Printable View
[url]http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/om/body.html[/url]
the link will show you what im talking about... how accurate is this device? id like to be able to test my bf without having to ask a trainer to do it at my gym. has anyone had any good or bad experience with it?
thanks!
tina
My good friend Benny just ordered one a few weeks ago. He has tested me, my girlfriend, my mother, his mother, his brother, and anyone else he knows.
So far it looks to be pretty good. You have to follow the instructions on the way to use it (arm position ect). When used wrong it was off a bit. However, for the four of us that have recently had our BF% checked (via the gym physical or by a medical doc in one case) it was within +/- 0.5% of the other testing methods. So it looks to be good. At least good enough to tell if you are making progress or not.
hope that helps,
Joey
It would depend on how accurate you are with a skinfold test. It takes quite a bit of practice. The same would hold true with trainers at the gym. I would find an experienced trainer who does a lot of skin fold testing and ask them to help you learn to measure. It might be hard for you to measure yourself though (like the back of the arms would be difficult to do on your own).
I have a low bodyfat and the nine site caliper method gives me a BF reading so low, I know it can't be accurate... even when a pro (the owner of my gym) tries it. So, on the recommendation of a friend, I got the Omron and it gave me an extremely high reading. The friend that recommended it said he'd had inaccurate high readings when using it on a female friend of his who's very low bodyfat, like me. Not sure of the reason for the inaccuracy, but it was disappointing. Just to give you an idea, the owner of my gym guesses I'm around 12% BF and the Omron said 26%.
I have this device and what I found out initially is that while it might not be totally accurate, it is consistent so I have used it to track progress. One morning I did this test and then had my doctor do a caliper test, and it was very, very close. So I found for me it's probably pretty accurate.
I do it the same time of day - in the mornings after I weigh myself before food. I don't do it any other time of day.
It's one of my favorite methods, as it's great for the beginner, it's private, and easy. It's fairly accurate and consistent, but there are factors that do affect it. I have written my review on it here: [url=http://www.theelitephysique.com/articles/fbnewsletters/fbb19.htm]Omron - Body Fat Testing[/url]
Thanks for the great article! This is really crucial advice to using the device properly - I will modify how I'm using it and see what happens. :)
This thing is awful. It can be off by as much as 6% which is huge. Its more likely to be accurate in sedentary people than in people who surf BB.com forums. It told me I was 15.5% BF when In reality, according to a DEXA scan, iI'm 9.4%!!! Also, if you hold it closer to your body you will get a lower reading which varies. If you want accuracy don't use this. If you just want something to compare to, it's fine.
[QUOTE=darkangel;10080236]I have a low bodyfat and the nine site caliper method gives me a BF reading so low, I know it can't be accurate... even when a pro (the owner of my gym) tries it. So, on the recommendation of a friend, I got the Omron and it gave me an extremely high reading. The friend that recommended it said he'd had inaccurate high readings when using it on a female friend of his who's very low bodyfat, like me. Not sure of the reason for the inaccuracy, but it was disappointing. Just to give you an idea, the owner of my gym guesses I'm around 12% BF and the Omron said 26%.[/QUOTE]
12% is pretty unhealthy for a women, isn't it? 12% on a woman looks a lot leaner than 12% on a guy. Is the gym owner a guy? You look lean but I doubt you're 12% (although 26% is definitely too high!).
I kind of want to buy this Omrom scale instead:
[url]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000KK02X0/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance[/url]
Does anyone have it? I wonder if it'd be more accurate since it sends the impulse through your whole body...
[QUOTE=Tiffany_P;209045961]I kind of want to buy this Omrom scale instead:
[url]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000KK02X0/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance[/url]
Does anyone have it? I wonder if it'd be more accurate since it sends the impulse through your whole body...[/QUOTE]
I have that Omron scale. It seemed to be pretty good for about the first 8 weeks (start of my training). Since then the bf readings have been wrong. I know I've lost more than a few percentage points, but the scale doesn't show it. It just can't seem to handle more muscular types, although I'm not exactly rippling with muscles. And I've been very consistent with how I use it, first thing in the am, no food or drink, etc. If I were to believe the scale then I have not gained any muscle or lost any bf since Jan.
