Measuring Body Fat Percentage

[Shortkaik]

I see a lot of places where body fat % and is referred to around here, and I understand that it's a more important number than weight. At this point, I know I'm at a healthy weight, but I'm pretty sure my body fat percentage is a lot higher than it should be, and that's the number I'd like to pay more attention to now.

But how do you measure it? I've heard of different methods, scales that are able to measure it, machines you hold in your hands that measure it, and taking a bunch of measurements of your body and calculating it. What's an accurate way to do it? Are there any products you can recommend?

[LynnyLee]

I've always heard calipers touted as the best method you can really do at home. Although it's not with out it's problems.

I'm skeptical of the scales and hand held devices. I had a % of body fat scale at home and the measurements would vary widely within the span of a few minutes, I could have just had a bad scale though.

[GreyThompson]

Hi Shortkaik!

Bodyfat is a very useful measure, but it is difficult to get accurately at home.

I have an electronic scale that measures bodyfat %, and it's really the only method I've used. These scales are far from accurate, as a number of different factors can affect the figure they put out, which can lead to dramatically different figures throughout the day. One of the most significant, to my understanding, is your hydration level. The more dehydrated your are, the higher the bodyfat % will be. To combat this, I try to weigh myself consistently, generally right after work. I do this because I tend to drink a lot of water throughout the day, and maintain a pretty high (and I hope, consistent) hydration level by the end of the day. I measure myself maybe once a week to keep track of the general trend, rather than the day-to-day fluctuations.

It's always a ballpark figure however, and serves as more of a guide than anything else. I cannot speak for other methods of measuring bodyfat, but I hope my experience with my scale has helped you!

- Grey

['Roos]

I use the US navy body fat calculations, which is just measurements - waist, hip, neck, etc. and and uses those to calculate your bf. That said, pretty much every measurement system besides a displacement density test which needs a little pod or a pool. The important thing is to take one type of measurement and stick with it - you'll get get different measurements with different types of measurement techniques.

[Wolfman]

I've got a date with a BodPod this month, and I think that and a dunk tank are the only truly accurate ways of getting your body fat.

I usually just eyeball it as I go along... Here's a good reference: http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pictures-and-percentages There are others out there. Tim Ferriss has a decent one in his book "4 Hour Body": http://www.4hourlife.com/2011/04/09/4-hour-body-composition-body-fat-calculator-how-do-you-measure-up/

[NorthRoad]

I use the Accufitness body fat caliper.. The instructions are easy since your just measuring fat on your abdomen ( this is where I store the most fat so I find that okay ). Wouldn't recommend body fat scales as I have bad experience with that ( 16 % bf... on glass of water later 18 % bf ). Also I measure the difference between my arm flexed, and my arm relaxed ( this is actually how body builders checked body fat back in the day ( meaning before I was born ) ). It works because you can't flex fat.

Hope that helps

[andygates]

When I do bodyfat, I use a calliper and this site for feeding in the numbers and getting a figure: http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/skinfold4Site.php

A while back I tried to tare my calliper figure and my scale figure: both were very different, very variable and both trended the same. From this I concluded that the number that both methods give is irrelevant, and that one reading is inherently unreliable, but that both are as good as each other for determining a bodyfat trend.

The jiggle test is just as good, mind you, as is the "my pants feel loose" test. But they're hard to put on a spreadsheet...

[Shortkaik]

The jiggle test is just as good, mind you, as is the "my pants feel loose" test. But they're hard to put on a spreadsheet...

Honestly, I've always been a very bad judge at the "my pants feel loose" test! I recently lost ~15 lbs and 3-4 inches from my waist over 3 months, but it wasn't until I went to the store and bought new pants that I realized how loose my old ones had really gotten.

The main reason I wanted to measure body fat % was because I've seen things saying how much protein to eat per pound of lean weight. I bought a scale to measure body fat and other stuff, but it seems wildly unreliable! (3 consecutive trials put me at 148.8 lbs, 150.2 lbs, and 149.2 lbs)

[catspaw]

Wow, I just realized that several of my measurements weren't in the right direction. (Horizontal instead of vertical, etc.) Thanks for the link, andygates.

[scotticus]

I just picked up a calliper called "Defender" by Sequoia fitness. It seems to be pretty decent, although I don't have anything to compare it to. Basically you take three measurements (chest, stomach, thigh) and feed them into the included calculator. One side of the calliper has a little pressure indicator, so you can tell if you're pinching too hard/light.