PDA

View Full Version : body fat measurement ghetto style



kossdeh
07-23-2002, 10:40 PM
At my gym they do the caliper method and this stupid light/laser gyzmo that I think is full of crap. The caliper method comes near the tape measure/formula method.
I know that there's lots of good and very accurate ways of doing this,.. water displacement.
But what if you want a weekly check at home ghetto style? Whats your best method for accuracy?

DIESEL
07-23-2002, 10:49 PM
Water displacement is the best but if you're on your own I think the closest you'll get is with the calipers.

Gear101*
07-23-2002, 11:01 PM
you can buy those calipers for like twnety bucks.. something like health

Gear101*
07-23-2002, 11:02 PM
http://www.accumeasurefitness.com/

Gear101*
07-23-2002, 11:03 PM
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/perfnutrition/acfattraccal.html

spankie
07-23-2002, 11:20 PM
you need to add two inches to the height part to get real close its 120 bucks i think for one, its pretty close .

global
07-24-2002, 06:11 AM
But for ease and speed of use at home on your own get one of those machines or scales that measures your bodyfat by passing an electric current through you.

DecaDent*
07-24-2002, 08:39 AM
I think the easiest home method is the 20$ calipers and just chart your progress as skinfold millimeters and fuck trying to convert it to a bf%. Just use the mirror to tell you how you look,use tha calipers to measure skinfold week to week and make sure that it is dropping if your cutting,if it doesn't then adjust your programm/diet for the next week until you have it dialed in. A change from 20mm to 18mm is progress so it doesn't ulimatly matter if that meand 17% to 15%.....ot 18% to 16%.....it's focusing on the journey and not so much the destination that gets you there.

Loch Ness
07-24-2002, 08:49 AM
The fat scales (BIA) bioelectrical impedence can be thrown off very easily. the simple use
of diurectics or simply eating can throw off the level of water in your body and that is
what these scales measure. They send an electrical signal which in theory conducts
with the muscle you have and then gives you your body fat. This might not be accurate
but you would be able to see change. The calipers are tricky and only people with a
good amount of experience can be accurate. Even then there is a 3.5% error possibility
either way.

46and2aheadofme
07-24-2002, 12:20 PM
Originally posted by Loch Ness
The fat scales (BIA) bioelectrical impedence can be thrown off very easily. the simple use
of diurectics or simply eating can throw off the level of water in your body and that is
what these scales measure. They send an electrical signal which in theory conducts
with the muscle you have and then gives you your body fat. This might not be accurate
but you would be able to see change. The calipers are tricky and only people with a
good amount of experience can be accurate. Even then there is a 3.5% error possibility
either way.

Loch Ness is right on here. Not only does hydration have a great deal to do with it, most of them simply will not be accurate if you weren't pressed from God's average mold. If you have less body fat and a lot more muscle than Joe Bag O' Donuts it will calculate your BF as much higher because it uses the same formula (based on height) for both you and Joe. I have a tanita body fat measuring scale and the key is to find one with an "athlete" mode. I tested it in this mode one morning and compared it with calipers and the hand-held body fat tester with "athlete" mode. They were all within 0.4% so I would say it's pretty accurate. The scale cost me around $120 I think and measures BF down by 0.1 and weight by 0.2. I use it daily.

madchemist36
07-24-2002, 01:14 PM
i like those electric current filters.