How do you guys measure BF%

[MyMusclesHurt]

Hey, how do you guys measure body fat? On this forum I see alot of numbers thrown around. Really I havn't a clue what my BF% is. I think it's around 30 but nothing objective. How do you come by these numbers,skin fold,bioPod,maybe consultation with space aliens? Really I'm clueless

[rcott]

My heath club (may yours also) has the hand-grip type of devise that uses bioelectrical impedance analysis, I'm sure this isn't the most accurate type of devise but it gives you a idea of your body fat and a way to comare in the future.

I'm sure some of the other guys know a lot more than myself...

[BalhamBeast]

Yes, you're right - those devices are not accurate and can be influenced by how much fluid you're retaining or whether you've pooped that day.

The most accurate methods are a dunk tank and a bod pod but few people have access to these. The best, most cost effective way is skinfold calipers but you need someone to help with that and ensure they pinch the exact same points each time. There's a guide on how to use them here.

I haven't measured my fat properly in donkey's years so the percentage on my Bodyspace is just a guess. I generally gauge my fat by tape measure and eyeballing it.

[Montourage]

I use a BMI scale while not entirely accurate it is convenient and mine has hand grips too so in theory it's more accurate than the ones that just go through your hands.

[obey46]

I check 3 different skinfold sites to get a rough estimate. I use this site: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/bod...calculator.htm

Select skinfold and there's pictures showing you where to pinch

[IronCharles]

Hey, how do you guys measure body fat?

I use the mirror. I'm after a certain look, numbers on a scale or caliper don't mean much to me. The only numbers I track in that regard are muscle belly girth.

[ljimd]

do you come by these numbers,skin fold,bioPod,maybe consultation with space aliens? Really I'm clueless

If there are no aliens available for a consultation, I will use the following:

For trends, up or down

http://www.weightrainer.net/circbf.html

For the look I'm after, I let the mirror decide for me.

The actual numbers are not important, other than a topic of conversation.

[Botika]

I got an iDXA scan. It was $95 but it was good to have an accurate measurement of fat and lean body mass.

[discdoggie]

Mirrors and pictures.

I used to GAF about the actual numbers, but beyond bragging rights (if the numbers are good) how useful is the knowledge really? To me, not very. It was actually just a politically correct substitute for obsessing over scale weight or clothing size.

Besisdes, even DEXA can be off. In the name of science (lmao) I broke out my checkbook and had DEXA and Bodpod within 10 hours of one another. Bodpod read higher. And judging from pics I see, there was no way I was as low as the % it read me.

[drudixon]

Mirror and calipers.

[MyMusclesHurt]

Ok, thanks all. Really your right the numbers are just for discussion. The mirror doesn't lie.
I appreciate all the responses

[AC242]

I have a digital scale. Not sure how accurate it is, but the mirror tells me I still need work.

[JimmyJonny]

just had mine done with calipers at the gym.

[Bo_Flecks]

Calipers are fine for keeping track of trends, especially when cutting and making nutritional adjustments. But in my experience, using calipers and linear-software to calculate body fat can be very misleading.

Using the caliper and linear-software method, I was being told my body fat was under 3% in this pic. No way was I anywhere near that level.



By the pictures in the comparison photos below, it would look like I probably got down to just about 6% or a little lower.

[EjnarKolinkar]

I use

http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

Jackson-Pollack and Parrillo and then average the results.

With this caliper

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NN9SDO/...SIN=B000NN9SDO

I do the caliper along with tape measurements just to track the trends. I place no value on the actual body fat number nor does it matter. What in the mirror matters. Even for a Katch-McArdle calculation a miscalculation of 5% in body fat is just not going to matter that much.

Photo comparison BF pics are really helpful, like the ones Posted prior in this thread. I've never had a scan, or dunk. Don't have any interest because I can't afford them monthly, and a one shot won't tell me what I want to know, progress over time.

[GKC45]

I started using a caliper to track on Monday mornings. I doubt it is terribly accurate, but it does show the trend.

