Best way to measure bf?

sinead29
sinead29 Posts: 69 Member
edited June 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
What is the best way to measure your bf? Calipers?

Replies

  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    The best way (as in most accurate) is autopsy - but for obvious reasons it's not recommended. :D

    DEXA scan and/or hydrostatic weighing are considered the most accurate generally available methods, but both involve cost and availability issues.

    For home use, calipers are about the best you have. They're subject to error, but if the person measuring is skilled in using them and consistent about where the measurements are taken, at least they're a decent indicator of progress, if not 100% accurate. BIA scales, which are a commonly used home method of measurement, are highly inaccurate and imprecise.

    I take measurements monthly with a pair of AccuMeasure skinfold calipers (both 3-site and suprailiac). The 3-site method, while not totally accurate, is easy to do on yourself and at least gives me a ballpark figure and allows me to see how I'm progressing based upon the skinfold thicknesses.

    If you want to learn about the various methods and their accuracy (or lack thereof), James Krieger wrote an excellent series about it. Part 1 starts here: The Pitfalls of Bodyfat Measurement - Part 1
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Bodpod is another professional option. Some of the impedance scales are at least as good as calipers so might be an option for ongoing checks but I would start with one of the better options to get a baseline.
  • sinead29
    sinead29 Posts: 69 Member
    Calipers are the only viable option for me i think. As you can see from my profile i have quite a bit around my stomach (joys of having four kids!) But i would be interested to know a ballpark figure so i can work on bringing it down.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    https://youtu.be/aHOtMnTJMjg


    This is a pretty good video.
  • Nicholas_39
    Nicholas_39 Posts: 36 Member
    sinead29 wrote: »
    What is the best way to measure your bf?

    Ask him to step on a scale? o:)
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Does it really matter what your body fat is? Looking leaner and getting the fat off your ab area is a matter of lowering your fat overall. Have you read this?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1
  • sinead29
    sinead29 Posts: 69 Member
    Nicholas_39 wrote: »
    sinead29 wrote: »
    What is the best way to measure your bf?

    Ask him to step on a scale? o:)

    Ha!!
  • sinead29
    sinead29 Posts: 69 Member
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    Does it really matter what your body fat is? Looking leaner and getting the fat off your ab area is a matter of lowering your fat overall. Have you read this?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

    Thank you! Great thread, i actually lift three times a week at the moment so hoping to see some change over the coming months
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited June 2017
    yarwell wrote: »
    Bodpod is another professional option.

    Bodpod is the LEAST reliable of the 3 technologically advanced methods.

    Hydrostatic and DXA are better and hydro will give you consitently lower #'s than DXA but DXA will give you more data like VAT, bone density and BF% by body part.

    I do both every 3 months but if anyone asks my BF%, I only give my hydro #.

    LOL!!

  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
    edited June 2017
    Tell your BF to stand still for a moment while you wrap a measuring tape around them. They might think you're taking this measuring stuff a bit far, but that's what best friends are for.

    Also originally I typed measuring Rape instead of Tape, lol. Probably best to avoud that...
  • cs2thecox
    cs2thecox Posts: 533 Member
    I go with calipers (7 site skin fold) because my trainer does it for free during a session.

    I'm not entirely convinced on the resulting %, but it gives a useful metric for comparison. You can also see area-specific fat loss as the various skin fold measurements change over time. I find that helpful, as it's let me see that my thighs have leaned up more than I thought they had!

    I'm a data nerd, so I find it helpful to have a load of data for comparison, rather than just going on how I look. How I look can vary depending on what I've had for dinner the night before etc, but the skin fold takes longer to change so I feel that it's a more "stable" metric for me to use.

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