Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
how do you measure body fat.
- Thread starter mikeydee
- Start date
KIAN
New member
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA):
A very low level electrical signal is sent through the body - normally by standing on sensors on a body fat monitor. The signal travels quickly through lean tissue, which has a high percentage of water and is therefore a good conductor of electricity, and more slowly through fat, as fat has a lower percentage of water and is therefore a poor conductor of electricity. Bioelectrical Impedance devices use the information from this signal to work out body fat percentage.
Skinfold Measurements:
This method involves a skinfold callipers to pinch predetermined sites on the body. The tongs pinch the skin, pulling the fat away from the muscles and bones. A gauge on the callipers measures the thickness of that pinch.
It is recommended that this test is carried out by a professional and should be repeated to verify measurements. To make the test reliable you should not exercise beforehand. Exercise makes your blood travel to your skin to help you cool down and this causes the skin to swell, making your test inaccurate.
Hydrostatic Weighing Tanks:
This method is the most accurate but also the most uncomfortable. You sit on a scale in a large tank of water and exhale all the air out of your lungs, then submerge yourself in the water completely. You stay underwater for 5 seconds, while your underwater weight is recorded. You have to make sure no air is trapped in your lungs, otherwise the test will be inaccurate and your results will produce a higher BFP.
Infrared Interactance:
This technique involves a different coloured light, which is shone onto the skin surface at selected areas. The spectrum of the wavelengths reflected is analysed by a computer. The lean muscle to fat ratio at the test areas can be calculated as fat and lean tissue have different interactive spectra. This method, though, is not very reliable.
_________________
KP--Fitness Basics
.
A very low level electrical signal is sent through the body - normally by standing on sensors on a body fat monitor. The signal travels quickly through lean tissue, which has a high percentage of water and is therefore a good conductor of electricity, and more slowly through fat, as fat has a lower percentage of water and is therefore a poor conductor of electricity. Bioelectrical Impedance devices use the information from this signal to work out body fat percentage.
Skinfold Measurements:
This method involves a skinfold callipers to pinch predetermined sites on the body. The tongs pinch the skin, pulling the fat away from the muscles and bones. A gauge on the callipers measures the thickness of that pinch.
It is recommended that this test is carried out by a professional and should be repeated to verify measurements. To make the test reliable you should not exercise beforehand. Exercise makes your blood travel to your skin to help you cool down and this causes the skin to swell, making your test inaccurate.
Hydrostatic Weighing Tanks:
This method is the most accurate but also the most uncomfortable. You sit on a scale in a large tank of water and exhale all the air out of your lungs, then submerge yourself in the water completely. You stay underwater for 5 seconds, while your underwater weight is recorded. You have to make sure no air is trapped in your lungs, otherwise the test will be inaccurate and your results will produce a higher BFP.
Infrared Interactance:
This technique involves a different coloured light, which is shone onto the skin surface at selected areas. The spectrum of the wavelengths reflected is analysed by a computer. The lean muscle to fat ratio at the test areas can be calculated as fat and lean tissue have different interactive spectra. This method, though, is not very reliable.
_________________
KP--Fitness Basics
.
Hydrostatic Weighing Tanks are the gold standard.
Hillmachine
New member
I have some Tanita scales. Don't think they are spot-on accurate but i find them pretty handy
rocksolid215
New member
Naeem said:
lol
G
gettinripped
Guest
http://store.femnutrition.com/body-fat-calipers-fattrack-gold.html
here you go bro, just oredered these myself. got them 3 days ago. seem to work well. gives you a good idea of what you are working with. definately worth $30 bucks
couldnt get the link to work but you can copy and paste
here you go bro, just oredered these myself. got them 3 days ago. seem to work well. gives you a good idea of what you are working with. definately worth $30 bucks
couldnt get the link to work but you can copy and paste
Hillmachine said:
I'm not sure of your build and this is not a flame
I've been going to a bod Pod every three weeks starting in august and my Tanita even on athlete mode is not even close, so last time I went to the bod pod I took my My scale with me....when I got on the calibrated bod pod scale I was 185.4 on my scale I was 185 so the scale IMO is good.....
the bod pod reading which is in line with the last one was 12.4%bf
the scale was.......18.5% WTR I changed it from athlete mode to regular mode and I was 27%...lol. So I called Tanita and spoke to customer service
she could not answer me why ? she had a Tec call me back
I gave him all my stats 5'-6" 185.8 12.2%bf 163.8lbs lean mass 22lbs fat
I shared my last 3 bod pod readings...My answer was I was outside the range for thier scales and it states that they are not calibriated for Body Builders.
I then asked about their IronMan linem He was very cool and told me not to waste my money on the Ironman because it would not give me an accurate reading eather. He told me he was a cardio athlete and he goes to the bod pod him self and the scales are very close, but they are not calibrated to someone with a large amount of muscle mass as a body weight %.
A
Anthrax Invasion
Guest
Get a DEXA.
