Measuring Body Fat

[Daneo]

I am going to purchase a pair of calipers as I cannot afford the water displacement method. I hear the calipers are on average off by 3%.

Would that mean if say my BF was 10%, the range would be 8.5% - 11.5%?
Or is there some other way to do it?

[qhams]

Originally Posted by Daneo

I am going to purchase a pair of calipers as I cannot afford the water displacement method. I hear the calipers are on average off by 3%.

Would that mean if say my BF was 10%, the range would be 8.5% - 11.5%?
Or is there some other way to do it?

calipers can be off a hell alot more than that depending on who does it and their skill level on performing it.

I have seen trainers tell people they are were low after doing it and appearance wise it was obvious they were not.

Example a lady told me she was 20% bodyfat. I could get a solid handful of fat from her gut alone. I had her around 35% from just looks. She went and told her trainer that I said he had done it incorrectly. The trainer got pissed and said he had been doing it for years...I was thinking you have been doing it for years incorrectly!!!

Try and find someone who knows how to use them and get them to show you.

[YoungNJacked]

or u can do what all of us do and guesstimate by looking in the mirror, seriously why is it a big deal? i know when im fat without calipers.......lol

[BigBen350]

Originally Posted by YoungNJacked

or u can do what all of us do and guesstimate by looking in the mirror, seriously why is it a big deal? i know when im fat without calipers.......lol

AGREEEEEED

Disclaimer - Unless you're going to be competing and it really does make a difference, no one really cares what your bf% is. Are you going to charm the ladies with an opening line of "Hey.......How you doin? I got X.X% body fat"

Hahhahahah, I guess that's just my $.02

[Littleguy]

Originally Posted by YoungNJacked

or u can do what all of us do and guesstimate by looking in the mirror, seriously why is it a big deal? i know when im fat without calipers.......lol

Yea the mirror is your most accurate method, but if you do get any bf test done just for a # use that same person and method and pinch points and at least you can tell if the # is changing.

[Daneo]

Well I don't compete and no I would never use that as a pick up line either. It's just something I wanted to know or at least have an idea for my own personal knowledge. I understand no one really cares which works well for me as I am doing for myself.
Anyways, I'll give it a shot and see- hopefully I don't get too much varience...

[YoungNJacked]

u wanna kno how u can kno without calipers? why not ask ur boys at home or the boys at the gym. what i usually do is i pose in the a.m. and then ill get a good pump at the gym and compare. usually my boys tell me what im lookin like. nothing better than constructive criticism from ur buddies ya feel?

ive been a trainer for wayyyyyyyyyy too long to know that most people cant measure for shit. if u really wanna kno that bad spend the skrill on underwater testing at a golds gym or ur school. when i was a kinesiology major we had a free screening every semester for bf% and whatnot.

bf% really doesnt mean too much bro. because i will almost guarantee i look better at 270 at 15% than 230 at 12%. dont be too overly concerned about bf% if ur not competing because it will drive u insane and ive seen OCD type of habits with bf%..........seen it develop into eating disorders with gfs as well.

[healthfreak]

as said earlier go by the mirror. calipers, elctronic measures are always off for someone that isnt the average joe.

I always think of it this way. but this is just me

at 12% OR SO. ABS BECOME VISIBLE

[healthfreak]

as said earlier go by the mirror. calipers, elctronic measures are always off for someone that isnt the average joe.

I always think of it this way. but this is just me

at 12% OR SO. ABS BECOME VISIBLE
AT 8-10% ABS ARE ALL THE WAY IN
5-6% BICEPS brachialis and brachioradialis become very visible
3-4% glutes are tight and may see striations.
0-3 your gonna die! burning muscle and internal organs

but everyone is diffrent so like said earlier the mirror is the best judgment. and untill you get really shredded u wont know where u were really at.
almost everyone I know mis judges there bf by at least a few percent.

[trafficdodger]

I don't know....I just got a pair of calipers and a tape measure for curiosities sake. Yes,the mirror can be the best tool, but I've noticed over time that I don't see the same changes that others may see; I mean that I accept what I see in the mirror and I don't realize how big/small, defined/soft I may have gotten over the course of a few weeks/months. The scale just isn't enough anymore.

For me having something on paper is a little more assuring, kind of like of how I keep a lifting journal, food log, etc... It helps keeps me on track of how my current diet/training regimen is going.