5.1% Body Fat WTF?

[CajunPballer]

So today a trainer at the gym had her BF machine out to try and show everyone that they are fat to bring in some more business and I asked her to check mine. Put in all my stats, hold on to the machine and it reads 4.6%.. She says surely it's a mistake, so I do it again, reads 5.1%.. still thinking it's a mistake my friend does it, (he's kind of chubby I would have guessed 20%) reads 17%. So I think the machine is accurate although I don't think I look like it's only 5.1%. I don't have enough points to post pics but I have them in my gallery.

Questions:

Do you think the machine was off?

If it was right why is it bad to have a BF% less than 10%..? she said 0-5% was just enough to survive.. wtf do you need BF for these days.. Seems like you could get away with as little as 1-2%.

[1111111111111111111111111111]

Machines/calipers are very inaccurate, even more so when measuring someone with a fairly low bf%.

My calipers tell me I'm 5.6% when in reality I'm most likely around 11%.

[ehiness]

So today a trainer at the gym had her BF machine out to try and show everyone that they are fat to bring in some more business and I asked her to check mine. Put in all my stats, hold on to the machine and it reads 4.6%.. She says surely it's a mistake, so I do it again, reads 5.1%.. still thinking it's a mistake my friend does it, (he's kind of chubby I would have guessed 20%) reads 17%. So I think the machine is accurate although I don't think I look like it's only 5.1%. I don't have enough points to post pics but I have them in my gallery.

Questions:

Do you think the machine was off?

If it was right why is it bad to have a BF% less than 10%..? she said 0-5% was just enough to survive.. wtf do you need BF for these days.. Seems like you could get away with as little as 1-2%.

You're not 5%, maybe the machine was off by 4-5%. Or it's inaccurate at lower BF levels.

[Teench]

Those machines are usually, very inaccurate. Personal trainers are even worse.

[CajunPballer]

Ok, thanks! Just making sure.. cause my mom was freaking out because the trainer told her it was "dangerously low and just barely enough to survive".. she was ready to take me to the doctor. lol

[OnMyWhey]

Haha dumb trainer is dumb...

[Confidence777]

those machines a dramatically wrong. it does not calculate water retension and reads very wrong percentages....the way i see it is hell if you look good why the f*** do you even need to know your percentage its just a number..read your body not a machine

[JOSEF RAKICH]

So today a trainer at the gym had her BF machine out to try and show everyone that they are fat to bring in some more business and I asked her to check mine. Put in all my stats, hold on to the machine and it reads 4.6%.. She says surely it's a mistake, so I do it again, reads 5.1%.. still thinking it's a mistake my friend does it, (he's kind of chubby I would have guessed 20%) reads 17%. So I think the machine is accurate although I don't think I look like it's only 5.1%. I don't have enough points to post pics but I have them in my gallery.

Questions:

Do you think the machine was off?

If it was right why is it bad to have a BF% less than 10%..? she said 0-5% was just enough to survive.. wtf do you need BF for these days.. Seems like you could get away with as little as 1-2%.

Most likely inaccurate, i could be wrong but i highly doubt you are 5% BF, that is insanly ripped, thats stage worthy.

No its not bad to have your BF less than 10% although under 5% BF is just enough to survive, and starts to get unhealthy if taken any lower. One should only be lower than this for short periods of time for example competition week, some people get down to 3% BF when they compete which is quite dangerous. No you could not get away with 1-2% BF you would probally be dead, that is basically just fat surrounding your organs.

[musicianman]

Even hydrostatic testing, the most accurate way of measuring body fat (aside from pelting your body with x-rays), is only accurate to within 3 or so percent.

That machine is easily 5% off. You cannot determine body fat accurately off height/weight/arm/leg/chest/waist/etcetera measurements.

Calipers come a little bit closer, but they still aren't spot-on.

[xxyxx]

machines are innacurate, calipers are innacurate if you are not entirely proficient with them(thousands of measurings)

[HALTEH]

So then, what is a good way to check body fat? (for accuracy)

[JZT]

Age: 19
Stats: 5'3", 121 lbs

The wind brah, it'll blow you away. Literally.

[CajunPballer]

Age: 19
Stats: 5'3", 121 lbs

The wind brah, it'll blow you away. Literally.

Got me.

[OnMyWhey]

So then, what is a good way to check body fat? (for accuracy)

Can you really rep 255x5 or is that just a goal?

[Dextrine]

6% margin of error


you MIGHT have "-" BF

[MadeUnderground]

Got me.

Don't mind him. Pretty much all of his posts are like that.

[Exsert]

those machines a dramatically wrong. it does not calculate water retension and reads very wrong percentages....the way i see it is hell if you look good why the f*** do you even need to know your percentage its just a number..read your body not a machine

this

[andien10]

lol this is pure opinion, but if I had to guess I'd say you look like ~13% bodyfat. You can look up photos of other people with different bodyfay percentages and try to gauge yours by how similar you look - I think that when you get under 10-11% your veins should be noticeable on your forearms.

[Adrenolin]

lol this is pure opinion, but if I had to guess I'd say you look like ~13% bodyfat. You can look up photos of other people with different bodyfay percentages and try to gauge yours by how similar you look - I think that when you get under 10-11% your veins should be noticeable on your forearms.

strange. me being just over 14% and I can see my abs as well as veins in my forearms and in the vastus medialus of my quads.

[NeoginCF]

So then, what is a good way to check body fat? (for accuracy)

the mirror

[AaronSeely]

id say your probably around 10%

[musicianman]

id say your probably around 10%

This.

[HALTEH]

Can you really rep 255x5 or is that just a goal?

Actually... it's 265 now. Thanks for the reminder.

And yes, I can rep it.

[ssarow]

A while ago my freshman year calipers measured me at 1.1% completely obviously wrong and my teacher wrote it down and moved to the next person. . she is in her 60's tho but ever since I haven't cared for what it is.

[batmanman]

Even hydrostatic testing, the most accurate way of measuring body fat (aside from pelting your body with x-rays), is only accurate to within 3 or so percent.

That machine is easily 5% off. You cannot determine body fat accurately off height/weight/arm/leg/chest/waist/etcetera measurements.

Calipers come a little bit closer, but they still aren't spot-on.

^truth

I did a dunk tank test and it was still inaccurate because I had bad gas

DEXA scans are accurate

the only true direct way to measure your bodyfat is to grind your body up in a giant blender and boil the contents to measure the fat content

[syntaxle]

^ I did this once. It was an optional one-time extra charge on top of my gym membership.

[tileigh]

Age: 19
Stats: 5'3", 121 lbs

The wind brah, it'll blow you away. Literally.

hey. He's my size except he's pretty damn built and almost all muscle ..lol

[ZionNYC]

Age: 19
Stats: 5'3", 121 lbs

The wind brah, it'll blow you away. Literally.

LOL brah.

[flposjg]

I am 5.5% with calipers (legit ones) and bla bla bla. I had an opportunity to do the water test for free in my university (completely naked). I am 9.something i dont remember its in my profile...

[7399martyn]

8-10%

lol this is pure opinion, but if I had to guess I'd say you look like ~13% bodyfat. You can look up photos of other people with different bodyfay percentages and try to gauge yours by how similar you look - I think that when you get under 10-11% your veins should be noticeable on your forearms.

I am never goign to trust your opinion, he is not 13% bf.