Best device/way to measure body fat?

Machines?
Methods?
 
What are the practical ways?

Method:::::http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/skinfolds.htm
 
 
machines: my nutritionist uses a little clamp, that is green and has a scale attached to it, i have no idea what its called.  And i searched onthe web and couldnt find it.  Sorry
 
 
 

-Mike



Height:6'2
Weight:254
bf%-13.2
Age:17
Bench: 360
Squat: 475
Deadlift: 515
leg press: 965
**UPDATED:10/2/2005**

FYI: A peach a day, keeps the doctor away!

are the skin pinches expensive?
 
not that accurate i assume...

doubt it, $15 max(im guessing, they dont seem to expensive)

-Mike



Height:6'2
Weight:254
bf%-13.2
Age:17
Bench: 360
Squat: 475
Deadlift: 515
leg press: 965
**UPDATED:10/2/2005**

FYI: A peach a day, keeps the doctor away!

Thry are called fat calipers and you can get them online. I found a gym in my town that will do it for $5 but most places charge at least $20.
Tanya

i just bought one of those scales that tells your weight and bf% by sending an electrical current through your body. i bought it for about $30, but you can buy ones that tell your weight,bf%, water weight, and how many calaries you should be consuming a day for about $70.  Also it seems to be pretty dead on accurate.

The truth is… there’s several ways to do this.
 

• Underwater Weighing
  
• Bio-Electrical Impedance Analysis
  
• BIA Body Fat Scales and Hang Grip Tests
  
• InfraredCircumference & Anthropometric
  
• Other More Complicated MethodsSkin fold Measurements like “The Pinch Test” 

The simplest and cheapest method is the skin fold test.  You can purchase a set of calipers for about $20 and do this test in the privacy of your own home.  The accuracy of this test is almost as accurate as the methods above and it costs you nothing. 
 
For individuals in the 15-35% range it’s deemed as accurate.  For lean individuals it is probably the most accurate and for people over 35% body fat, other methods are more accurate.

What it all boils down to is this…
 
Regardless of the accuracy of the test, it’s fast, it’s simple and it’s cheap.  And the only reason you measure your body fat is to determine progress.  A simple set of calipers will get the job done.  And you can do it over and over for no cost.  You can’t say that about the other options some of which are not very accurate at all.

-Excerpt from the Top 12 Report

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

i'm too stupid to use the website you suggested.

i picked one up for $8 new and not on sale.

Those of you who followed my first six-month bodybuilding extravaganza know by now that I have never fully trusted my body fat stats. I began tracking body fat last July 30, using the FatTrack II digital skin fold caliper. Though the results were consistent, even I have a hard time believing they were accurate. Let's face it, the only people who ever achieve 3% body fat are competitive bodybuilders at the height of contest season, and even then, they have to practically dehydrate themselves to pull that off. If I was really carrying only 3% body fat, I expect I would be in hypothermic shock most of the time, LOL.

The problem started with my inherent mistrust of anything claiming to be a self-contained solution. So, right off the bat, I ditched the results that the FatTracker II was calculating and just relied on it for the actual skin fold measurements, which I plugged into my own equations. Well, it turns out, there are about as many different equations for calculating body fat from skin fold measurements as there are devices to take the measurements with. I assumed that a calculation which uses more measurement sites would be more accurate, so I went with the Jackson & Pollack 7-Site formula for athletes. I won't bore you with the advanced trigonometry lesson that this formula entails; suffice to say, the result was the blatantly impossible 3% value that I have been tracking for the last 6 months.

Turns out, the FatTracker II actually uses the Jackson & Pollack 3-site equation, which (surprise, surprise) works out to something like 9% body fat with the exact same measurements used in the 7-site version. To make matters worse, the FatTracker II is a piece of crap for taking measurements in the first place, because there's no way to know how much pressure to apply.

Enter eBay -the only way I'm getting my hands on one of those medical grade ANALOG skin fold calipers you see used in the gyms -you know, the ones that are designed to manage the pressure FOR you? I scored a Lange Caliper for $100 used, and I'll let you know how it works out.

From now on, I'm going with the 3-site formula, just to eliminate the brain damage.

My home away from DBB

Veggeep...after I rolled off my chair laughing...I had to go measure my bady fat!
 
I want to offer up a less expensive but nice tool that runs just over $20 and provides the tension for you. 
Most places sell it for over $30, I am sharing the best price I have found to date for this caliper.
Skinfold Calipers <--- link to place on amazon where it is cheapest
 
On the topic of Body fat measurement...
The methods YOU can use to test your bodyfat yourself are unreliable on a one time basis. 
They are better used to track changes over time on an ongoing basis. 
Test every 1-3 weeks at the same time of day...and use the same scale to take your weight. 

