Hi to all...update and question.

[esteveze]

Hello all!!!
I have not posted in a while, but have been reading and browsing the board.
Well I still weight 132lbs, have not dropped weight but think is due to muscles..I think I put va little muscle on me .
I have lost inches..which is a plus...
My diet is good, weight training is good 4*week, and cardio is 4-5*week Moderate intensity (45min)
My husband mention to me yesterday that my abs were starting to show and looking good..yeahhhh.
So i got inspired and decided to get my BF tested.
Stats:
female, 29years, 132lbs, 5'3"
I was SHOCKED..when the "trainer" told me BF%=36
Is this possible????? WTF...
So I decided to put that past me...and keep training HARDER...
As long as I see me getting more muscles and losing some inches were needed I will be ok.
That is it for now...

 

[nikkita]

In my personal opinion, if you are loosing inches without loosing weight it is a good thing because you are getting rid of the fat... I mean specially if your abs are starting to show.

Keep on the hard work and if you feel necessary review your diet!

Efforts always get rewards

 

[Daisy_Girl]

What method was used to check your body fat?

Most have a high percentage of error. 'User Error' is even higher if Trainer doesn't know what they are doing.....

 

[esteveze]

Calipers...

 

[crazyfit1]

Calipers aren't the most accurate body fat tester. Here are some pros and cons of calipers.

Pros

The calipers are not overly expensive.
It does not require sophisticated equipment.
It's portable.
It's fast.

Cons

This procedure relies on an assumption that may or may not be true: the fat under the skin is proportional to the total body fat.
The equations were developed based on normal weight people. Applying them to people with excess fat may be inaccurate.
Some measurements cannot be done without the help of another person.
The amount of tissue picked up to form the skinfold can vary.
You get different results depending on how hard you pinch the fold of skin. More expensive calipers are more accurate.
If a different person takes the measurements each time, they may not be accurate or consistent.
Proper technique requires training. Even under the best of circumstances, individual differences in measurement techniques are common.

Whether they are accurate or not, if you have the same person taking your bodyfat with the same set of calipers over time if you are making progress it will show. So whether you are 36% or 26% right now, just keep working hard at it and next time, just look for your bodyfat percentage to be lower than the last time. Then you will know you are on the right track.

 

[makedah]

It's cheap to get your body fat tested with calipers. Get it tested one or two more places and compare readings.

 

[VeggieLifterChick]

I DOUBT you have a bf of 36%! That is extremely unlikely with your lifestyle and stats. Even 26% is unlikely if your abs are showing! I think you might want to try getting it tested by a different trainer. My personal experience with bf measuring is that 24% is me looking chunky, 21% is normal and below that is abs showing.

 

[wilson6]

1) Either you're really fat or

2) The trainer is a moron and has no clue how to use the calipers or the correct formula.

#1 is unlikely unless you're using an old Kenner Paint On Ab Kit that bodybuilders used in the 70's. There is no way you'd see abs at 36%. In fact, abs start to come in on women around 15-16% and are pretty visible around 12%.

Ask the trainer to give you the skinfold measures (i.e, the site and the mm measure). Post the numbers.

W6

 

[esteveze]

I was very surprise with 36%...uohhh....
In early january I was 17.7% and I am looking leaner now then back in Jan.
Thank you everyone for you inputs....At least I now I am not going crazy.
I am going to hit my legs 2* week and also my other trouble area..Triceps..
Just keep working hard ....
I will ask him next time I see him. He is a new guy at the gym..just been working there for 4 weeks....
My friend had his BF measure with him 4 weeks ago...and Weds when he came with me, asked the trainer for a copy of his body composition, and the guy said he does not keep records
But w6 I will ask him.

 

[Texas Guns]

At my very heaviest before I ever picked up a weight, I was 38%bf. That was at 25 years old, 156 lbs and 5ft 1". So my dear, their is no way you are anywhere close to 36%!! I'd find another trainer....maybe even go to another gym to have it done!!

Congrats on your hard work, keep it up. And dont let the numbers keep you down or slow you down!!