Athletic mode & Body Fat ...WTF???

[Green Thumb]

My new scale has "athletic mode".

I was wondering how the athletic mode changes the calculation? I am 5'7", 146LBS, 12.1%BF according to the athletic mode. If I switch over to normal mode, I am at 17%BF. I normally am very athletic, except for the last 3 weeks from injuries. I am starting to see a slight 4 pac. My goal is to have abs, but I don't want to look anorexic. 3 months ago, I weighed 160LBS and was my strongest ever, but I also had more BF and was taking creatine.

Does anyone know what athletic mode does to the calculation? I searched the forums already and did not find the answer.

Thanks

[heyzeus909]

I'm not sure exactly what the idea is behind the "Athletic Mode" on the body fat scales, but it's been my experience that the Athletic Mode is more accurate than the non-Athletic Mode...regardless of whether or not the person on the scale could even be considered "Athletic".

I think the non-Athletic Mode should (maybe) be used by a person that is significantly overweight and/or extremely sedentary. I've tested both settings on friends of mine that don't workout, and don't remotely qualify as "athletic". I've found that the Athletic Mode is more representative of their true body fat percentage vs the non-Athletic Mode.

It should probably be called "Reasonably Fit Mode" instead of "Athletic Mode".


Make sure you use your scale at the same time every day for consitent results. When using a body fat scale, the most important thing is consistency, rather than accuracy. You're looking for trends (gaining fat/losing fat/maintaining fat). Also, the more consitent you are with your diet, the more consitent the results will be (alcohol, a sudden increase or decrease in carbs and/or sodium, etc, will make the scale go haywire).

I use my body fat scale first thing in the morning, which makes the body fat readings about half a percent higher than they would be in the middle of the day. But that's ok, like I said, it's about consistency...not accuracy. If you chose to use your body fat scale first thing in the morning, you can warm up with your legs with some body weight squats to get more accurate results.


Hope this helps.




note: My signature has been seized by an anonymous bodybuilding.com moderator. The words in the signature aren't mine; they're the moderator's. It's a slap in the face to my hard work, dedication, and applied knowledge.

[mc4_a]

Measuring BF using a scale is useless. It should not be used to make decisions.

[Green Thumb]

I'm not sure exactly what the idea is behind the "Athletic Mode" on the body fat scales, but it's been my experience that the Athletic Mode is more accurate than the non-Athletic Mode...regardless of whether or not the person on the scale could even be considered "Athletic".

I think the non-Athletic Mode should (maybe) be used by a person that is significantly overweight and/or extremely sedentary. I've tested both settings on friends of mine that don't workout, and don't remotely qualify as "athletic". I've found that the Athletic Mode is more representative of their true body fat percentage vs the non-Athletic Mode.

It should probably be called "Reasonably Fit Mode" instead of "Athletic Mode".


Make sure you use your scale at the same time every day for consitent results. When using a body fat scale, the most important thing is consistency, rather than accuracy. You're looking for trends (gaining fat/losing fat/maintaining fat). Also, the more consitent you are with your diet, the more consitent the results will be (alcohol, a sudden increase or decrease in carbs and/or sodium, etc, will make the scale go haywire).

I use my body fat scale first thing in the morning, which makes the body fat readings about half a percent higher than they would be in the middle of the day. But that's ok, like I said, it's about consistency...not accuracy. If you chose to use your body fat scale first thing in the morning, you can warm up with your legs with some body weight squats to get more accurate results.


Hope this helps.




note: My signature has been seized by an anonymous bodybuilding.com moderator. The words in the signature aren't mine; they're the moderator's. It's a slap in the face to my hard work, dedication, and applied knowledge.

Reps 4 U

Tnaks for the info. Cutting sucks.. I miss bulking.

[slaydox]

Measuring BF using a scale is useless. It should not be used to make decisions.

Yes they should be, because when bulking or cutting you want to see if your bodyfat is going up or down even if there not accurate like Zeus said you can still see if you gaining or loosing fat.

