uses the kind you hold in your hands with your arms straight out. Are there other ways to measure BF%? Are they somewhat reliable?? ...thanks for you help!

Replies

  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Options
    The machines aren't reliable, but if you want to estimate bodyfat % I think you can get close using calipers, measurements vs. weight (the internet calculators where you put in height, weight, neck, waist, hips, etc.) and comparison images.

    For me, personally, all of those AND the bioimpedence machine (the handheld thing) give me more or less the same number, but others say the machine is way off for them.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Options
    The electrical current method isn't very reliable (amount of water/food in your system can throw off the reading).

    There are calculators that will estimate based on measurements.
    You could get measured with calipers (need someone else to do it, but basically it involves a small plastic device and pinching the fat on various parts of your body to determine how thick it is)
    Dexa Scan
    Bod Pod scan
    Hydrostatic weighing
  • Obeg
    Obeg Posts: 49 Member
    Options
    I bought one of these and it is a fun little tool. Like anything - you have to take it with a grain of salt when the occasional "way out there" measurement pops up - but it is good for a overall track of progression.

    http://www.skulpt.me/

  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    Options
    I've not seen that skulpt.me tool before - interesting. Thanks for posting.
  • AAAmom2008
    AAAmom2008 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    Thanks guys for all the info! .... I like that skulpt thing!! I'm going to do a little more research on that!
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    Options
    I never trust the scales because they never say I'm less than 30% bf. I even went to see a personal trainer and he had me hold that thing out and when it came back and said I was 30%bf he looked at me, looked at the number, looked at me and made me do it again.
    When it came back at 30% he said i held my fat well and I HAD to be 30%bf.
  • adremark
    adremark Posts: 774 Member
    Options
    Hydrostatic measurement is the gold standard. I've had that done (20%), and it was close to what the calipers said (21%). It was a little more than what the scale said (17.3%) using bioelectrical impedence.

    But what is important is not really what the number is, but rather that the number is going down. Regardless of which method you use, you should aim to have your %BF decrease. If that is happening, you're on the right track.
  • pattyandthemoos
    pattyandthemoos Posts: 79 Member
    Options
    This is what I use. It is not perfect but I think it's pretty good. I really don't know how it compares to other methods but it's not very much money and I like it. http://www.amazon.com/Emjoi-AP30-Body-Fat-Monitor/dp/B00006A6X3/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1462472150&sr=1-1&keywords=emjoi+body+fat I'd be curious to know how it compares to your trainer's method.
  • heatherheyns
    heatherheyns Posts: 144 Member
    Options
    I have used one for a while. I don't trust the number itself, but I do trust the trends, because it started going down when I started losing weight, and it doesn't jump around too much for me (a few percentages, but again, I use it only for trend). The one at my gym vs mine were almost 10% different, so there is a big margin of error.
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    Options
    Hand held devices can be off +- 5%.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Options
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    Hand held devices can be off +- 5%.

    I asked about the margin of error in these & scales awhile back, and some people reported as much as 30% off!
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    Options
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    I never trust the scales because they never say I'm less than 30% bf. I even went to see a personal trainer and he had me hold that thing out and when it came back and said I was 30%bf he looked at me, looked at the number, looked at me and made me do it again.
    When it came back at 30% he said i held my fat well and I HAD to be 30%bf.

    You owe me a new monitor...just sprayed Diet Mountain Dew all over mine :)

  • ArmyofAdrian
    ArmyofAdrian Posts: 177 Member
    Options
    Lookup us navy body fat calculator. If it's good enough for them it's good enough for me. And it's free.
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    edited May 2016
    Options
    lorrpb wrote: »
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    Hand held devices can be off +- 5%.

    I asked about the margin of error in these & scales awhile back, and some people reported as much as 30% off!

    The one my trainer has is a more expensive model, from what I could find. Cheaper units are probably much more inaccurate.
  • tugsandpulls760
    tugsandpulls760 Posts: 206 Member
    Options
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    I never trust the scales because they never say I'm less than 30% bf. I even went to see a personal trainer and he had me hold that thing out and when it came back and said I was 30%bf he looked at me, looked at the number, looked at me and made me do it again.
    When it came back at 30% he said i held my fat well and I HAD to be 30%bf.

    if vour 30% i must be 100% roflmao
  • SIMAKRA
    SIMAKRA Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    I use an Omron HBF 514 C scale, it combines normal scale with handheld device. I know it is not 100 percent correct, but better than any online calculation or scale only. Might not workfor bodybuilders, but is right for me at my current state.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Options
    They use a Bod Pod at the NFL Combine getting info for million dollar decisions so must be pretty decent or Bod Pod giving big $ for sponsorship.

    Hydro static is suppose to be the gold standard, aside from a cadaver exam, but there is a technique to it and the subject needs to get all air out of lungs to be accurate.
  • AAAmom2008
    AAAmom2008 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    adremark wrote: »
    Hydrostatic measurement is the gold standard. I've had that done (20%), and it was close to what the calipers said (21%). It was a little more than what the scale said (17.3%) using bioelectrical impedence.

    But what is important is not really what the number is, but rather that the number is going down. Regardless of which method you use, you should aim to have your %BF decrease. If that is happening, you're on the right track.


    Yes! Exactly! ...I think that is the best...whichever, just be sure there is a downward trend!
  • AAAmom2008
    AAAmom2008 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    I think that's exactly it! .... whichever I end up using, just watch it for the downward trend! ....basically just I do for my weight baseline!! ....great information!

Categories