Here is a calculator that allows you to use skinfold calipers (3 or 7 point test) or tape measure
http://www.linear-software.com/online.html


This web page has illustrations. 
All measurement on right side is normal. 
Measurements should be taken from the same place on the body, always at the same time of day... 

Just a note...3 fold can be done alone and I prefer multi site tests...the other tests require an aid to take the measure from the back. 
 
I compared many BF testing methods to see how they work with my body.
You can see there is a variance between methods. 
I can take any of the tests over and over and I get the same result.
I have been taking BF measuremnts for decades, so I am quite use to it.
 
Here are those test results ...
16.34% -Tape measure 3 location
14.5% - Tape measure 2 location
13.2% - Skin Fold 1 Location
19.4%  - Skin Fold 2 Location
9.4% - Skin Fold 3 Location
15.1%  - Skin Fold 4 Location
15.9% - Skin Fold 4 Location (actually an aggragate of multiple tests of: 4 folds-15.1%, 1 fold-13.2%, 2 folds-19.4%)
11.27% - Skin Fold 7 Location
16.6% - Bio-electrical Impedance
 
Wild isn't it.  But they are all based on various assumptions...so that is why it is better as a tool for tracking over time.  Pick a method, get good at it, and stick with it.

Here is a calculator that allows you to use skinfold calipers (3 or 7 point test) or tape measure
http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

As always, Dan, much grass!  This is one of the best-organized sites I've seen yet!

I actually used to have that exact caliper about four years ago, but it spent most of its dejected life banished to the bottom of my sock drawer, while I languished in procrastination.  The last time I moved, it ended up in the trash   Guess I thought I was never going to get serious about bodybuilding again, he he he...

My home away from DBB

Guess I thought I was never going to get serious about bodybuilding again, he he he...

 
And now look what you've gone and done!

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has any1 tried the Omron Body Fat Analyzer. they have one at my gym and it seems alright but ive never tried it a few times in a row to see if its consistent. i tried a digital caliper but it was really annoying cause there was no way to know how hard i had to put pressure on on each measurement spot. is there anyway to get this to be more accurate?

Duke of the Emancipation Detoxification

DEXA Imaging (a type of x-ray) $50,000

BodPod $20,000

BioAnalogics Impedance $1500

With the above technology, you can determine not only fat and lean, but body water. A person can increase 3 pounds of lean without it being muscle (e.g., water and glycogen)... something fat calipers never can do. And if a person carries a bit too much water subcutaneously, fat calipers will pick it up and suggest it is fat because of a greater mm thickness.

I know their really called Body Fat Calipers but I'm much more partial to "Fat Grabometer".
 
I picked these up at GNC for about 10 bucks.  It's easy to get readings once you practice and get consistent.
 
http://www.accumeasurefitness.com/
 

how many different points do u have to measure?

Just one.  It comes with a chart and does all of the calculations for you.
 
I've used to do to 3 skin folds as well and a different calculation and it came out very similar.
 
The accuracy of the product isn't as important as the measurement change is over time.  Doesn't matter if it's 1-3% off so long as you use it consistently you'll get an idea on which direction you're moving.

ORIGINAL: DaemonCain

The accuracy of the product isn't as important as the measurement change is over time.  Doesn't matter if it's 1-3% off so long as you use it consistently you'll get an idea on which direction you're moving.

yea thats very true, so ur saying the one with just the one point gave u good precision(not accuracy but gave good consistent measures and wasnt always different and showed ur progress)?

Yes, it's very consistent and easy to use.  It clicks when you're done and it's very easy to use.
 
Started using it when I was at 22% BF and got myself down to 14.5% (current).
 
Also though, I find you have to do it at the same time of day.  I do it in the morning after my coffee and before eating.  It takes some good practice to get consistent with it (but that's mostly making sure you're measuring the right part). 

I had no idea this became top in the Workout Equipment category...

I will also say that I use the Accumeasure calipers as well and for a time (about 8 weeks) was measuring my own BF% weekly and being measured at my gym by a trainer and the results were extremely close (less than 0.1% difference between the two).  As mentioned, it is the measurement over time that matters more than the accuracy, but these seem to be pretty accurate with just one measurement.

Tired of information overload?  Confused about which plan is the right one for you?  Get yourself out of the dark by going to http://www.fitnessexpose.com/ and learn how to get into the best shape

BioAnalogics Impedance

I tried this one for a few weeks at a friends house: great piece of equipment.

