How accurate are calipers and does this look like 24%bodyfat?

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andreascjonsson
andreascjonsson Posts: 433 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!

I recently whent to a PT and measured my bodyfat percentage. He used calipers and said he was experienced with them and apparently i had 24% wich is a letdown and higher than i thought. I know calipers arent perfect but it should be somewhat around that percentage. This is me atmwc3ql11fzb5u.jpgis my self image skewed and im actually at 24% or what does it look like to you?
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Replies

  • andreascjonsson
    andreascjonsson Posts: 433 Member
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    LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
    You look very lean to me. Why not forget about the bf% and just go by how you look :smile:

    Thx! I know thats what i should do, it just got to me and i wanted to make sure i just didnt see myself leaner than i was. Just like some people see themselves bigger than they are.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
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    BF % measurements are best used to look for trends rather than accurate numbers. You look good, don't sweat it!
  • craignev
    craignev Posts: 1,247 Member
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    How many sites did he take readings from as it normally varies between 3 to 7? (7 having more accuracy than 3).

    Also, 'Under ideal conditions, caliper-tests predict fat percentage within plus or minus 3.5 percent of your true body composition'.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    Without something like a Dexa scan its a best guess, but you can use your caliper/measurements to develop a trend over time.

    https://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
  • andreascjonsson
    andreascjonsson Posts: 433 Member
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    Thanks for all the input. I will disregard the actuall measurements and look more at the development, as you guys suggest. I have 2 more measurement times left with my pt and then hopefully i will be done with cutting anyway and start my bulk.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    BF % measurements are best used to look for trends rather than accurate numbers. You look good, don't sweat it!

    Agreed. An in that sense, it also helps if the same person takes the measurements each time.


    FWIW, you're stomach *looks* leaner than mind did when I was around 15%. But I carry the vast majority of my fat in my stomach, so take it with a grain of salt.
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
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    Go for the Dexa scan! I've been trying to find one in my area to help track progress since it's way more accurate than either scales or calipers.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    Calipers can be very accurate of done right by an experienced person. FWIW, I wouldn't hazard a guess based on the one photo. If you want an visual estimate, take 4 pics. 2 front, 2 side. One flexed and one not of each. That will help folks give you the best guess.
  • andreascjonsson
    andreascjonsson Posts: 433 Member
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    well the dexa scan is 86 bucks more expencive per time. So my 3 measurement times would cost 258 bucks more and thats just alittle more than i am willing to pay.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    edited February 2018
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    24% actually doesn't seem too far off. To me, men with BF in the low to mid-20's tend to look like they have 'thick' skin. Definitely not fat, but not wire thin either.

    Once you drop to the mid to low teens, skin starts looking really thin and you start becoming vascular, regardless of whether you've been lifting or not.

    That said, you look fine. If nothing else, this just shows how unnecessary (and ridiculous) it can be to target a really low BF%.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    andreascjonsson wrote: »
    well the dexa scan is 86 bucks more expencive per time. So my 3 measurement times would cost 258 bucks more and thats just alittle more than i am willing to pay.

    That's certainly reasonable. As someone said earlier... worry less about the actual number (though I get the shot to the ego it can be) and more about how that number changes. Whatever degree of accuracy or inaccuracy there is should be there every time. If possible, get measured by the same person on the same day of the week at the same time of day each time to help minimize normal variances in body comp (mostly fluid retention).
  • joshuak30
    joshuak30 Posts: 110 Member
    edited February 2018
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    DX2JX2 wrote: »
    24% actually doesn't seem too far off. To me, men with BF in the low to mid-20's tend to look like they have 'thick' skin. Definitely not fat, but not wire thin either.

    Once you drop to the mid to low teens, skin starts looking really thin and you start becoming vascular, regardless of whether you've been lifting or not.

    That's not actually true. Most men, even very muscular ones, will not have vascularity until they are below 10% bodyfat. Definition in the abs is a great sign someone is in the low teens. I would agree with you on 20% looking like "thick skin", though.

    OP, I would echo what others have said and caution you against putting too much faith in caliper readings as an absolute measure. They're fine for trends, but rely greatly on the skill of the user to be accurate.

