What is the best way to measure body fat?
- Thread starter tbolfist
- Start date
catnapper32
New member
i hurd that the scales are very very inaccurate. i would use the calipers. the things wher you do the pinch test ya know.
E
estray
Guest
1)calipers
2)submersion(hydrostatic)
2)submersion(hydrostatic)
E
estray
Guest
Yes, they put you in a tank and calculate your bodyfat based on the amount of water you displace. Very accurate but kinda hard to find. Alot of Universities have them.
sicky
Anabolic Student
Floor scales and those little hand held things are usually not very accurate. As said, hydrostatic is the most accurate way to measure. Calipers are usually within a couple percentage points from hydrostatic though so they're pretty good. Calipers are easier to find too (usually run around $12 off the net).
G
getfitdoc
Guest
9 point caliper test.
or hydro
or hydro
Devil_inside
New member
Hydrostatic is the most accurate,but can be a pain unless you are at a university. I think they listed everything except electrical impeadence(pass a current through you to determine density). Howevwer, all this stuff is just a number. Go with the mirror!
Swellin
Community Veteran
Hydrostatic is the most accurate, but it still includes fat stored inside the body in the final figure.
9 point caliper is the best for most of us, since we don't have immediate (free) access to the hydrostatic testing.
I don't have the 9 point info, but I use 7 point with a computer program. I also feel that the mirror is the most important way to to monitor your bf. The reason being that bf% is only a number. Don't get too hung up on it. 99% of the guys that talk about being 10% bf are actually a hell of a lot closer to 20% in reality. Seeing your abs???? It is likely that you are 20 or slightly higher, but that really isn't what any of us like to hear. So worry more about the direction of the numbers you are seeing with your calipers than anything else. Also pay attention to the mirror. Because for 99% of us, that's the ultimate goal anyway.
9 point caliper is the best for most of us, since we don't have immediate (free) access to the hydrostatic testing.
I don't have the 9 point info, but I use 7 point with a computer program. I also feel that the mirror is the most important way to to monitor your bf. The reason being that bf% is only a number. Don't get too hung up on it. 99% of the guys that talk about being 10% bf are actually a hell of a lot closer to 20% in reality. Seeing your abs???? It is likely that you are 20 or slightly higher, but that really isn't what any of us like to hear. So worry more about the direction of the numbers you are seeing with your calipers than anything else. Also pay attention to the mirror. Because for 99% of us, that's the ultimate goal anyway.
TheMilkMan
New member
DocJ said:
thank you Doc J, i was about to say the same thing
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