Group: General Fitness & Exercise

General Fitness & Exercise
Created: 2011/12/31, Members: 382, Messages: 54581

Various general exercise related discussions. Find out what it takes to reach your fitness goals through daily effective exercise. With so many options we try to find out what works best.

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Measure Body Fat?

fireloard
fireloard
Posts: 665
Joined: 2001/03/27
United States
2002/03/19, 06:40 PM
I just got one of those AccuFitness Digital Bodyfat calipers and I really don't do much cardio ever even though i'm seriously underweight.. anyway does anyone else use something like this? Should I press the calipers tight together or just lightly against the pinch of skin.. and are these things generally right.. no matter how I measure it I keep getting about 5% body fat.. which seems wrong.. when I do the ft body fat estimator I get 8% (if I flex my abs.. 18% if I just measure my waist relaxed)....
rpacheco
rpacheco
Posts: 3,770
Joined: 2001/12/13
United States
2002/03/19, 06:57 PM
I use one of those, too. You pinch your skin (about 1 inch above your right hipbone) and measure that. Do not flex. Here's the webpage that illustrates the directions:

http://www10.netrition.com/netrition_accu_measure_caliper_page.html

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**_Robert_**
fireloard
fireloard
Posts: 665
Joined: 2001/03/27
United States
2002/03/19, 11:38 PM
I got the digital ones where you measure it at 3 sites on your body (chest, abs, thighs) so.. 3 chances for error.. and the little 'improve your measuring skill' says to use a vertical pinch of skin on the ab area.. not a horizonal one like the picture shows for their regular calipers...