Bodpod- is it worth it?

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sunflowerhippi
sunflowerhippi Posts: 1,086 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I found a local location that does it.
Is it worth the money?
Did you think so?
How did it compare to your body fat estimates from home/tape/caliper methods?

I am debating it as I am more scientifically motivated and I know I started well above 30% and am wondering really what I am at now.

Replies

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    edited July 2016
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    My understanding is that it's the most accurate BF method, equal to the hydro tank, and superio to calipers and the electronic methods. Whether it's "worth it" or not is up to individual preferences and budget. I hope to get Bod Pod or hydro tank done this summer.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    edited July 2016
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    The Bod Pod has been used at the NFL Combine for years to test players. Considering they could use any method they want as cost is really not an issue, to me says it is the most reliable and repeatable out there.

    Up to you if the info you get is worth the cost. What is a test going for now? Seems like it was around $50 locally a few years ago.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Sure, i have had them done several times.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    I would say it's a silver standard rather than the gold standard of hydrostatic testing or DEXA scans.
    It's cheap, quick, repeatable, convenient, needs no great skill to operate and non-invasive which makes it popular. Doesn't make it the best.

    I used to do 6 monthly BodPod scans and whether the number was accurate or not I have some doubts but it showed mostly a reasonable trend compared to tape measure and visual clues.
    I did have one that came up with very contrary results though - I was visually leaner with bigger arms and legs and smaller waist but got a higher fat reading.

    It's interesting on it's own just out of curiosity - for me that made it worth the cost.

    One thing I did was take along my bathroom scales and BIA scales. They should use a properly calibrated scale so a chance to compare yours. My cheap scales were perfectly accurate and the more expensive scales were 2lbs out.
    My 4 point BIA scales actually came out with fairly similar BF% and followed the same trend if you evened out the short term fluctuations.

    In the end I moved away from needing numbers and just look in the mirror and think "that's ok" (or sometimes "that's not ok").
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    For me personally, no. I gain no more useful info from it than I do from my bodyfat scale (to know if my average is trending down or not). Beyond that it's just a fun datapoint for those who love data. I love data but I can't justify paying for this particular set of data.

    It may be worth it for you though. What do you think?
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    I would say it's a silver standard rather than the gold standard of hydrostatic testing or DEXA scans.
    It's cheap, quick, repeatable, convenient, needs no great skill to operate and non-invasive which makes it popular. Doesn't make it the best.

    I used to do 6 monthly BodPod scans and whether the number was accurate or not I have some doubts but it showed mostly a reasonable trend compared to tape measure and visual clues.
    I did have one that came up with very contrary results though - I was visually leaner with bigger arms and legs and smaller waist but got a higher fat reading.

    It's interesting on it's own just out of curiosity - for me that made it worth the cost.

    One thing I did was take along my bathroom scales and BIA scales. They should use a properly calibrated scale so a chance to compare yours. My cheap scales were perfectly accurate and the more expensive scales were 2lbs out.
    My 4 point BIA scales actually came out with fairly similar BF% and followed the same trend if you evened out the short term fluctuations.

    In the end I moved away from needing numbers and just look in the mirror and think "that's ok" (or sometimes "that's not ok").

    Hydrostatic testing is very good, but accuracy relies on the ability of the subject to empty his lungs of air. If they are not instructed correctly, can't do it, aren't comfortable in water, etc the accuracy goes out the window.
  • lamby284
    lamby284 Posts: 167 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I used a bodpod once when I was still in college and I really think it was accurate. I used my results to recalculate my BMR and TDEE. I have also tried those scales where you hold a controller thing with your arms straight in front of your body, and those were really unreliable and put me 15% over my actual %...So the bodpod is way more accurate! 10/10 would do again. Due to the cost of it, you might want to do it only every 6 months.

    PS Most universities do have a bodpod or hydrostatic testing. It was $50 for one test at mine.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
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    Bodpod is accurate, easy & fast. Calipers depend on skill of the user and can only pinch the subcutaneous fat-not visceral fat. I got a Bodpod test done in January and hydro a few months later. Both great ways to test BF but Bodpod takes 5 minutes and you don't get wet!
  • sunflowerhippi
    sunflowerhippi Posts: 1,086 Member
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    Thanks for the replies. Just got around to checking this thread.

    I'm a data junkie and think after this summer local challenge I am in is done i am going to do it. $60 to me is worth it as i am very very lean upper body and pretty chunky lower half in my eyes and get such wide range on calipers to scales of variances up to around 10% and 22-32% is a big difference.

    I'd love to know a more realistic goal then just cutting and hope.
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,151 Member
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    I did one last month for the first time and found it worth the money (it was $80, which is the highest I've seen, but I'm okay with it). My weight loss has slowed/stalled a lot this past year, I've been working more with weight lifting and I wanted validation that even though the scale hasn't moved, that the weights are doing something. It's so hard to see changes in yourself in the mirror. I was pleasantly surprised to be "moderately lean" at 26.8%. I started this whole journey over 44% (calipers at the gym 7 months after I started trying to lose weight). The info/numbers helped me decide on a goal weight (with the help of my dietician), one more realistic than what I set out to reach. I will try it again in a few months. To me it was worth the money. And I was surprised to see that my home scale's numbers had me at 26 point something as well. I'd heard they weren't accurate so I never really paid much attention to all the info that pops up after the weight (usually because I'm hopping off and cursing).
  • samilicious01
    samilicious01 Posts: 9 Member
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    I've done them in the past but now I haven't bothered so much. I'm more focused on using weekly pictures, a tape measure and weekly average weigh-ins as my measure. As long as my trend is downwards then I'm happy that I've got this and I'm heading in the right direction.
  • kendahlj
    kendahlj Posts: 243 Member
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    They have one where I work and it's free. Thank goodness...$60 is a lot. I'm thinking of a new business...mobile bod pod!
  • sunflowerhippi
    sunflowerhippi Posts: 1,086 Member
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    haha so first one was on point, said around 22.4%

    then went back 14 weeks later, now somehow at a new place I was 9.5% haha error much. Calipers put me at 17% at that point.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,981 Member
    edited January 2017
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    My understanding is that it's the most accurate BF method, equal to the hydro tank, . . .

    Absolutely NOT true!!

    The BodPod has been found to be the LEAST accurate method of measuring LBM & BF w/an error rate for individuaks of up to 15% as compared w/Hydrostatic Testing at 5-6% and DXA up to 8-10%

    See:http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-4-the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-parts-3-and-4-bod-pod-and-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-part-3-bod-pod/

    Calipers in the hands of a SKILLED user would probably get a gross measurement better than a BodPod and maybe even as good as with Hydro and DXA. Bioelectrical would be the least accurate out of all of them.

    Whether it is "worth" getting a BodPod or any other BF measurement done is a highly subjective choice based on cost snd the importance of the data to the individual.

    If given other choices, I would never choose doing a BodPod over Hydro or DXA but, if it's the only method available, then it really just cone down to whether you can live w/the cost and the potential error in the results.

    PS: I have measured my BF uding both DXA and Hydro but have never used a BodPod and, based on what I've read and heard about it, probably never will.

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