Body fat%

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mathen2
mathen2 Posts: 134 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Need your opinions. Got my body fat% measurements using the calipers and biostatic impedance measurements. The caliper measurement and the biostatic impedance seem to be totally off from each other. The calipers say Im at 21.6% body fat while the impedance measurement says I'm at 24%. Which one would you rely on? I have been using the biostatic impedance measurements to monitor my progress until now.
Appreciate it!

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  • mathen2
    mathen2 Posts: 134 Member
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  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Was it a trained professional that measured you with calipers?
    How many sites did they measure?
    Did they take each measurement at least twice?

    The more spots checked with the caliper the more accurate it will be.
  • abigailV91
    abigailV91 Posts: 14 Member
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    My friend has a scale from weight watchers and it measures your body fat % along with pounds of body fat, bone mass, BMI and water %. Weight as well... I've never had my body fat measured with tools before, so I wouldn't know much about that. The numbers don't sound too far off though.
  • uk_ja
    uk_ja Posts: 143 Member
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    It doesn't matter which one you rely on just pick one and stick with it. Consistency is the key. I use a biostatic impedance at the same time, day of the month and I have seen my Body Fat go from 20.1% Jan 2011 to 14.2% Jan 2012. I'm sure if I took a caliper measurement it would be different. So pick one and stick with it.

    Also remember that it is not an exact science with laboratory style conditions, thing will vary and change so the results you see always have a margin of error. During last year I reached 16% in one month and then up to 17% the following month and back down to 15%. Just use the measurements as a guide, trends are better to follow than a single measurement.
  • hongruss
    hongruss Posts: 389 Member
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    Callipers are by far the most accurrate method, bioimpedance works by sending an electric current & testing how fast it travels point A to point B, this can be affected by how much water you have drank & even at its best only measures the top half of your body(handheld) bottom half(weighing scales).

    Callipers used correctly actually measure your fat levels over all off your body, as previously mentioned the more body sites used the more accurate the reading, even used incorrectly I would prefer them :)

    Russ
  • nau05242
    nau05242 Posts: 21 Member
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    Calipers are more reliable but uk_ja is right - pick one and stick with it!

    Both sets of measurments are very dependant on the hydration of you muscle too so how much water you drank would effect both measurements.

    Are your ab muscles visable? If they are then it is likely that you are closer to the Body Fat % of 21. Most female's abdominal muscles become visable when their Body Fat is around 20%.

    E xox
  • fitnesswhitness
    fitnesswhitness Posts: 4
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    I'm doing a "bod pod" on Monday. Apparently it's SUPER accurate. You could do some research and see if there's one in your area. Usually the local colleges have one as part of a wellness program for the fitness majors. ANYWAY I'll let you know my results on Monday :)
  • mathen2
    mathen2 Posts: 134 Member
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    The PT took the measurements from 7 places ( I think, definitely more than 5) and he only took the measurements once though.
  • mathen2
    mathen2 Posts: 134 Member
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    Just wanted to find out what to really rely on. For my monitoring and motivation to keep going, I am planning to take the higher number since I have been tracking that for the last couple of months. Thanks!

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