which bodyfat measurement to believe?

[evilqueen]

So I go to my gym today for a bodyfat test.

On the adult mode of the Tanita bf scale, it was 25.6 percent.

On the athlete mode (I work out between 7-10 hours a week), it's 16.9 percent.

On the calipers, it was 14.1 percent. she measured my tricep, around the navel, something called the superiliac (sp?) and the front of my thigh. The catch: She measured my thigh through my sweatpants. I was well hydrated--61 percent water. The report also said I gained 4 pounds of LBM from last December, while my fat percentage on the athlete mode stayed the same (16.9 percent).

So, my good women, this sucks. Which measurement should I believe? Should I just split the difference? I KNOW I'm not 25.6 percent, but I can't believe I'm 14.1 percent, either. There's no dunk tank around where I live, either.

By the way: I did legs tonight, and went from squatting 75 pounds to 90 pounds. (I think I'll try for 100 next time.) I also did one-leg leg presses for the first time.

I like this heavier lifting stuff. Thanks for inspiring me.

 

[new@gettinbig]

Taking it by calipers is the best choice...You should never get it done when you have sweat pants on...only on your skin...before working out etc...Make sure they know what they are doing..that would probably be an ok estimate...but I would have it done again..the scales are crap...even more so if you workout...I got on one right before a show and it read 15% and I was 8.9%....calipers or under water weighing is best...and it also depends on the person doing them...that makes a big difference.

 

[evilqueen]

a few more details....

the calipers were those electronic ones.

this woman has worked as a personal trainer for 15 years--she really seems to know what she's doing.

would the sweatpants actually make the bodyfat percentage LOWER than it would have been on a naked leg?

can you make any assumptions at all about what my APPROXIMATE bodyfat would be, based on these weird numbers and what I've told you?

 

[evilqueen]

Spoken like a real BB! Probably only newbies care so much about bf percentage, huh?

Still...I wish I knew.

 

[evilqueen]

I'm gonna bump this up in hopes that a qualified member can give me his/her best guess. I KNOW bf percentages are usually off (unless you do a dunk tank) but still, your experienced guesses are better than mine. Thanks.

 

[VeggieLifterChick]

I have the tanita scale too. How do u get it in athlete mode?

 

[Hbone]

Commercial tanita has dual setting yes they suck. I know cause I purchased one. It read my partner at 16% percent the night before he won the overall at the western states. As for a qualified trainer taken you bodyfat through your sweats then shes anything but competent. Are you show ab definition at all because most women will start at approx. 13-14%.


Spat not to dis you at all Cause I love you here, however there are some variable involved in hydro and bodpod that can make them inaccurate. Upper level athletes dont measure correctly due to bone density and differing lung volume. The most accurate measuring technique for one single individual to see CHANGES is still a competent skin caliper.
Otherwise Im in total agreement with Warlobo , how do you look?????

 

[Night Fly]

I have a Tanita scale also...(mom bought it for me as a 'surprise' Christmas gift). I will use it to weigh myself....but not for the bodyfat. I have no clue how it could be accurate.

 

[evilqueen]

Hbone,

Yes, you can see my abs. They're not like the abs you see n the cover of men's health--i guess that's good, cause i'm a woman--but they're there--a 4-pack.

 

[evilqueen]

I mean, I definitely have muscles, but certainly not the kind of muscles I've seen on some of the women in here. If you saw me, you'd probably think I had well-developed shoulders, triceps, and biceps, pretty decent abs for someone who's not a fitness model, and hey, I'm working on my lower body, but it's definitely hard, not squishy.

That means I could be anywhere from 14 to 18 percent, though, doesn't it?

Sigh...thanks anyway....