How to estimate % Body Fat?

[Cameron_R]

Hey,

I've had a bit of a search on-line and on this forum, but can't seem to find a simple way to estimate my BF%.

Could anyone point me in the right direction please?

Ta

[seascott]

Get a pinch test done by your gym if they do it or at the docs.

Its still not 100% accurate though, but close enough.

[Cameron_R]

Yep, that's understood.

But I was hoping for a link or someone to explain to me the theory behind and how the calculate it?

eg - if the pinch is 5cm, and your overall waist is 100cm, then you BF% is the ratio = 5%

At the moment, all I know is they pinch some skin - somewhere either on your back or your belly, and then a number pops out magically.

[alex-art]

Check this one http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

[Pseudonym]

all I know is they pinch some skin - somewhere either on your back or your belly, and then a number pops out magically.

That's pretty much how it works. Some nerds with clipboards came up with a formula. You PT takes various skinfold measurements, plugs them into the formula, and out pops the BF%.

If you can't get a caliper test done, this might give you a rough guide:

http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pict ... ercentages

[Cameron_R]

That's pretty much how it works. Some nerds with clipboards came up with a formula. You PT takes various skinfold measurements, plugs them into the formula, and out pops the BF%.

If you can't get a caliper test done, this might give you a rough guide:

http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pict ... ercentages

Thanks Pseudo!

I think this is what I'm looking for. I'll have a read tonight.

[Pseudonym]

Failing that, pluck up some courage, post your pics, and we'll give you a guesstimate. :grin:

[drizzt]

Try this page here too, just as another option. It's what I based my BF figures on when I was cutting.

[cantygirl]

Just make sure that when you get your body fat measured, the same person does the retest, its surprising how much difference another persons technique can be to your initial results.

[Cameron_R]

Failing that, pluck up some courage, post your pics, and we'll give you a guesstimate. :grin:

Ha! Way too shy for that!

All the links and advice above are enlightening stuff. Thanks!

[fudoc5]

i read in menshealth mag that if you can see veins on your arms then your below 18% bf, not sure if this is true though. someone might wanna confirm this

[NZresident1]

To answer your question get a skinfold test done anyone can do this as it is approx only make sure it is the same person for future tests though as they will now be your inter tester get three measures done and average this for reliability

Then heres the biggy to get your head around it is not BF% you should look at it is each seperate skinfold ie back skinfold thickness = measure 1 22mm measure 2 24mm measure 3 23mm average of the three is = 23mm do this on all sites 7 or more is better and then start your nutrition plan test and re test every 14 days so back skinfold after 14 days on nutrition now = 20mm

You have now got an idea of approx where the fat loss is occouring adjust training to suit areas total all skinfolds and this will give you a approx % BFat

Hope this helped

:wink:

[NZresident1]

http://www.linear-software.com

This may help it does all the diff test calcs click on clacs for a try out

cheers

[hawks]

To answer your question get a skinfold test done anyone can do this as it is approx only make sure it is the same person for future tests though as they will now be your inter tester get three measures done and average this for reliability

Then heres the biggy to get your head around it is not BF% you should look at it is each seperate skinfold ie back skinfold thickness = measure 1 22mm measure 2 24mm measure 3 23mm average of the three is = 23mm do this on all sites 7 or more is better and then start your nutrition plan test and re test every 14 days so back skinfold after 14 days on nutrition now = 20mm

You have now got an idea of approx where the fat loss is occouring adjust training to suit areas total all skinfolds and this will give you a approx % BFat

Hope this helped

:wink:

the mirror is the best fat test , mind you it pays to get the eyes tested first

[NZresident1]

Hmmm assumptions can be made here is an article of what someone has written regarding the use of mirrors

Mirror/Pictures

Certainly the lowest tech method of seeing what’s going on with your body is the mirror; and while it doesn’t measure any aspect of body composition, that doesn’t make it useless. At the very least, you can usually look in the mirror (naked, or semi-clothed, mind you) and get a rough idea if you’re underweight, overweight or just about right (whatever those terms might actually mean).

At the very least, you can determine if you’re happy with the way that you look. That is, if you can be honest with yourself. This is not always a safe assumption.

The problem is that we tend to see what we want to see, good or bad. Anorexics see a fat person where a skinny person is standing, and some bodybuilders see a skinny person where a muscular person is standing. Some researchers call this ‘reverse anorexia’, ‘body dysmorphia’ or ‘bigorexia’ (I find that last term really stupid for some reason).

Without getting into a huge tangent about how we perceive ‘reality’, the fact is that our brains lie to us sometimes and we don’t always see reality. This makes the mirror useful but you have to be careful.

I should note that folks can often find magic mirrors; there seems to be one in every gym that makes people look drastically better than they actually do. The lighting is just right, the mirror of whatever quality, that people see definition that doesn’t exist and that sort of thing. If someone could figure out what physical characteristics make up these magic mirrors, they could make a million dollars selling it to dieters and bodybuilders alike. For athletes in the physique sports, these magic mirrors can add up to a lot of disappointments on contest day.

Basically, the mirror, while good, is subject to normal human frailties in being honest with ourselves. I’d rarely recommend it as the sole mode of tracking progress, there’s just too many possibilities for people to go screwy. Use it but with caution.

In a semi-related vein, I should probably mention the use of photos to track progress in body composition. Many coaches recommend taking pictures (front, back, side) to keep a visual comparison of progress over time. Basically, you can put the pictures next to one another and see visual changes over time.

This actually avoids another huge problem inherent to the mirror: when you pose in front of them daily (admit it, you do), the small changes that may be occurring may not be visible. In contrast, if you take pictures every 4 weeks, the changes should be large enough to show visually. I’d note that it’s critical that, if you use the picture method, that you be consistent. Take them in the same lighting, wearing the same clothes, with the camera the same distance from you every time. If you don’t do this, it makes it much harder to tell if real changes are occurring.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-lo ... art-1.html Wed 28 April 2010

[jimjim83]

To answer your question get a skinfold test done anyone can do this as it is approx only make sure it is the same person for future tests though as they will now be your inter tester get three measures done and average this for reliability

Then heres the biggy to get your head around it is not BF% you should look at it is each seperate skinfold ie back skinfold thickness = measure 1 22mm measure 2 24mm measure 3 23mm average of the three is = 23mm do this on all sites 7 or more is better and then start your nutrition plan test and re test every 14 days so back skinfold after 14 days on nutrition now = 20mm

You have now got an idea of approx where the fat loss is occouring adjust training to suit areas total all skinfolds and this will give you a approx % BFat

Hope this helped

:wink:

the mirror is the best fat test , mind you it pays to get the eyes tested first

Totally agree that the mirror is the best test. Who cares what the numbers are do people compare their number at the gym? dont think so. If it wobbles its fat. If you look fat you are. Knowing that your body fat is 17.648% doesnt mean shit.

[NZresident1]

:shock: :roll: