BodyFat Reading - Calipers at HOME?

[The Shadow]

The best, realtively inexpensive calipers I have come across are form accu-track.

Digital and use a three site formula. Very accurate repeatability.

For repeatabliity, have the same person use the same calipers at ~ the same time of day. I also use landmarks for consistancy. If there is a freckle/mole etc close to where I'm "supposed" to pich, I will alter the site slightly. That might vary the actual number a bit, but the benefit from repeatability is worthwhile in the long run as you are always tracking a trend anyway.

 

[Flagirl27]

I bought my fat calipers from affordablesupplements.com, but they are cheaper at prosourceonline.com They are the digital ones by FatTrack. They came with an instructions booklet and pictures of where and how to take body measurements with it. It's totally digital so you don't have to do any figuring. I don't know if these are any good or not, but it's what I use.

 

[smallmovesal]

What i always found most important was individual readings rather than total body fat %...id just pinch my stomach since thats the only area im concerned about when dieting, and just record mm readings once a week, if i go down each time, then im losing fat, its much easier that way, for me, then these bodyfat% that can be so off at any time of the day...and according to the margin of error they give +/- 3% i would be either 0% or 6%...0%<-- lol come on now.

good point.

 

[The Shadow]

Personally I never liked bodyfat % readings, especially when I'd get real low like sub 3%, i mean I dont think these readings are accurate enough once you get that low, you are only going to be dropping maybe 1/10th or so of a %point, for the last few weeks or so of your diet and its just so hard to calculate that unless you have real expensive equipment. What i always found most important was individual readings rather than total body fat %...id just pinch my stomach since thats the only area im concerned about when dieting, and just record mm readings once a week, if i go down each time, then im losing fat, its much easier that way, for me, then these bodyfat% that can be so off at any time of the day...and according to the margin of error they give +/- 3% i would be either 0% or 6%...0%<-- lol come on now.

Tue. But a belly pinch would not be the best place for a woman to monitor a one-site only.

I would use the thigh in that case.

 

[NY Muscle]

Tue. But a belly pinch would not be the best place for a woman to monitor a one-site only.

I would use the thigh in that case.

well thats what i meant, pinch the areas you are concerned with.

 

[The Shadow]

well thats what i meant, pinch the areas you are concerned with.

That sounded bad. I just meant...you know what I meant LOL!

 

[SteelWeaver]

I know underwater or 'body pod' are the best ways to measure body fat & then calipers are 2nd best.

How about buying calipers & having my boyfriend do the reading? I suppose if the same person was doing it - then it could be helpful for measuring a change over time?

Or is getting 'high quality' calipers very important?

I still haven't been able to get together with any trainers at the gym & seems like this might be more convenient.

I guess how important it is is how much emphasis you place in your mind on a very accurate measurement. If you just want to measure progress over time, a tape measure and mirror should do it.

I bought the plastic Accu-Measure calipers, but haven't been able to get much out of them, mostly because I was trying to do a 4-site reading, and can't reach my tricep. I tried to get my gf to do the tricep, but when you only do it once ever couple of months ... well, anyway it didn't work. I did a search for decent calipers, since I don't really trust those plastic things anyway, and was horrified at the prices. Lange calipers are supposed to be the best, I think, and cost between $200 and $300!!! All the pro type calipers were in this range ...

I'm just using the scale, pinch test and mirror now.