[Green Thumb]

Yes they should be, because when bulking or cutting you want to see if your bodyfat is going up or down even if there not accurate like Zeus said you can still see if you gaining or loosing fat.

Word.... and Reps for your Spartan 8-pac in your pic.
What was your BF% in that pic?

Tonight we dine in hell!!!

[mc4_a]

Yes they should be, because when bulking or cutting you want to see if your bodyfat is going up or down even if there not accurate like Zeus said you can still see if you gaining or loosing fat.

The problem is they are not consistent in their inaccuracy. They are off by 10%-40% at any given time. I could do it 10 times a day and get 10 different readings. Unless I'm doing it 10 times a day and picking the number in the middle, it's a waste of time. Did calipers suddenly become expensive?

[slaydox]

The problem is they are not consistent in their inaccuracy. They are off by 10%-40% at any given time. I could do it 10 times a day and get 10 different readings. Unless I'm doing it 10 times a day and picking the number in the middle, it's a waste of time. Did calipers suddenly become expensive?

How much did you spend on you scale? Mine never varried up to 40%....
mine was always -/+2%

[Green Thumb]

The problem is they are not consistent in their inaccuracy. They are off by 10%-40% at any given time. I could do it 10 times a day and get 10 different readings. Unless I'm doing it 10 times a day and picking the number in the middle, it's a waste of time. Did calipers suddenly become expensive?

Mine only varies a few %points as well if I check it multipe times during the day.

[slaydox]

Word.... and Reps for your Spartan 8-pac in your pic.
What was your BF% in that pic?

Tonight we dine in hell!!!

i was around 8% in that pic

[Celty]

does anyone own both a scale and calipers? which one tends to read higher?

[alan aragon]

note: My signature has been seized by an anonymous bodybuilding.com moderator. The words in the signature aren't mine; they're the moderator's. It's a slap in the face to my hard work, dedication, and applied knowledge.

Zeus,

I can see how your user text ("M0DERAT0R") might rub some mods the wrong way, since we've all paid our dues here to get mod status. If you changed your user text to pretty much anything but what it is now, the powers that be might lighten up. Can't guarantee it, but just trying to help.

[AF Pumped]

I think I must have miss type something. My calipers are always accurate, at least they seem to be to me. It is the scale that is always off. Lets say I am at 15.8, then the scale will show me at 18, 20, 15, 21.. See what I mean, it is hardly ever the same twice.

[AF Pumped]

does anyone own both a scale and calipers? which one tends to read higher?

I have both and my scale is always off by about 4-7% My calipers say I am at 15.8 and the scale has me something different all the time. Like some one said above, I can get on it 10 times and get 10 different numbers. I still use it, because I spent the money for it, but it is pointless.

[Celty]

so your calipers aren't consistently lower or higher than your scale, your scale just fluctuates around your calipers reading?

[cmitin]

I have been looking for answers on the athletic vs. standard mode. I agree that the scales are not 100% accurate - but to say they are off by 10-40% is totally inaccurate. I weigh twice a day on a BF scale and record it all. Yes there is variation from Am to PM (as expected) but day to day the variation is within 1% and the trend is what I look at. My experience is also that the athletic mode gives me lower BF readings.

[Ericahnna]

I have been looking for answers on the athletic vs. standard mode. I agree that the scales are not 100% accurate - but to say they are off by 10-40% is totally inaccurate. I weigh twice a day on a BF scale and record it all. Yes there is variation from Am to PM (as expected) but day to day the variation is within 1% and the trend is what I look at. My experience is also that the athletic mode gives me lower BF readings.

I have the same question... I am using the Omron Body fat analyzer, the kind that you hold out from your body as opposed to a scale. It's model HBF-306 (from like 2000- it's old, I know I got it from my grandparents). Just now on 'Normal' mode it says I am 16.1%, and on 'Athlete' mode it says I'm 16.9%. So for some reason, I'm the only one that is getting a HIGHER reading from the "Athlete" mode? Does anyone actually have any knowledge of how it's calculated differently instead of just saying how inaccurate they are in general...? I know how to use these for pretty consistent and closely accurate readings. I'm female, maybe gender makes a difference in the readings in terms of 'Athlete' vs 'Normal' mode, I don't know... just throwing stuff out there.

