body fat

Hi
I'm very confused about the different way to check the bf.
What's best?
Thanks

[Over46andFit]

Hi Alex,
All methods are error prone. It doesn't really matter because the accuracy is +/- several percent, no matter what method is used. No to be a smarta** but the mirror is the best method, bar none!
Jim

Hi Over46andFit

Thanks for reply.
Sounds reasonable.

Alex

[ojs]

Alex,
If you use calipers, for example, learn how to do it so you can get consistent results. That's whats important not the exact number that your get.

Example:
Lets say that you caliper yourself and get a number like 8.5%bodyfat. Now you look in the mirror and you look smooth. You keep dieting and the next time you check the calipers say 7.2%. The mirror still shows you smooth. You keep doing what your doing and now the calipers show you at 6.6% and your starting to show new lines. You keep going and when the calipers show 6.1% the mirror says your getting cut. You keep going. Your caliper yourself at 5.9% and the mirror says your there.

Conclusion:
The BF number on the calipers means nothing. Obviously the numers are too low. If your were 8.5% you'd have cuts everywhere. But the changes in the BF shown by the calipers tell you your changing in the right direction. And that is the usefulness of having your body fat measured. Now this is all assuming that you have learned to caliper correctly and can get consistent measurements. Or that you have the same person doing it that knows what they are doing. If you just want to know what your body fat is then Hyrostatic Weighing is the most accurate as an absolute number and so the number will most closely represent your actual body composition.

Hope that helps.