Body Fat Analysis - Finding it difficult believing result!

marathonic

I got my body-fat analysis done today but am finding it difficult to believe the results. The instructor used an electronic machine where they attach two wires to your foot and two to your hand.

The results came in at 9.6% fat which I’m having difficulty believing as I should be able to see my abs at this point – I can see a slight outline but thought there should be little to no fat over them at 9.6%.

SanoVitae

marathonic wrote: »

The instructor used an electronic machine where they attach two wires to your foot and two to your hand.

Did it involve the instructor asking you Yes or No questions?

I don't put much faith in the accuracy of such machines having used similar Body Composition Analysis devices myself.

Calipers are much cheaper and more reliable IMO - obviously the person doing the measurements needs to be able to take the measurements accurately (not always a given unfortunately!)

marathonic

Thanks SanoVitae. I've actually ordered a pair of calipers and tape measure of eBay and got the "we were unable to deliver as you weren't home" note in the postbox yesterday.

I'll be collecting them tomorrow so it will be interesting to see the difference - although I don't necessarily trust my own capabilities with the calipers

TommyKnocker

No expert here, but to my way of thinking the "See you abs at 10% BF" is a guide only. We are all unique and will store fat differently. So while one person may have really visible abs at 10% BF another may have to get to 8.5 or 9% to get the same. A lot of it will depend on how well developed you abdominal muscle is.

As the previous poster stated I also would not put a lot of failth in the impedance BH monitors as there are a number of factors which may affect the reading.

Finally when you get you own set of calliphers, I woudl say put less importance on the actual figure you get and pay more attention to the trend over time.

If you are cutting, then you should be seeing a gradual decline in the readings. If you are bulking, then you expect to see a gradual increase. But too fast an increase shows that a lot of yoru new bulk is possibly body fat as opposed to lean tissue.

Just my 2 cents

Dotcomdolly

I have an impedance scales and I don't trust it either, but the other way. I really don't think my body fat is that high... or that I've lost almost 20% of my original body weight but only c.5% body fat??

gymsoldier

SanoVitae wrote: »

Did it involve the instructor asking you Yes or No questions?

I don't put much faith in the accuracy of such machines having used similar Body Composition Analysis devices myself.

Calipers are much cheaper and more reliable IMO - obviously the person doing the measurements needs to be able to take the measurements accurately (not always a given unfortunately!)

+1 on the calipers.

Marathonic, when you get your calipers, following the instructions very carefully as it is quite easy to pinch the wrong area and get a false reading overall.

mack32

lyle mc donald has a body fat estimation thread in his forum which should give you a rough idea of where you are:-

http://forums.lylemcdonald.com/showthread.php?t=3738

marathonic

gymsoldier wrote: »

+1 on the calipers.

Marathonic, when you get your calipers, following the instructions very carefully as it is quite easy to pinch the wrong area and get a false reading overall.

Okay, thanks for the advice.

Just for reference, this is what I bought and will be collecting it tomorrow:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Accu-measure-for-body-FAT-SKINFOLD-CALIPER-TAPE-life-/280670086792?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41593da688

Mellor

TommyKnocker wrote: »

No expert here, but to my way of thinking the "See you abs at 10% BF" is a guide only. We are all unique and will store fat differently. So while one person may have really visible abs at 10% BF another may have to get to 8.5 or 9% to get the same. A lot of it will depend on how well developed you abdominal muscle is.

That's true to an extent imo, people will look slightly different at the same bf%
But i'd say that 99% of the time, somebody with a decent muscle mass at a reading 9.5% and you can't see any definition at all - the reading is wrong.

walshb

marathonic wrote: »

I got my body-fat analysis done today but am finding it difficult to believe the results. The instructor used an electronic machine where they attach two wires to your foot and two to your hand.

The results came in at 9.6% fat which I’m having difficulty believing as I should be able to see my abs at this point – I can see a slight outline but thought there should be little to no fat over them at 9.6%.

That reading seems quite low?

As far as I know, an in shape athlete is usually 6-8 percent...

So, you aren't doing too bad at that reading.

Average joe is 16-20 percent?

Satanta

I think they work by measuring the electrical resistance of the body to a small electrical current. Found a handheld one on ebay that gives the following caveat for useage:

#


Note: For the following cases, the body fat percentage measured by this unit may significantly differ from the actual body fat percentage.

# Children in a growth stage
# Elderly people and post-menopausal women
# People with a fever
# People who have swelling
# Patients with osteoporosis who have very low bone density
# Bodybuilders or professional athletes
# Patients undergoing dialysis

SanoVitae

I've used the Tanita Body Composition Analysis Machines.

The theory is that they pass an electrical current through your body when you stand on the scales. The current cannot pass through fat so this is how it supposedly calculates your body.

marathonic

Okay, well I got the calipers and the results are pretty similar. I guess I need to get working on building better abs and obliques.

Not sure whether I am using them right but the calipers themselves came with instructions for the Superailiac test and I'm usually getting a 7 or an 8 for that - which, according to the instructions, is 8.4 - 10.6%.

When I tried the Jackson/Pollock 3-site method, I get:

Abdomen: 10
Thigh: 10
Chest: 9

Which comes to 8.5% :eek: (http://www.linear-software.com/online.html).

I find it very difficult to get a pinch at all on the chest. The thighs are very muscly so I have to sit down to take a measurement and the abs are where the fat is easily pinched.

What do you advise? I reckon go on a clean bulk (don't want to get fat for the summer) for 2-3 months and then bring whatever the largest reading is (superailiac at the moment) back down to 10% in mid-July before bulking again over winter.

gymsoldier

I wouldnt have gone with those points at all...
I use Bicep, Tricep, Subscapular, and Suprailiac.

Take three readings, one after the other, on each area. Do the average, and do that to the four locations I mentioned. Make sure youre pinching the in right spot. Then come back to me with the millimeter readings for each area.

marathonic

gymsoldier wrote: »

Take three readings, one after the other, on each area. Do the average, and do that to the four locations I mentioned. Make sure youre pinching the in right spot. Then come back to me with the millimeter readings for each area.
]

Thanks gymsoldier. I'm doing these reading myself which makes some of those areas impossible.

I will come back to you if I get someone else to take them at some point though.

Mellor

I have no idea if this is true or not and have no exp with calipers, but wouldn't doing them yourself mean that certain muslces are flexed and you won't get a "true" reading

Maybe get a friend to help.
Or post a pis here or on the LyleMcD site and let them have a bash (for comparing)

Satanta

Had this test done a couple of weeks ago by an instructor in a gym using the little electronic yok that you wold in your hands. Result = bodyfat % 17%. Was hurt!

I got it done last night by another instructor using the calipers and the number came back as 12.7%. Much better! Looking to get to 10% in the next 5 or 6 weeks.

Ice87

Anyone know where to get a set of calipers?

Satanta

Got mine off ebay

Ice87

Satanta wrote: »

Got mine off ebay

What about in Dublin??