Body Fat %

[islandchica]

Not sure where to post this one...and I apologize if this is a repeat question!

My gym uses the Tanita body fat scale/body composition unit (i'm in BC, Canada) and there are 2 settings "standard" and "athletic" - i also see these categories in most bodyfat charts of what is the range for women/men of different levels of fitness.

what qualifies someone to be athletic or standard?

i know these machines are not the perfect measurement and accuracy can be off but just wondering...
does anyone know what type of measuring bodyfat is the best? calipers? or other?

thanks!!
Aimee

[J1n]

post a front and side pic and i will tell you what it is.

edit: for best you would want to do a Hydrostatic bodyfat test. The one where they use a tub of water

[Birddog6424]

Calipers are great if you know how to use them. Otherwise they are all over the board. The great thing about any system used consistently, even if it is inaccurate, is that it can show a trend. Even my little piece of crap bathroom scale will show my bodyfat steadily decreasing or increasing proportionately, even if the figure is wrong.

So you can at least use them to show see if you are losing weight.

I would just stick with standard as it will at least be a little closer. And I honestly believe those things are more inaccurate for women than they are for men. My wife calipers at 20%, but the scale shows 6 to 10 points higher. She hates it.