Body Fat

[karatechick]

Does anyone here know how you can measure how much body fat you have?

Thanks

[Just]

http://www.davedraper.com/bodyfat-calculator.html

This will give you a good est.

[Aodhan]

http://www.davedraper.com/bodyfat-calculator.html

This will give you a good est.

Uhm...no, it won't. Especially for a guy. For males it asks for weight and waist size. It doesn't account for height or any other critical factors. (Not to mention the fact that it doesn't even bring up any results at all.) So, I could put in my information (182 lbs, 33 inch waist), and it has no idea if I am 6'3", or 4'1", both of which will produce wildly different bodyfat percentages.

The best, publicly accessible way is to get a water weighing. You can usually find a place that does it for $25-40 or so.

Next best would be a multi-location skin caliper test, done by someone that has been trained.

You can look on the web for BMI (Body Mass Index) calculations, but if you are heavily muscled, it will tell you that you are overweight as well.

You can also get scales for $50-75 that do electrical impedance, but these have a high variance (+/- up to 10%) depending on hydration, skin dryness, and other factors. The one I use consistently tells me I'm 19 or 20% bodyfat, and the skin caliper gives me 12-14%.

If you don't mind spending the money, I'd get an electrical impedence scale, weigh yourself and get the BF% and then immediately do the underwater weighing. That at least will tell you about how the scale measures you.

Aodhan

[Jay]

Ignore the rubbish internet calculators it said i had about 15% body fat which is impossible i dont really have much fat on me at all and i would expect that im ner the 8% mark something like that

[IronWarrior]

Bodyfat % is a strange thing..lol I got mine tested 2 different ways in August and I got 2 different results the calipers said 16% and then I got bio-electrical inpendence done and it said 22% then I did it again the next day and it said 19.2% lol.. So I talked to a competitive bodybuilder and personal trainer friend off mine and he calculated it all out and said I was around 17-18% I'am 5'9 220lbs with 19 inch arms, and a 36 inch waist.. to be really 'cut' your going to have to be down around 11% or so..

[Jay]

im just really skinny

[orion82698]

I'm probably going to get hydrostatically (Water tank tested) weighed here in about another month or two. I'm nearing 14%, and I hate using calipers.

[Scythe]

mine said 11% but I think it's still wrong should be a bit less maybe around 9 i think. but I could be wrong