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2004/07/30, 07:58 PM
I was wondering what's the best way to calculate bf% without going through 20 steps with specialized equipment etc. Is the calculator on this site accurate? It seems kinda thin (pardon the pun), cuz it only uses weight and waist (for males).
I swear I have more than 16% body fat -- it's just not around my beltline! :)
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Do not shorten the morning by getting up late; look upon it as the quintessence of life, and it a certain extent sacred. -- Arthur Schopenhauer
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2004/07/30, 09:53 PM
Any calculation that we use in only a guide line and a scale to go by. The only accurate measurement is one done in water and is very costly.
So if you are 16% on here, just keep going by that same scale.
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"A will finds a way, failure is not an option"
Ivan
carivan@freetrainers.com
Montreal Canada
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2004/07/30, 11:44 PM
I've tried http://www.mybodycomp.com/ using measuring tape but the results were like 5% more then what a certified trainer came up with just a few days ago. I trust his results over mine.
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2004/07/31, 08:59 AM
Good points Guys. Estimates using calipers and girth measures even as done by certified trainers are very rough guesses and can be out by quite a bit. Even the water weighing method relies on certain assumptions (such as a given bone mineral density) wherein individual variations can acount for an error of up to +- 4% (ie. if the estimate is 10% the actual BF% is almost certainly between 9.6% - 10.4%). A medical imaging device known as DEXA (dual x-ray absorptiometry) will also provide accuracy in this range.
This is quite accurate when you consider what Oscarg mentioned about the difference between the methods he has tried. For example, if his trainer estimated, say 8% and the website estimated 5% more than that (13%) that is a margin of error of more than 60%. The purpose/ usefulness in using one of these last 2 methods is that if you use the exact same method each time, you can a good idea of whether ther body fat % is increasing or decreasing over time with training. Of course you'll still have not idea what the actual BF% really is with those last 2 techniques.
By the way - the only way to precisely measure body fat % is through cadaver dissection. Volunteers?
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2004/07/31, 04:05 PM
ursusarktos. eww. I was planning on eating some steak for my cheat day today...:P but uhm..I think I'll get that salad again.
by that time you guys should be worrying about other things. I hear ghosts don't weigh a lot. :laugh:
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The best victories are won not by adversity and brute force. Learn the enemy and overcome it. Now for the love of god...put the donut...DOWN!!!
-cupcake-
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2004/08/01, 09:23 PM
Thanks for the advice guys. It does make sense to use one method, but I just question the weight/waist ratio as the method to use. My waist doesn't appear to have a lot of fat -- I can probably only go down 3-4 inches until all that's left there is skin and bone! Does that mean that 10% bfr (what I'd have if I was 10 lbs lighter and 4 inches thinner around the waist) is the best I can do?
Well I have a ways to go until I hit 10% anyway... :)
What about this caliper method? Can I do it at home? Is it significantly more accurate than one based on just height/weight/waist? Is the equipment expensive?
Thanks again!
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Do not shorten the morning by getting up late; look upon it as the quintessence of life, and it a certain extent sacred. -- Arthur Schopenhauer
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2004/08/02, 10:51 AM
The caLipurs work okay, providing someone does it for you, and uses the same technique each time. Calipurs run from around $10.00 cdn. There is also a electronic scale which will help, but more $$$.
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"A will finds a way, failure is not an option"
Ivan
carivan@freetrainers.com
Montreal Canada
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