body fat tests??

speedy2007

Hey

im not a member of a gym (cant afford it right now) and i dont know where else to have a body fat test done, but ive found some websites that calculate it using measurements of different parts of the body (using a tape measure). I keep getting different results on different sites tho...for eg one site told me i had a body fat % of 19% and another said 34% (i know which one i want to be correct )
Does anyone know any good sites to test this, or is tape measuring not the way to go to measure body fat?

And then when i googled the healthy range for body fat % i get a whole different set of answers , eg - one site said 19% is healthy, another underweight. Another site says 34% is obese, another says healthy
So my next question is which one can i trust, does anyone know the factual range? (im female btw)

The reason im doing all this is that ive been trying to lose weight. I'm in the healthy range of bmi but reading on here thats not the best measurement and neither is weight. Ive been jogging since the summer and while im a lot fitter and have lost a little weight, my body shape is still basically the same - i havent firmed up at all. Been reading a few posts on here and they all say weights so im going to try that next. I just want to take my body fat so that i can see an improvement over time to give myself something to aim for and keep myself motivated. Thanks

Transform

speedy2007 wrote: »

Hey

im not a member of a gym (cant afford it right now) and i dont know where else to have a body fat test done, but ive found some websites that calculate it using measurements of different parts of the body (using a tape measure). I keep getting different results on different sites tho...for eg one site told me i had a body fat % of 19% and another said 34% (i know which one i want to be correct )
Does anyone know any good sites to test this, or is tape measuring not the way to go to measure body fat?

And then when i googled the healthy range for body fat % i get a whole different set of answers , eg - one site said 19% is healthy, another underweight. Another site says 34% is obese, another says healthy
So my next question is which one can i trust, does anyone know the factual range? (im female btw)

The reason im doing all this is that ive been trying to lose weight. I'm in the healthy range of bmi but reading on here thats not the best measurement and neither is weight. Ive been jogging since the summer and while im a lot fitter and have lost a little weight, my body shape is still basically the same - i havent firmed up at all. Been reading a few posts on here and they all say weights so im going to try that next. I just want to take my body fat so that i can see an improvement over time to give myself something to aim for and keep myself motivated. Thanks

go to your local personal trainer and blag a free test

WalterMitty

Take a photo once a month to compare. if your not reducing body fat and increasing musle you wont get "firmer" . Reduce calories , and/or increase protein % in diet and/or increase cardio.

youlooksilly

healthy is less than 18% for male and 26% for women. womens necessary fat is much higher than mens so it wold be unhealthy for you to be lower than 10%. (male btw) http://www.changingshape.com/resources/calculators/body-fat-calculator.asp says im 14.3
and a test says im 13.9 so is pretty accurate . dont know if it is accurare for women

gaoife

thats mad, the link there says i've 36% body fat but im a size 10-12 maybe a little overweight but not obese!

earlyapex

hi, thats the same test as i found on here, the US navy bodyfat test.
http://www.bblex.de/en/calc/navy.php

but I've a question on how to use it, since you got accurate results off it, do you measure your abdomen with breath out or in or suck in or what?
what the accurate measurement method?

Thanks.

bubblyone

Where are you in the country? Caliper testing from somebody experienced would be the best overall-cheap and more accurate than bioimpedance (scales/handheld devices). 7 site method would be more accurate than 4 sites generally. Gyms and trainers should be able to offer it but also athletics/exercise physiology departments in colleges/universities. E.g. human performance lab in UCC does it for €10....and VERY accurate. It is possible to get Dexa body composition (pretty much best you can get) done (e.g. in Santry Sports Clinic) but it would be more pricey! I wouldn't really put much faith in the calculators based on measurements. They were never accurate for me but calipers in the right hands were within 1% of Dexa.

The ranges you will see for fat do vary. Age makes a difference and the range for health is different to the range for athletic performance. For a female, the values I got from my exercise physiology book were:

Age 16-29 30-49 50+
V low fat <13 <14 <16
Slim 13-20 14-22 16-24
Acceptable 21-25 23-27 25-29
Overfat 26-32 28-34 30-35
V overfat >32 >35 >36

This site gives some percentages for different sports:
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/fatcent.htm

youlooksilly

relaxed with legs spaced apart 2ft at the belly button

youlooksilly

is only accurate for some body types. eg. all fat could be around belly ect.