Measuring Your Body Fat (Caliper)

 
THE CALIPER
For starters, you need to get yourself a body fat caliper. You can drop 50-100 bucks and buy a digital caliper, or you can go with a cheap little accumeasure caliper (like me :))
These can be purchased at many fitness stores/depots or ordered online for very cheap.
 
THE MEASUREMENT
There are many different techniques for this, but in my experience, the most accurate technique is the 9-site Parillo. (works for men and women).
It is not easy to do on your own, so you are better off to ask someone for help. However, with a little practice and creativity, some people are able to take their measurements on their own.
 
Here are the 9 places on your body where you take the measurements:

Pectoral
Upper Chest A diagonal fold, halfway between the nipple and the front of the underarm crease.

Tricep
A vertical fold halfway between the shoulder and elbow joint, directly over the tricep.

Bicep
A vertical fold halfway between the shoulder and elbow joint.

Suprailiac
A diagonal fold following the natural angle of the hipbone.

Lower Back/Kidney
A horizontal fold about 2 inches to the right of the spine, directly over the kidneys.

Subscapular
A slightly angled vertical fold between the right shoulder blade and the spine.

Umbilicus/Abdomen
A horizontal fold one inch to the right of the navel.

Calf
A vertical fold directly in the middle of the calf muscle.

Upper Thigh

Now, Pinch an inch. For most measurements, using your thumb and index finger, you squeeze approximately 1 inch of fat and then use the caliper to measure the amount of millimeters that the fat takes up.

*If you are using a plastic caliper, remember to use the slider piece which points to the number of millimeters.*
 
THE MATH
Nope, getting a "20" pinch on your abdomen does not mean you have 20% BF.
 

Add up the 9 measuremenst that you took with the caliper

Divide the total sum of the skinfold measurements by your weight

Multiply the result by 27.

While I am at it, to find your total fat in pounds: Mulitply your weight by your BF % and divide by 100. To find your pounds of muscle (LBM) just subtract your pounds of fat from your total weight.
 
THINGS TO NOTE

Take these measurements in the morning after you go to the bathroom and before you eat. If you take the measurements later on in the day you will very likely have your numbers thrown askew by water/food weight.

If you are having trouble taking the measurements yourself, try using clothes pegs to act as your fingers. People generally have problems taking measurements on the triceps, biceps and upper back. You should be able to reach over your shoulders to take the upper back (takes practice), but for the bicep and tricep, give the clothes pegs a shot. Otherwise ask a friend or family member for help.

If you all can think of anything to add to this HOW TO, just post it and I can made additions.
Cheers.

Anthony Ellis' Fatloss Phase 2

www.ectomatter.com

This is a 9 point test but what calculation would you use for a 4 point test, they use to do them at our gym, it was the back, Bicep, tricep and Suprailiac?
 
Thanks.

Try using these for 4 and 7 points...
http://www.pcis.net/gagne/fitness/Entry.htm
http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

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Thanks Dan, the websites are good.

Just keep in mind that the 4 and 7 site measurements have a much larger room for error as they sample less parts of your body.
The 7-site might put you in at 7.5% while you are actually 9.5%

Anthony Ellis' Fatloss Phase 2

www.ectomatter.com

In truth these are estimates based on clinical assumptions derived from autopsies on cadavers and are only an estimate at best.  They are better used to track your progress over time.  Not really very accurate on a one time basis.
 
I agree, I prefer more sites over fewer sites.
 

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.
 
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 while I prefer multi-site tests...the other tests require an aid to take the measure from the back. 
 
So I keep a set of both ongoing.

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I'm having trouble measuring my own body fat.  I use the 3 site technique, as I'd prefer to just do it myself.  It is saying that I have only 17.4% body fat.  I know this is way off.  My scale which measures body fat some mysterious magial way through these electrical sensors (is this bio-electrical impedance?) says I'm like 25% body fat, sounds a lot more realistic.
 
My problem with this testing is that you use this fancy device to precisely measure the amount of fat that you grab between your index finger and your thumb in a not-so-precise way. 
 
The question I pose is this:  How are you supposed to pinch?  Basically what I got from the article is that you should grab press your thumb and index into the test site about 1 inch apart, and then pinch whatever fat is there.  I understand you want to place the caliper about 1cm away from the fingers and halfway between the crest and the base of the fold.  I just don't get how you're supposed to accurately create the skinfold each time you test. 

I'm having trouble measuring my own body fat.  I use the 3 site technique, as I'd prefer to just do it myself.  It is saying that I have only 17.4% body fat.  I know this is way off.  My scale which measures body fat some mysterious magial way through these electrical sensors (is this bio-electrical impedance?) says I'm like 25% body fat, sounds a lot more realistic.

No, those bio-electrical impedance scales are usually way off for people who bodybuild.
 
Look....YOU can not measure your real bodyfat.
 
What you CAN do is compare from measurement to measurement and observe the changes!
 

My problem with this testing is that you use this fancy device to precisely measure the amount of fat that you grab between your index finger and your thumb in a not-so-precise way. 

Takes practice.
 

The question I pose is this:  How are you supposed to pinch?  Basically what I got from the article is that you should grab press your thumb and index into the test site about 1 inch apart, and then pinch whatever fat is there.  I understand you want to place the caliper about 1cm away from the fingers and halfway between the crest and the base of the fold.  I just don't get how you're supposed to accurately create the skinfold each time you test. 

 
Just get a way of doing it and do it that way every time!
It takes practice!
 
You will get to th point where you feel you can get within 1+- measure after measure

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Ok cool.  I plan on practicing it throughout the day until I can come up with consistent measurements from test to test in the same day.

Read my post, 3 posts up.
 
Just to reinforce...this is a tool for tracking changes over time.
 
One more thing...take the measurements and weight at the same time of day for repeat measurements!
 
Any questions come up..just ask!
 
 

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Will do, thanks Dan.  I will instead practice it every day at the same time, just to see if my results are relatively consistent.  I know eventually I'll get the hang of it.  Also, I'm beginning to understand the concept of just accepting the BF% I come up with as a basis to track progress from.  Although it's not necessarily a precise measurement of exact body fat percentage, if you measure it the same way each time it should be a precise measure of how much body fat you are either gaining or losing.  Thanks for the help.  I did read your post up there the first time through, just for some reason it took a little while for it to sink in for me to understand it. 

Excellent

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LOL
 
Remember, taking the caliper measures of numerous sites and comparing them to determine changes in fat storage to track changes in training and diet is the point of taking the measurements...

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