I had a conversation with a harvard educated doctor today

[000new000]

I asked her how to measure my bodyfat expecting to learn a new method better than the cheap china calipers i picked up.... She was completely amazed by the sight of calipers and the concept of bodyfat. It was like she hadn't discovered fire yet.... Seriously what kind of a doctor doesn't know how to measure body fat. 6 years of training and you don't know how to do something as basic as measure how much fat a person is carrying... how does that even happen?

[KyleAaron]

Because, like VO2max, it's a useless number that by itself signifies nothing.

It's also an excellent way to scare off potential clients and intimidate and humiliate new clients. I thoroughly recommend it to trainers like you.

[WoofieNugget]

Doctors don't learn much about the human body as it relates to exercise. They don't even get a basic exercise physiology class, and barely anything about nutrition. Asking a doctor about calipers and body fat is like asking a car mechanic about fixing a television.

They mostly in my experience learn how to dispense drugs, write orders for tests, and refer people to other doctors when they have no idea what is going on.

[kennycroxdale]

It's also an excellent way to scare off potential clients and intimidate and humiliate new clients. I thoroughly recommend it to trainers like you.

Personal Trainers and Calipers

The majority of Personal Trainers have are clueless on the proper use of Body Fat Calipers.

To be really good with calipers, you need to have taken hundreds of measurements the correct way.

That requires a Personal Trainer use a pen and tape measure to mark the right spot.

"Nobody Wants to Be Killed For Body Fat Testing"
http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=146

"The Pitfalls of Body Fat “Measurement” by James Krieger does a nice job of examining all of the method of measuring body fat percentages.

All are flawed. Krieger point out, the only way to really determine someone body fat percentage is by dissection.

The Law of Large Numbers

The foundation of body fat calculations is based on five cadavers.

As the Law of Large Numbers states, the greater the number you have in research the better the statistics of prediction.

The lower the number in the research, the less likely the accuracy of the reading/statistics being correct.

Along with that consider that it is unlikely the any of the five were normal and health individuals, which skews the number even more.

Tape Measure

This old stand by works great. However, you still need to know pin point taking the measurements at the same place every time.

"It's also an excellent way to scare off potential clients and intimidate and humiliate new clients."

Kyle, I totally agree. However, that applies with body fat percentages in general.

For some reason individuals tend be consumed with knowing their body fat percentage and basing their worth on it.

Using a tape measure allows you and them to measure progress in losing body fat and gaining muscle mass without the negative connotations associated with body fat percentages.

Clothing

What works as well is when their clothes become loser.

Pictures

Nothing quite drive home how well they are going than taking pictures of their progress.

Pro Bodybuilder

In talking to a Pro Bodybuilder once I ask him what his body fat percentage was. He had no idea.

He said, the only that counts is how I look on stage.

That takes us back to pictures and the mirror.

Also, most bodybuilder also tape themselves.

Summary

1) Calipers are inaccurate. Combine that an uneducated Personal Trainer magnifies the error in calculations.

2) Tape Measure are something easy and work for everyone.

3) Pictures before, during and after trump everything.

Kenny Croxdale

[kennycroxdale]

I asked her how to measure my bodyfat expecting to learn a new method better than the cheap china calipers i picked up.... She was completely amazed by the sight of calipers and the concept of bodyfat. It was like she hadn't discovered fire yet.... Seriously what kind of a doctor doesn't know how to measure body fat. 6 years of training and you don't know how to do something as basic as measure how much fat a person is carrying... how does that even happen?

Medicine

As Kyle pointed out, medical doctors are clueless.

Medicine is the study of disease.

At best medical doctors have 6 hour of pharmacology and nutrition.

Medical doctors have even less education in exercise physiology or physical therapy.

Omniscient

For some reason the public and even medical doctors have an unrealistic believe they know everything.

The truth, as you found out, is a medical doctor's knowledge is limited to disease.

Cheap China Calipers

The directions that come with them provide you with a HIGHLY INACCURATE method of measuring body fat.

Combine that with a lack of knowledge and you are assured providing the wrong reading every time.

A Pro

An individual who's educated in how to effectively use calipers will get a much better reading, even with "Cheap China Calipers".

The accuracy lies in the user's knowledge and hundreds of hours of practice.

Increasing The Accuracy

To increase the accuracy of calipers, it is MANDATORY that an individual pin point the correct spot and measure it in the same place every time.

The majority of Personal Trainers) who grabs the general area, pinch and measure. That means the Personal Trainer is clueless and guarantees an even greater error in reading.

Kenny Croxdale

[Endevorforever]

I second that tape measure is a better way, although everyone insist on calipers. I understand the point of view of BF% being useless. BMI is more useless, and that is what the medical community uses. BF% is better than basing everything off of someone's weight though. The OP is only doing what he has been trained to do so go easy on him.

[KyleAaron]

The OP is only doing what he has been trained to do so go easy on him.

Judging by his negging my comment, even if you don't abuse him but only inform him, he gets upset. Which is to say, he is not open to learning about the industry. This does not bode well for his future in it.