Where to get body fat % measured

kknitter

Hi,

I am female 5'7" tall weighing 68 kg. I want to get my body fat % measured. I live in Dublin. Would any one know where I can get it done and how much does it cost?

Really appreciate your replies.

Transform

kknitter wrote: »

Hi,

I am female 5'7" tall weighing 68 kg. I want to get my body fat % measured. I live in Dublin. Would any one know where I can get it done and how much does it cost?

Really appreciate your replies.

UCD will do it for about €70 otherwise most good trainers have harpenden calipers and will test

I personally use harpenden but just take individual numbers and do not calculate % as clients were getting their knickers in a twist over % and comparing themselves to others too much

kknitter

Thank you very much Transmform. will look into PT and see if it can be done.

slicus ricus

Transform wrote: »

UCD will do it for about €70 otherwise most good trainers have harpenden calipers and will test

I personally use harpenden but just take individual numbers and do not calculate % as clients were getting their knickers in a twist over % and comparing themselves to others too much

I say this from the perspective of someone who used to get my proverbial "knickers in a twist" over the %. It used to wreck my head to be quite honest when cutting and it was actually proving to be counter-productive to achieving lower bodyfat (as is anything that wrecks your head while cutting!).

When I took a step back, one of the things I quickly realised is that the % readings tend not to be very accurate. I was finding that I was visibly leaner than my last measurements but yet the % results were coming in at pretty much the same level. Even dexa scans and other more scientific methods yield inaccurate results. Here's a youtube video which highlights this anecdotally (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrllUxAr1_g). So, if you do get the % reading done, take it with a pinch of salt!! Best to treat it as a ballpark figure!

I completely agree with Transform that it can be useful to get a couple of point of measurements done with calipers (and document the numbers only) to repeat at consistent intervals to determine if you are making progress against your own previous measurement numbers. I actually do this myself with a single point calipers I bought fairly cheaply online - it works for a single measurement point on the abs and really serves the same purpose of getting a PT to take 4 points of measurement.

I personally think the test that is of most use in the long run is the visual test, which can include taking photos to track progress.

While I know my post went way beyond answering the question that was asked (a simple where can I get it done), I hope this info is helpful in terms of bodyfat readings in general.

Transform

slicus ricus wrote: »

I say this from the perspective of someone who used to get my proverbial "knickers in a twist" over the %. It used to wreck my head to be quite honest when cutting and it was actually proving to be counter-productive to achieving lower bodyfat (as is anything that wrecks your head while cutting!).

When I took a step back, one of the things I quickly realised is that the % readings tend not to be very accurate. I was finding that I was visibly leaner than my last measurements but yet the % results were coming in at pretty much the same level. Even dexa scans and other more scientific methods yield inaccurate results. Here's a youtube video which highlights this anecdotally (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrllUxAr1_g). So, if you do get the % reading done, take it with a pinch of salt!! Best to treat it as a ballpark figure!

I completely agree with Transform that it can be useful to get a couple of point of measurements done with calipers (and document the numbers only) to repeat at consistent intervals to determine if you are making progress against your own previous measurement numbers. I actually do this myself with a single point calipers I bought fairly cheaply online - it works for a single measurement point on the abs and really serves the same purpose of getting a PT to take 4 points of measurement.

I personally think the test that is of most use in the long run is the visual test, which can include taking photos to track progress.

While I know my post went way beyond answering the question that was asked (a simple where can I get it done), I hope this info is helpful in terms of bodyfat readings in general.

Yup I just take the individual numbers and overall the goal is to not do any testing at all. Haven't tested mine in years and I'm no mathematician but I'm guessing about 3% 😉

kknitter

thank you very much slicus ricus. Really appreciate your detailed reply and helps me have a perspective. I do agree visual effect will be best but just to have ballpark figure hence wanted it done.

j@utis

If you're travelling up the north anytime soon (or not), you can get BodPod test for 25gbp.

uck51js9zml2yt

j@utis wrote: »

If you're travelling up the north anytime soon (or not), you can get BodPod test for 25gbp.

where?

AllForIt

I can't believe anyone would pay €70 euros to do a one off test but if you have the money go ahead. Surely you'd want to do it again in a month and the next month and how much would that cost you.

