Body fat % InBody scale

[lfod14]

I need to get me a body fat caliper. Anyone recommend a certain one?

One where the tips have flat surfaces for a even pinch, many are almost pointed and will push in which can artificially increase your readings.

 

[Send0]

If using calipers, I always liked the parillo 9 sote formula. However it can be difficult to hit all the target sites if you're doing the measurements by yourself.

Lately I'm too lazy to be bothered, I'm not competing on stage or have any reason to be completely peeled. So instead I just kind of eyeball things based on where I know I keep my body fat and how I look in the mirror.

DEXA is probably the most accurate way to measure body fat if you're already lean. However, there are lots of cases where DEXA is off by +/- 5% body fat. For example, the picture of this guy says his DEXA was ,7% body fat. You'll notice he's semi skinny fat. There's no way this person is 7% bf...or even 10% for that matter. If I had to guess, I'd say he's somewhere between 12% - 15%.

This isn't to say DEXA scans aren't a good tool; it absolutely is... I'm only highlighting that nothing is guaranteed.

 

[lfod14]

If using calipers, I always liked the parillo 9 sote formula. However it can be difficult to hit all the target sites if you're doing the measurements by yourself.

Lately I'm too lazy to be bothered, I'm not competing on stage or have any reason to be completely peeled. So instead I just kind of eyeball things based on where I know I keep my body fat and how I look in the mirror.

DEXA is probably the most accurate way to measure body fat if you're already lean. However, there are lots of cases where DEXA is off by +/- 5% body fat. For example, the picture of this guy says his DEXA was ,7% body fat. You'll notice he's semi skinny fat. There's no way this person is 7% bf...or even 10% for that matter. If I had to guess, I'd say he's somewhere between 12% - 15%.

This isn't to say DEXA scans aren't a good tool; it absolutely is... I'm only highlighting that nothing is guaranteed.

Exactly, when it comes to body fat DEXA and BodPod are both extremely close, I just had a DEXA last week because I got an awesome deal with a combined RMR but when I’ve done both back to back they’ve been nearly identical. Most of the time it’s not worth paying to find out what your bone density is, although seeing the muscle imbalances is kinda cool.

 

[Not2quick]

I need to get me a body fat caliper. Anyone recommend a certain one?

We used Lange calipers in college.

 

[stinger]

I was always taught that underwater weighing was the most accurate. That was 20+ years ago though. I remember we weighed a guy underwater that looked like he was a week out form a bodybuilding show. Was completely ripped. He came out at 9%. I have been using InBody at my TRT docs and I doubt it is as accurate as stated, but I do feel it is a good way to track my progress. I estimated my BF from 21% at the beginning to just under 13%. I would estimate my current BF to be closer 15% but hey I'll take it.

 

[shadow_hunter]

those scales aren't accurate

 

[wotmeworry]

Have travelled this path years ago. A body fat number is like a horoscope, potentially entertaining but otherwise useless. Tracking the same measurement over time can be useful.

These days (a lot older), I just pay attention to belly fat. If it gets too much (entirely subjective), I get uncomfortable and cut. If not, I am happy enough to keep eating what I feel like, which tends to mean more training = more food.

 

[CJ]

These days (a lot older), I just pay attention to belly fat. If it gets too much (entirely subjective), I get uncomfortable and cut. If not, I am happy enough to keep eating what I feel like, which tends to mean more training = more food.

Make it objective, pick up a cheap caliper

 

[wotmeworry]

I'll get a number, sure, but whenever I have used calipers in the past I could get a different number by moving the caliper just a little bit - so only confident in big changes in readings (being more than point to point variation/noise).

 

[Yano]

Best method to measure body fat
When the wife gives you the ,, come here for a minute as your getting dressed and gives you the hold still as she enters "Mom" mode ... she looks yanks the pants a bit tells you to turn around .... yanks again and says something like .... "maybe we need to get you a bigger size or let these out some"

That's how ya know your Bf % is too high. Proven method tried and true. Salad please dressing on the side

 

[harriotl]

there are a lot of ways to measure your body fat. use cavitation gel for the cavitation ultrasound machine

 

[CJ]

there are a lot of ways to measure your body fat. use cavitation gel for the cavitation ultrasound machine

Stop the post count padding.

 

[RiR0]

I studied sports medicine in college and we used Lange calipers to measure body fat. We also had a pretty fancy machine that did the same thing. It looked like a big tube, like when getting an MRI. It gave bone density, body fat, lean muscle, etc.

My wifes gym has an InBody scale that claims to be 98% accurate. I just did my first reading in 2 months. I gained 10lbs and 3 lbs was lean muscle. Body fat went from 19 to 21% though. If accurate, is 3lbs lean mass on 10lbs a good gain?

Anyone else use the InBody? How do you measure your body fat %

None of them are accurate.
I don’t care about an arbitrary number. I care about body composition.
I’ll say it again, the only accurate way to measure one’s bf is to boil them until they’re goop and bone and scoop the fat out.
You’re wife’s scale is not accurate.
Bodpods, dexa, anything else is not accurate.
You could literally take a piss and shit or do one of 1000 other things and get a different reading on the same day.

 

[CJ]

None of them are accurate.
I don’t care about an arbitrary number. I care about body composition.
I’ll say it again, the only accurate way to measure one’s bf is to boil them until they’re goop and bone and scoop the fat out.
You’re wife’s scale is not accurate.
Bodpods, dexa, anything else is not accurate.
You could literally take a piss and shit or do one of 1000 other things and get a different reading on the same day.

I carb loaded the night before a BodPod once, it came back at 7.6% bf, which I most certainly was not.

Haven't spent a ¢1 on testing again. May get a Dexa at some point though, just for the experience.