body fat calculation ques.

2lean2Bmean · 08-11-2006, 07:04 PM

so i was curious what my bf was...i went surfing and found a few sites that calculated approx. with tape measures...DON'T DO IT...well, mine said about 24-26...i thought, no way, i'm 5'8" 114lbs. so i jumped in the car and went to the gym (on my day off) and had a trainer use the calipers...

this is my question....according to his little graph if i was 39 or younger i would be 11.3%...BUT if i am 40yrs and older i'm 14.8%..."what a difference a day makes"....i happen to be 44yrs but thanks to the 'sweet young man' he said i looked 34yrs(and fit

so his guestimate is that i'm about 12.5%

actually here's my ?...how do you get an accurate %...i don't think a fat tank is anywhere near my future. he took one pinch from bicep, tricep, lower shoulder blade area and hip. i read it should be done about 5 times and averaged and also there are supposed to be about 6-7 points that should be pinched. being an "aspiring" fitness-buff i would like to know how you guys do it. i've never had it done before and i would like to have a solid starting point.

i'm gonna go to my other gym tomorrow and have it done again, so any suggestions would be great...i could get the measurments and calculate them accordingly..

emmie · 08-12-2006, 01:33 PM

There are many ways of measuring body fat, all of them of varying accuracy.
In my opinion, the best thing to do is find one method of measurement and stick with it. Use the initial reading as your baseline, and then you can compare subsequent measurements to it. Using the body calipers, the measurement will differ depending on WHO measures you, so if you can have the same person meaure you each time, you will have a more accurate idea if you are losing or gaining than if a different person pinches you each time.

Personally, I had a BodPod analysis done recently. It's supposed to be comparable in accuracy to the dunk tank. I had it done at the Physiology depratment of a local university. I didn't like the % it gave me, and perhaps a different method would have given me a smaller number, but at least I know that I can go back and have it re-checked periodically using the same method and be able to accurately gauge my progress.

- Emma

Ninja J · 08-12-2006, 02:00 PM

He should've pinched 7, if he's doing a site.
http://www.rustyiron.net/formfem7.htm -- 7 site

http://www.rustyiron.net/formfem.htm --3 site

2lean2Bmean · 08-12-2006, 03:42 PM

thanks so much...i'll print that out and take it with me to get "pinched". i'll get it worked out in the next few days, then maybe i'll get some kind of base. and you're right, the exact # is not quite as important as getting it done with consistancy so that you can monitor progress.

Ninja J · 08-12-2006, 03:53 PM

also, adding your numbers into those sites does give a pretty accurate number too. I know there is one site.. all it wants is your suprailiac. I tired it a few months back, and it tried telling me I was 11% bf. Which of course, there was no possible way.

2lean2Bmean · 08-18-2006, 01:30 PM

well, my happy train just came to a skreeeeeching halt!!!!

i had my BF done at another gym and he said it was 21%!!!!!not 12.5%....he did it three times with calipers and a 4 point pinch scale/graph

yikes....i've been scanning others pics and some ladies are ,say...15%BF or what ever, to try and gauge me against them...i truely don't think i'm 20% or more....i hate doing this but here's a pic....do you think i'm 20-21%????...

i really shouldn't even care, but i just thought i'd get a starting point of some sort.......

maybe i should just 'fergit about it' and go with the measuring tape, mirror, and do my clothes fit

MyPumps · 08-18-2006, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2lean2Bmean

this is my question....according to his little graph if i was 39 or younger i would be 11.3%...BUT if i am 40yrs and older i'm 14.8%..."what a difference a day makes"....i happen to be 44yrs but thanks to the 'sweet young man' he said i looked 34yrs(and fit

so his guestimate is that i'm about 12.5%

I still don't know how my age makes me fatter either. I had mine done with the electrical impedence thing. I did it twice because I forgot to change the age and even though it was only off by a few years, it added 5%! How depressing! I could be lying to the machine, maybe I WAS 24! A stupid handheld machine insulted me and I let it ruin my day!

2lean2Bmean · 08-18-2006, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyPumps

I still don't know how my age makes me fatter either. I had mine done with the electrical impedence thing. I did it twice because I forgot to change the age and even though it was only off by a few years, it added 5%! How depressing! I could be lying to the machine, maybe I WAS 24! A stupid handheld machine insulted me and I let it ruin my day!

lol....yeah...ya see what i mean.....but what about that jump from 12.5% to 20%.....yikes

ohtm27 · 08-18-2006, 02:03 PM

Same thing, Im turning 30years old in September and what do ya know my bf% goes up just because of my age.