[drudixon]

Ok, thanks all. Really your right the numbers are just for discussion. The mirror doesn't lie.
I appreciate all the responses

Mirrors do lie. Look in mirror at home, then one in ladies dept at Macy's...

[acrawlingchaos]

I use a Bod Pod. A Wellness Center 10 miles away just got their hands on one and charge $40 a session. I think the numbers were useful. I realized how fat I "thought" I was, was far more generous than how fat I really am.

So far my Bod Pod measurements have been consistent with what I would expect from my diet and training. I have another test this Friday.

[kimm4]

I use the mirror.

Me too...and it's usually followed by a loud scream...

[scullin]

I use the Army tape test measure, which isn't very accurate IMO. But mostly I go by photos / mirror. Mirrors do lie but photos don't. Unless you touch 'em up for some reason which would be pointless.

[BloodySalad]

I used to worry about BFP when I first started out but tbh, unless you're competing, it's a meaningless figure. For the vast majority of people, 10% has no more relevance than 12% or 14%.

The mirror will tell you everything you need to know. If you look like you're carrying fat, you probably are. If you look like you're lean, you probably are. That's all you need as an indicator that you have to make adjustments.

[Flounderbout]

Look in mirror at home, then one in ladies dept at Macy's...

Don't do this. It got me a restraining order.

Edit. Just looked at the restraining order again. Apparently the thing to avoid is doing it naked...

[clive]

I’ve never had mine measured or have equipment at home, so I haven’t got a clue in that respect.
But I do get a pretty good idea where I lay from the many pictures available showing what BF levels look like.

[Highlander2012]

I used to worry about BFP when I first started out but tbh, unless you're competing, it's a meaningless figure. For the vast majority of people, 10% has no more relevance than 12% or 14%.

The mirror will tell you everything you need to know. If you look like you're carrying fat, you probably are. If you look like you're lean, you probably are. That's all you need as an indicator that you have to make adjustments.

I suppose it is true that this is a meaningless figure, but if you are a newbie like myself, it is more psychological and gives you something to aim for, I hear people saying that your abs only become visible when the Bf gets to 10-12%, so if you are 20/30%, you have something to aim for (if that is your goal ) and also If you are on a calorie deficit, you can see how much muscle you are losing and adjust accordingly.
I used the Electronic scale for a while but it was not very accurate, use calipers now and the 7 point method, it was a difference of almost 4%.

[MarkBomberg]

I use an Omron impedience monitor that retailed for around $40 at Best Buy. Not incredibly accurate (readings can change depending on time of day and arm position), so I take a few readings and average it together to get a decent ballpark reading.

[cthulhupun]

I use a tape measure (the kind you buy from a fabric store) and the Navy's calculator. There are websites that will do the calculations for you, all you have to do is put in the numbers. It may not be as accurate as calipers, but it's quick and easy (and still far better than BMI or the electrical impedance methods). It's also one of the cheapest as it only requires a measuring tape (which WallyWorld sells for a dollar). I assume you have a scale to measure your weight and a computer to access the web already.

http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculat...=Body-Fat-Navy

[Juggertha]

I flex, and jump.

Anything that jiggles is fat.

[frankzan]

No need to measure yet, got way too much obv.

[olebuck]

I guess Im lucky. The company I work for owns and makes the inbody scanner and we have a few on site that I can use daily if I like.

[Minotaur]

I use the Army tape test measure, which isn't very accurate IMO. But mostly I go by photos / mirror. Mirrors do lie but photos don't. Unless you touch 'em up for some reason which would be pointless.

If that's the same as the Navy and YMCA methods, they are pretty close to each other. I use it. It's just using a tape measure and plugging in the numbers to an online calculator. Is it accurate? I don't know, but I look at it as a measure of relative progress, not an absolute number. And then there is the mirror. The pics in Bo_Flecks's post is is a pretty good gauge too. There's something like it on this site when you enter your goals "What do you want to look like?"



I'm going to keep this in my folder of ready-references.