I've never had one done. What are the best devices? Calipers? Hand-held? I'd like to do this, my gym has the hand-held device, not sure exactly how it works, but you must drink @16 oz of water before it's done. Anyone ever had this done? How accurate? Etc??
Calipers. Residential consumer level bio-impedence is garbage.
Honest question....how come they're garbage? Is it garbage because it is not accurate, or precise?
As Rob mentioned, calipers are only as good as the operator but to add to that, they're only useful for the folks with fairly low BF anyway, aren't they?
__________________ An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while the pessimist sees only the red stoplight. The truly wise person is colourblind.
Honest question....how come they're garbage? Is it garbage because it is not accurate, or precise?
I have two different Tanita scales. I went from 202 w zero abs showing to 185 with the top four showing. One went from 16% down to 15% and the other started at 15% hasn't changed yet. It changes throughout the day. In the afternoon, it will be higher (16%) and on some days it might read 14% in the morning.
The calipers can be useful for checking progress in fat loss, but I don't think they are all that accurate unless you are really lean, like you said. Still, if you are consistent, they can track progress, even if the bf% # isn't actually correct.
I have two different Tanita scales. I went from 202 w zero abs showing to 185 with the top four showing. One went from 16% down to 15% and the other started at 15% hasn't changed yet. It changes throughout the day. In the afternoon, it will be higher (16%) and on some days it might read 14% in the morning.
I bought the Tanita scale 534 model a few days ago and it arrived today. I find it kind of humourous that I read this after I ordered it. I'll monitor it and see what happens over time - take measurements multiple times per day just to get an idea of differences/fluctuations. If anything, it'll allow me to be a 'tracking nerd' for a while....on top of calories & macros, program parameters, weight
My BF% came in at 14.8% right before I ate lunch, which I believe is about where I'm at. Although, I was thinking it would have been 14.3%. j/k
To the OP, I did the hand-held one at a local YMCA 3 years ago, but I don't know how accurate it was....I had nothing to compare it to. And the idea of paying $25 to have your BF measured every time was an incentive not to go back.
__________________ An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while the pessimist sees only the red stoplight. The truly wise person is colourblind.
I bought the Tanita scale 534 model a few days ago and it arrived today. I find it kind of humourous that I read this after I ordered it. I'll monitor it and see what happens over time - take measurements multiple times per day just to get an idea of differences/fluctuations. If anything, it'll allow me to be a 'tracking nerd' for a while....on top of calories & macros, program parameters, weight
My BF% came in at 14.8% right before I ate lunch, which I believe is about where I'm at. Although, I was thinking it would have been 14.3%. j/k
To the OP, I did the hand-held one at a local YMCA 3 years ago, but I don't know how accurate it was....I had nothing to compare it to. And the idea of paying $25 to have your BF measured every time was an incentive not to go back.
BTW, I had mine tested by a fancy handheld bio model AND calipers, by the same trainer. She came up with 12% and the machine said 10%. My scale said 15%, just 60 minutes prior, and 15% when I got back home.
Thanks for all the replies, I may look into buying a Tanita scale. It seems like that is a pretty good indicator of a ballpark percentage.
Lost Dog, between the three or four different tests you had with different devices, I guess you could guestimate within 1 or 2%. So maybe I will try the Y's device, it's free for me, and then invest in a scale.
To Cynic,
Yes, that is a picture of my Corgi. He's my buddy.
Lost Dog, between the three or four different tests you had with different devices, I guess you could guestimate within 1 or 2%. So maybe I will try the Y's device, it's free for me, and then invest in a scale.
It could be my particular Tanita scale, too. When I first bought it (3 years ago), it said 17%. As I lost fat, it slowly worked it's way down to 13%. Those days are past. Now, it's a scale, only.
I've tried reseting it, changing the battery, deleting myself from memory to start over. Nothing works.
The trainer did the calipers first, came up with 12%. She told me that my belly skinfolds seemed high for what she thought I was (She guessed 8 or 9% before I lifted my shirt. I used to be fat...). Then, we did the bio-impedance test and came up with 10%.
Calipers are only good if the person knows how to use them. At 24 hour fitness, they are all over the map. Around the same time, they were offering free "assessments." When I took them up on it, my bf% came out to 18%.
FYI, I would not buy another Tanita scale. I usually hop off before the bf% check is done.
I've never had one done. What are the best devices? Calipers? Hand-held? I'd like to do this, my gym has the hand-held device, not sure exactly how it works, but you must drink @16 oz of water before it's done. Anyone ever had this done? How accurate? Etc??
Thanks,
Deb
According to my Body Tracker software (basically a body fat tracker software), the body fat should be calculated using:
Jackson/Pollock 7, 4 and 3 site Fat Caliper method for Men 12% body fat and under (Women 14% body fat and under).
Parillo Fat Caliper Method for Men & Women 15% body fat and under.
Durnin/Womersley Fat Caliper Method for Men & Women 15% body fat and under.
Tape Measure Method (the Army Method, Height, Abdomen & Neck) for everyone over the previous body fat rating. Search the Internet, plenty of on-line calculator for this.
Also they say (Body Tracker Software) that none of the previous method should be used for anyone under 18 years old.
Don't forget that you can hardly do a fat caliper measurement on yourself alone, and the person performing it, should know what to do and be constant from one test to the other (so this is why the Army method is handy, and quite accurate within few percentage value, this was compared with more accurate method, like water tank).
Personally, I will stick to the Army method for a long while (being way over the 15 % fat rating).
According to my Body Tracker software (basically a body fat tracker software), the body fat should be calculated using:
Jackson/Pollock 7, 4 and 3 site Fat Caliper method for Men 12% body fat and under (Women 14% body fat and under).
Parillo Fat Caliper Method for Men & Women 15% body fat and under.
Durnin/Womersley Fat Caliper Method for Men & Women 15% body fat and under.
Tape Measure Method (the Army Method, Height, Abdomen & Neck) for everyone over the previous body fat rating. Search the Internet, plenty of on-line calculator for this.
Also they say (Body Tracker Software) that none of the previous method should be used for anyone under 18 years old.
Don't forget that you can hardly do a fat caliper measurement on yourself alone, and the person performing it, should know what to do and be constant from one test to the other (so this is why the Army method is handy, and quite accurate within few percentage value, this was compared with more accurate method, like water tank).
Personally, I will stick to the Army method for a long while (being way over the 15 % fat rating).
I use a caliper and the tape method.. as long as the results are reasonably close I'm happy.. but eve more important... what ever number I started with using this method, I use throughout the whole process... So if I've lost 5 % using this method then I've lost 5 % irregardless..
I haven't achieved single digits yet so maybe you need a more precise measuring tool for that..
Body Fat Test?
Linear Mode
