Body Fat using Callipers

gaatipstr

Hi all, I rcently bought a callipers for getting your body fat. Thing is you need someone to take the meassurements for you. Is there any way of calculating your body fat percentage on your own using a callipers? Thanks

rubadub

Many people do not bother with the formulas, but rather just track overall mm readings.

I found with the same mm readings I could stick them in different forumlas and get results ranging from something like 12-18%. The one on the low side is probably a website trying to get you to come back again, sort of like "vanity sizing", where a clothing company will say a genuine size 16 is really a 12 in the hope women will buy this brand in future since delighted that they are "only a size 12"

If doing it yourself you could do your belly, arm & leg. Keep track of them all just in mm and if you the figures go up or down you know you are losing or gaining.

I did see some forumlas only have a few readings which can be taken by yourself, but I would not know which are any use.

cmyk

As per rubadub, just track total mm's, that's all that really matters.

You'll be able to take abdominal, iliac and thigh yourself. Get a partner to do subscap, bicep and tricep. A quick google of those and you'll find how and where to take the readings roughly.

Hanley

If they're the accumeasure ones, which they probably are, take the suprailliac reading, refer to the charge that came with the calipers, and you'll get an estimated bodyfat%.

....not that it matters because what the guys have said above is the right advice

L.S.F

here is a site that will convert the 4-fold reading into percentage, http://www.health-calc.com/body-composition/skinfold-d-and-w , its best to get someone else to take them for you so it is the same place and you are not stretching getting an inaccurate reading