[blackicebro]

I am so glad I found this. I have been using the normal mode when it should be athletic mode. It made a huge difference. I went from 28 percent down to 22.6 percent.

[WildChild8819]

I am so glad I found this. I have been using the normal mode when it should be athletic mode. It made a huge difference. I went from 28 percent down to 22.6 percent.

You mad you're still a fat ass?

[jangeador]

I am so glad I found this. I have been using the normal mode when it should be athletic mode. It made a huge difference. I went from 28 percent down to 22.6 percent.

I came to this thread looking for answers, I just reset mine by accident and set it to Athletic Mode, I went from 28 to 21.5 and I am freaking out. What turned out to be the accurate reading in your case?

[Domicron]

I came to this thread looking for answers, I just reset mine by accident and set it to Athletic Mode, I went from 28 to 21.5 and I am freaking out. What turned out to be the accurate reading in your case?

and is it still accurate after 5 years of usage?

[WMLifting]

Brb putting mine on jacked mode so my BF instantly drops and I become shredded.

OP these are basically just goal physiques, and they set your goal to the average BF, muscle mass, and physique based upon average athletes of that category.

[blackicebro]

I came to this thread looking for answers, I just reset mine by accident and set it to Athletic Mode, I went from 28 to 21.5 and I am freaking out. What turned out to be the accurate reading in your case?

Honestly, i am not sure which is correct. i use the athletic mode.

[bassharma]

Found this on Tanita FAQ: Probably this answers your question:
A: The Athlete mode was developed to provide a more accurate reading for athletic body types. Athletic body types are physiologically different than standard adult body types, due to muscle mass and hydration level differences. Athletes tend to have greater muscle mass and tend to be more dehydrated. These differences would skew the body fat reading high, when taken with the standard Adult mode.

Tanita defines "athlete" as a person involved in intense physical activity of approximately 10 hours per week and who has a resting heart rate of approximately 60 beats per minute or less.
Tanita's athlete definition includes "lifetime of fitness" individuals who have been fit for years but currently exercise less than 10 hours per week. Tanita's athlete definition does not include "enthusiastic beginners" who are making a real commitment to exercising at least 10 hours per week but whose bodies have not yet changed to require the Athlete mode.

[AFC96]

Found this on Tanita FAQ: Probably this answers your question:
A: The Athlete mode was developed to provide a more accurate reading for athletic body types. Athletic body types are physiologically different than standard adult body types, due to muscle mass and hydration level differences. Athletes tend to have greater muscle mass and tend to be more dehydrated. These differences would skew the body fat reading high, when taken with the standard Adult mode.

Tanita defines "athlete" as a person involved in intense physical activity of approximately 10 hours per week and who has a resting heart rate of approximately 60 beats per minute or less.
Tanita's athlete definition includes "lifetime of fitness" individuals who have been fit for years but currently exercise less than 10 hours per week. Tanita's athlete definition does not include "enthusiastic beginners" who are making a real commitment to exercising at least 10 hours per week but whose bodies have not yet changed to require the Athlete mode.

I really don't get how people always Necro a old thread with their first or second post...

[MetilHed]

I really don't get how people always Necro a old thread with their first or second post...

They randomly find it in a google search and think their answer will be the perfect answ err the OP was looking for.


7 years ago.

[Mrpb]

Looking at the history of this thread I expect it will rise from the dead few more times. It's got some specific search terms that will come up high in Google.

Honestly, i am not sure which is correct.

Neither. Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) is highly inaccurate. See: http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=218

[ironwill2008]

Looking at the history of this thread I expect it will rise from the dead few more times. It's got some specific search terms that will come up high in Google.



Neither. Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) is highly inaccurate. See: http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=218

/thread


Permanently.