Body Fat Percentage Measure-r accuracy rate?

MLeigh18
MLeigh18 Posts: 120 Member
edited October 3 in Food and Nutrition
How accurate are the hand held BF and BMI checkers? My Crossfit gym has one.

On March 7, 2011 Here what it read:

Age: 22
Height: 5 '8
Weight: 143.5
BF%: 18.7
BMI:21.6

Those numbers are all in the "good and normal" range for me. So I was happy, that was until yesterday...

October 11, 2011

Age: 23
Height: 5'8
Weight: 142
BF%: 16.2
BMI: 21.6

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I don't think it's possible that I've dropped my BF% over 2% in 7 months and I haven't been doing anything different. In fact, in march I was eating a lot better, and working out AT LEAST 3 times a week. and now, I've been eating like crap lately because I'm so exhausted at the end of the day I dont want to cook, and I only work out 2 times a week at best. Sure, I've seen my weight load increase, I've seen small physical changes in myself, and I notice that I can go longer, push harder and work faster today than I could 7 months ago, but that's the idea of my training..

So anyway, I'm skeptical of this checker machine. How accurate are they really? This is the one I used: http://www.sudatonicusa.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=6

Thoughts, suggestions, comments welcome.

Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    the BMI one would be accurate if you entered your height and weight correctly as BMI is just a function of height and weight.

    As for as BF%, not very accurate, but if the BF% is going down it is the trend that matters more than the actual number.

    - At your height and weight, given above, why are you looking at losing another 17lbs? Your weight right now is ideal for your height, and if you BF% is correct you probably don't want to lose too much more either. I would recommend you aim for maybe 5 more lbs if you are not happy with your body, but focus more on the BF% than the weight.
  • sarah307
    sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
    my gym has the hand held ones and i did it three times in a row one day and it was as much as +/- 3% off each time for the body fat percentage
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    These types are influenced by the amount of hydration. So if you drank a ton or worked out a ton, results will vary. Hell results will vary even if you had not.

    Try doing the test back to back. I bet there might be 1-2% diff right there.
  • sailed2japan
    sailed2japan Posts: 17 Member
    In my opinion the only way to get a true BF% is to do the pinch test. I don't trust anything else to be acurate.
  • AI1108
    AI1108 Posts: 488 Member
    my gym has the hand held ones and i did it three times in a row one day and it was as much as +/- 3% off each time for the body fat percentage

    Yeah I have the same one and it's different every time. I do it until I find a consistent number a few times and use that number. But the changes could be from anything including wearing different clothes/sneakers, daily fluctuations in water/food, whether you worked out before, etc.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    dunk tank or bod pod are probably the most accurate. But they are sort of a pain to do/arrange.
  • ukhennin
    ukhennin Posts: 221 Member
    Yeah, in order for the handhelds to be close to accurate you're supposed to do them at the exact same time during the day as other measurements and the instructions often want you to hold them a certain way. There may also be setting that need to be changed for your specific body. When you just pick one up in the gym they're not that accurate. If you bought one and had it at home, read the instructions and set it up properly, they're more accurate. Still not as good as the pinch test though.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    Inaccurate as reporting low or high?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Inaccurate as reporting low or high?

    usually lower than you actually are. I did one a few years back and my BF came out to 6.4%, I was def under 10% then but probably more like 8.5 to 9%.
  • Blackthorne99
    Blackthorne99 Posts: 250 Member
    These types are influenced by the amount of hydration. So if you drank a ton or worked out a ton, results will vary. Hell results will vary even if you had not.

    Try doing the test back to back. I bet there might be 1-2% diff right there.

    Exactly - my scale does BF% but it can vary as much as 6% in a day's time depending on a) how much water I've had to drink and b) how long my food has had to digest. If it says 22%, it usually means I'm still digesting and need to drink several glasses of water RIGHT NOW.

    If it's 28%, chances are I'm near the scale because I'm about to go.
  • MLeigh18
    MLeigh18 Posts: 120 Member
    Thanks so much everyone for the info. I'm skeptical about BF% handholder things or even calipers. I've been told by my military friends that the submerged water test is about as accurate as you can get. But I don't know where to or how to arrange that. Also, I don't remember what time, probably 5:15pm, when i first did the measuring back in march and i think it was before i workedout for the day meanwhile, yesterday measuring was after a work out at 11:15am.

    @EricKirb ,I'm actually not looking to lose any weight. I want to drop my BF%. I know i'm medically "normal" but my fitness level isn't "normal". I want to be elite. I'm not talking crazy bodybuilder 5% or less or anything. But I'd like to be tone and i'd like to see it.

    Should these numbers even matter as long as I continue on the path that I am on currently? I only want to be in the best physical mental and emotional condition that my body is capable of. That's my goal.
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