Tell a little about how that is used and which BioAnalogics Impedance device you used...

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Ok basically what the device does is that it determines the amount of lean tissue versus fat tissue in your body, really easy to use to be honest. My friend is a personal trainer and he seems to find it incredibly useful.

Don't remember the name exactly but it was this one:


It is called ELG something... can't remember the exact name.

bioanalogics, elg2.
I have one now since the 90s, its good except has its margin of error, below 11% my athletes get overread and over 23% or so and you get underread.
I also use the acumeasure which with one reading can tell you an accurate measure if your not under 13%.
After that you start using the 3, 7, and 9 meausure readings for lower percentages.
Linda

Come Visit my websites! www.figureteam.com www.lindacusmano.com www.bodyrushpersonaltraining.com

danmirage


Veggeep...after I rolled off my chair laughing...I had to go measure my bady fat!
 
I want to offer up a less expensive but nice tool that runs just over $20 and provides the tension for you. 
Most places sell it for over $30, I am sharing the best price I have found to date for this caliper.
Skinfold Calipers <--- link to place on amazon where it is cheapest
 
On the topic of Body fat measurement...
The methods YOU can use to test your bodyfat yourself are unreliable on a one time basis. 
They are better used to track changes over time on an ongoing basis. 
Test every 1-3 weeks at the same time of day...and use the same scale to take your weight. 

Here is a calculator that allows you to use skinfold calipers (3 or 7 point test) or tape measure
http://www.linear-software.com/online.html


This web page has illustrations. 
All measurement on right side is normal. 
Measurements should be taken from the same place on the body, always at the same time of day... 

Just a note...3 fold can be done alone and I prefer multi site tests...the other tests require an aid to take the measure from the back. 
 
I compared many BF testing methods to see how they work with my body.
You can see there is a variance between methods. 
I can take any of the tests over and over and I get the same result.
I have been taking BF measuremnts for decades, so I am quite use to it.
 
Here are those test results ...
16.34% -Tape measure 3 location
14.5% - Tape measure 2 location
13.2% - Skin Fold 1 Location
19.4%  - Skin Fold 2 Location
9.4% - Skin Fold 3 Location
15.1%  - Skin Fold 4 Location
15.9% - Skin Fold 4 Location (actually an aggragate of multiple tests of: 4 folds-15.1%, 1 fold-13.2%, 2 folds-19.4%)
11.27% - Skin Fold 7 Location
16.6% - Bio-electrical Impedance
 
Wild isn't it.  But they are all based on various assumptions...so that is why it is better as a tool for tracking over time.  Pick a method, get good at it, and stick with it.

Ah, ok...ELG II.  That is a great machine for general health applications in a "normal or average" body fat % range as Linda noted. 

However, for those of us who desire to make frequent adjustments to achieve our goals effectively, we need something with a consistent feedback over a wide range.

I have tried many methods with many clients and quite simply, calipers (raw caliper measurements) provide the best raw data.   But remember, it is better as a tool for tracking over time.

Raw numbers are best in my opinion.  But using calculations is also nice for tracking change over time.

You can see how I used the numbers to modify my diet and training over a 1 year period to Gain 30 pounds of muscle and drop 5 pounds of fat while bulking... Just look at this table of progress:
http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/fb.ashx?m=170774

Hopefully you can see the chart I am attaching here as well, which shows the % bodyfat changes over that year.  My goal was to gain mass and my training was cyclic, which is represented in the cycles of changes in my %BF.  I was using the calipers to track lean mass changes.  Any time I started to gain unwanted fat, I made modifications to training and diet.

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Italianangel


bioanalogics, elg2.
I have one now since the 90s, its good except has its margin of error, below 11% my athletes get overread and over 23% or so and you get underread.
I also use the acumeasure which with one reading can tell you an accurate measure if your not under 13%.
After that you start using the 3, 7, and 9 meausure readings for lower percentages.
Linda

Thank you!!!!

But since you are actually recomending other pieces of equipment I will need to go into further research I am afraid...

Perhaps on a short term basis the mirror may prove useful, however, the memory is prone to being inaccurate.  For instance, what did you look like 6 weeks ago?  10 weeks ago?  6 months ago?

Taking photographs is much better than just using the mirror over time.

When one is leaner, neither the mirror nor the photographs give a measure of relative bodyfat the way calipers will.  At lower bodyfat levels, I have not seen anything as useful or easy to apply as calipers.

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