I'd look at the scales that can factor in athletic types and not just the regular schmoe.
You gotta get a dexa scan to really know what your body fat % is, but does it really matter? Your eyes and fingers will tell you more then these things ever could
[QUOTE=VinnyPazRules;1368527531]You gotta get a dexa scan to really know what your body fat % is, but does it really matter? Your eyes and fingers will tell you more then these things ever could[/QUOTE]nice 7 year old thread bump in the female section
[QUOTE=darkangel;10080236]I have a low bodyfat and the nine site caliper method gives me a BF reading so low, I know it can't be accurate... even when a pro (the owner of my gym) tries it. So, on the recommendation of a friend, I got the Omron and it gave me an extremely high reading. The friend that recommended it said he'd had inaccurate high readings when using it on a female friend of his who's very low bodyfat, like me. Not sure of the reason for the inaccuracy, but it was disappointing. Just to give you an idea, the owner of my gym guesses I'm around 12% BF and the Omron said 26%.[/QUOTE]
Darkangel, That is funny you say that. I used one this morning and I estimate myself around 20% and it gave me 14.8% It put a smile on my face but I don't know how accurate that is. Mind you the last time I had a percentage figured out BF wise it was with one of those floor scales that calculates bodyfat/muscle % etc. so it probably is not as accurate as the Omron!?
[QUOTE=hawkinsblake90;1409358703]Darkangel, That is funny you say that. I used one this morning and I estimate myself around 20% and it gave me 14.8% It put a smile on my face but I don't know how accurate that is. Mind you the last time I had a percentage figured out BF wise it was with one of those floor scales that calculates bodyfat/muscle % etc. so it probably is not as accurate as the Omron!?[/QUOTE]She said it in 2006
Okay so I know this is an old thread although I needed to share my input as well. I have used this analyzer and my experience tells me that it is inaccurate. I feel as though it only takes your weight and height and calculate BMI that way. I tried it twice back to back just adding different weights to check its accuracy and it gave me different numbers. If it was truly using the Bia method it would give the same fat content percentage bmi readings regardless of the wait input.
[QUOTE=Mistymeadows;1471512151]Okay so I know this is an old thread although I needed to share my input as well. I have used this analyzer and my experience tells me that it is inaccurate. I feel as though it only takes your weight and height and calculate BMI that way. I tried it twice back to back just adding different weights to check its accuracy and it gave me different numbers. If it was truly using the Bia method it would give the same fat content percentage bmi readings regardless of the wait input.[/QUOTE]
OF COURSE, it only calculated BMI based on the inputted height and weight. Those are the ONLY factors allowed to be considered. Yes, changing height and weight will change the body fat % too, but that is invalid. It is ONLY accurate if you truthfully enter your height, weight, age, gender and activity level. You MUST also hold it correctly. It is ONLY designed for STANDING with arms FULLY EXTENDED at SHOULDER HEIGHT and you should NOT be squeezing it. It's not a frigging strength detector. It works by transmitting an electrical signal and measuring resistance WITHIN the entered data so garbage in, gets garbage out. If your skin is dry, you will want to moisten your hands with a little water or hand sanitizer.
It is also not for EXTREME ATHLETES like many body builders as it is only accurate within ranges. 8% is the lowest it can measure in men, and might not go that low in women. 50% is the highest I have ever seen it answer. Outside those numbers, it just gives a E4 message. It is also not for pregnant women or anyone with an implanted electrical device.
Time of day matters. A person who is not losing weight or having their muscle % change will still get different answers based on the time of day because how much they ate, activity and hydration level changes.
Dexa method is accurate to 2-3%. Is the Omron as accurate? No. Can you do the Dexa daily without stressing your time and wallet? NO, but you can buy the Omron once and use it daily for years in a couple seconds.
Criticism such as "the answer varies by how close you hold it to your body" are silly because you can ONLY hold it with arms fully extended. Unfortunately, this means persons who can't stand, or hold it with two hands should also be excluded.