    If I had to guess your BF percentage, I'd go off the BuiltLean chart and say you're pretty close to 20%, maybe a touch lower. Everyone carries fat differently, so again, don't put too much stock in the number as an absolute measure!
  • DevilsFan1
    DevilsFan1 Posts: 342 Member
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    Why not just use the Navy Body Fat Calculation method. It's extremely simple and is as accurate as calipers. Get a cloth tape measure and measure your waist at the navel with your stomach completely relaxed. Do the same for your neck. Plug those numbers into an online calculator and get your results.

    These methods are all off by as much as 5%. The point is to track progress not the exact number you get at any one time. And to answer your question, you look much leaner than 24%.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Calipers are only as accurate as the person using them. Calipering yourself can be very inaccurate.

    To me you look considerably leaner than 24%...more like 18-20%, but I also don't know if you are sucking it in.
  • andreascjonsson
    andreascjonsson Posts: 433 Member
    edited February 2018
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    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    Calipers are only as accurate as the person using them. Calipering yourself can be very inaccurate.

    To me you look considerably leaner than 24%...more like 18-20%, but I also don't know if you are sucking it in.
    I am not sucking in as that would defeat the whole purpose of this thread XD
    DevilsFan1 wrote: »
    Why not just use the Navy Body Fat Calculation method. It's extremely simple and is as accurate as calipers. Get a cloth tape measure and measure your waist at the navel with your stomach completely relaxed. Do the same for your neck. Plug those numbers into an online calculator and get your results.

    These methods are all off by as much as 5%. The point is to track progress not the exact number you get at any one time. And to answer your question, you look much leaner than 24%.
    Ill try the tape measurement approach and see how they stack up against eachother, but the more i look around the web the more certain i get that my thinking that measurements are somewhat accurate are wrong unless you take the expencive approach. I will, as i said before, now use it more to look if it goes down rather than the exact number and watch the trends.

  • DevilsFan1
    DevilsFan1 Posts: 342 Member
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    andreascjonsson wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    Calipers are only as accurate as the person using them. Calipering yourself can be very inaccurate.

    To me you look considerably leaner than 24%...more like 18-20%, but I also don't know if you are sucking it in.
    I am not sucking in as that would defeat the whole purpose of this thread XD
    DevilsFan1 wrote: »
    Why not just use the Navy Body Fat Calculation method. It's extremely simple and is as accurate as calipers. Get a cloth tape measure and measure your waist at the navel with your stomach completely relaxed. Do the same for your neck. Plug those numbers into an online calculator and get your results.

    These methods are all off by as much as 5%. The point is to track progress not the exact number you get at any one time. And to answer your question, you look much leaner than 24%.
    Ill try the tape measurement approach and see how they stack up against eachother, but the more i look around the web the more certain i get that my thinking that measurements are somewhat accurate are wrong unless you take the expencive approach. I will, as i said before, now use it more to look if it goes down rather than the exact number and watch the trends.

    I use both calipers and a tape and my results almost always match. Yes, they are probably not as accurate as a Dexa scan, but I can do them for free at home whenever I want. Anyway, a number is just a number subject to error. Do you like the way you look? Do your clothes fit well? Are you getting leaner and not fatter? If so, a number doesn't really mean anything.
  • andreascjonsson
    andreascjonsson Posts: 433 Member
    edited February 2018
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    According to the navy body fat calculation i got 16% bodyfat instead wich sound way to low XD
    Maybe my genetics just put the fat in unusal places :P
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    How many points did he use. My PT is very experienced and good with calipers and he does 10 points. Visually, it's hard to say because a lot depends on how and where you carry fat, but 24% seems high as 25% is considered obese and you don't look close to obese to me.
    DX2JX2 wrote: »
    24% actually doesn't seem too far off. To me, men with BF in the low to mid-20's tend to look like they have 'thick' skin. Definitely not fat, but not wire thin either.

    Once you drop to the mid to low teens, skin starts looking really thin and you start becoming vascular, regardless of whether you've been lifting or not.

    That said, you look fine. If nothing else, this just shows how unnecessary (and ridiculous) it can be to target a really low BF%.

    No way...24% BF on a male is overweight and almost obese...25% is considered obese and the OP doesn't look obese to me.
  • andreascjonsson
    andreascjonsson Posts: 433 Member
    edited February 2018
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    "No way...24% BF on a male is overweight and almost obese...25% is considered obese and the OP doesn't look obese to me". This was my thoughts exactly when i heard the results but ive come to realise with the help of the great MFP community that im probably abit below 24% atleast. He used 4 points and measured them 3 times each.

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