Mango · 08-18-2006, 02:10 PM

Holy sh!t, dude, you are freakin' skinny. You shouldn't be racing around looking for a lower body fat%. I would be surprised if you were in the double digits.

emmie · 08-18-2006, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2lean2Bmean

well, my happy train just came to a skreeeeeching halt!!!!

i had my BF done at another gym and he said it was 21%!!!!!not 12.5%....he did it three times with calipers and a 4 point pinch scale/graph

yikes....i've been scanning others pics and some ladies are ,say...15%BF or what ever, to try and gauge me against them...i truely don't think i'm 20% or more....i hate doing this but here's a pic....do you think i'm 20-21%????...

i really shouldn't even care, but i just thought i'd get a starting point of some sort.......

maybe i should just 'fergit about it' and go with the measuring tape, mirror, and do my clothes fit

2Lean, I had the exact same reaction when I got mine tested (and the exact same %, too!), and after the shock and horror wore off (kidding about the horror part), I resigned myself to just looking at it as a gauge of my progress.
But I still shake my head when I see pics of women who say they are 15% and they look softer than I do. It's so easy to get sidetracked with something as irrelevant as a number.... Numbers can lie, but your favorite pair of pants wont!

- Emma

twinnett · 08-18-2006, 02:29 PM

I agree! You are SKINNY! Don't worry about the number...it's too low!!!! Go by measurements and bulk away! Eat and lift hard! And then eat some more! i would say you're like 10

imperfectly_lou · 08-18-2006, 04:06 PM

I would say around 13-15% but in all honesty, you are far too skinny and need to gain some weight hon...

2lean2Bmean · 08-18-2006, 04:32 PM

sittin' here after the gym and LMAO!!!!

thanks for the replies....

i knoooowww.....i am eating, more that i have in my whole life (pardon me, still LMAO!)

i know i'm skinny bones jones...that's what i'm werkin' on

anyway, i just wanted to get some opinions on the fact that i don't think i'm 20-21% BF....And so i have no starting point...because while i am gaining weight i want to make sure it's not all fat...some fat would be good, but i would just like to get a clue to keep it in check....measuring tape can't do that...maybe i'll go buy my own calipers and have the same person do it every month

thanks again guys...that gave me a good giggle

*supermomma* · 08-18-2006, 10:06 PM

Skinny people can still have relatively high bf% guys, come on. I wouldn't say you are lower than 18-20%, just bc I don't see abs and whatnot. But you certainly don't have high bodyfat by any means.

I would honestly just do a nice clean bulk, and worry about exact bf later.

If it makes you feel better, mine is about 29% and I am in the early stages of prep for a contest next October

. Don't worry so much about the numbers, that goes for the scale and it goes for bf too.

I would just pick one method and use it consistently -- even if the numbers are exact, the changes should be.

twinnett · 08-19-2006, 04:10 AM

Good reply Supermomma. I didn't mean to sound rude or anything...it's just that you're superskinny (I am too, and trying to bulk) and I didn't want you to think that you needed to lose weight or anything. A nice, clean bulk and you're going to look great!

2lean2Bmean · 08-19-2006, 10:56 AM

no offense taken...i KNOW i'm skinny

...i'm doing my best to bulk it up...

just finished breakfast of....oatmeal/w/syrup and fresh peach and protein shake w/milk

i'm workin' on it ladies....and i think i'll just have to throw the BF out the window 'till i can get it done properly...

I'LL JUST EAT LOTS & LOTS o' clean stuff and LIFT LIFT LIFT 'till then

*supermomma* · 08-19-2006, 01:31 PM

Great attitude 2lean!

2lean2Bmean · 08-19-2006, 01:34 PM

thanks momma

crunchyhippo · 08-27-2006, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2lean2Bmean

well, my happy train just came to a skreeeeeching halt!!!!

i had my BF done at another gym and he said it was 21%!!!!!not 12.5%....he did it three times with calipers and a 4 point pinch scale/graph

yikes....i've been scanning others pics and some ladies are ,say...15%BF or what ever, to try and gauge me against them...i truely don't think i'm 20% or more....i hate doing this but here's a pic....do you think i'm 20-21%????...

i really shouldn't even care, but i just thought i'd get a starting point of some sort.......

maybe i should just 'fergit about it' and go with the measuring tape, mirror, and do my clothes fit

Whoever measured you at over 20% BF should be fired, as he/she clearly doesn't know how to measure. You can't be over, say, 17% BF or so - possibly much less.