If cost is a concern then you could do it yourself. All you have to do is buy the calipers.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/body-fat-calculator/

Mellor

AllForIt wrote: »

I can't believe anyone would pay €70 euros to do a one off test but if you have the money go ahead. Surely you'd want to do it again in a month and the next month and how much would that cost you.

If cost is a concern then you could do it yourself. All you have to do is buy the calipers.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/body-fat-calculator/

Some people like to get a precise number to work off. Not sure why you think you'd need to do it monthly. Once off is fine.
Calipers are fine for tracking change if you are consistent. But how you use them affects the accuracy when converting to bf%.

Transform

AllForIt wrote: »

I can't believe anyone would pay €70 euros to do a one off test but if you have the money go ahead. Surely you'd want to do it again in a month and the next month and how much would that cost you.

If cost is a concern then you could do it yourself. All you have to do is buy the calipers.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/body-fat-calculator/

A dexa scan will give you much more detail than just body fat

Using a PT to do body fat also gives you the opportunity to discuss how you're feeling, how training is going, nutrition suggestions, food choices etc just a few things off the top of my head

AllForIt

Mellor wrote: »

Some people like to get a precise number to work off. Not sure why you think you'd need to do it monthly. Once off is fine.
Calipers are fine for tracking change if you are consistent. But how you use them affects the accuracy when converting to bf%.

Transform wrote: »

A dexa scan will give you much more detail than just body fat

Using a PT to do body fat also gives you the opportunity to discuss how you're feeling, how training is going, nutrition suggestions, food choices etc just a few things off the top of my head

Mellor, I don't know how anyone could work off a number if it that number is not monitored over time whether daily weekly or monthly.

Transform, nutritional suggestions and food choices are the same thing I would think. What else off the top of your head do you throw into the bargain? Career advice, horoscopes, legal advice, escort services?

Transform

AllForIt wrote: »

Mellor, I don't know how anyone could work off a number if it that number is not monitored over time whether daily weekly or monthly.

Transform, nutritional suggestions and food choices are the same thing I would think. What else off the top of your head do you throw into the bargain? Career advice, horoscopes, legal advice, escort services?

Oh snippy, who stole the jam from your doughnut?

You work in the industry?

because theres ZERO psychological or physiological areas to make clients aware of when they're trying to drop body fat.

We test our clients about once a month and for those that are in good shape already almost never

Ma Walton

Aminah Fierce Gauche wrote: »

where?

Aspire Fitness Lab in Downpatrick. I've never used them so can't recommend either way but they do only charge 25 pounds to do it.

slicus ricus

AllForIt wrote:

Transform, nutritional suggestions and food choices are the same thing I would think. What else off the top of your head do you throw into the bargain? Career advice, horoscopes, legal advice, escort services?

Transform wrote: »

because theres ZERO psychological or physiological areas to make clients aware of when they're trying to drop body fat.

AllFotIt, I don't know who you are or what you have achieved in the fitness world. Perhaps you could tell us about your past experiences cutting body fat and how you found it psychologically? Some insight into how you dealt with the mental aspect of it perhaps? I find it pretty funny that you have chosen to take the p*ss out of one of the most knowledgeable and sought after PTs in the country (i.e. Transform) about the benefits of discussing training and nutrition with a PT.

Mellor

AllForIt wrote: »

[
Mellor, I don't know how anyone could work off a number if it that number is not monitored over time whether daily weekly or monthly.

Right, so just because you don't know how doesn't mean it's not possible. It should really be obvious tbh. I can think of a few different ways a single bf% reading can be of benefit.

Pterosaur

We should get a guess my body fat percentage thread going.

Anybody care to guess mine? 178cm, about 72kg

Thats 5ft 10" and 11 stone 5/159 pounds in old money.

Although probably an extra 2kg worth of food and water on board in the photos :pac:.

I'm guessing maybe 16%.

Dtp1979

Pterosaur wrote: »

We should get a guess my body fat percentage thread going.

Anybody care to guess mine? 178cm, about 72kg

Thats 5ft 10" and 11 stone 5/159 pounds in old money.

Although probably an extra 2kg worth of food and water on board in the photos :pac:.

I'm guessing maybe 16%.

12-14%

ittakestwo

bumping this thread.

So is the BF % you get from a chemist very inaccurate?

What is the best time to get measured to give the most accurate results. Should you not drink or eat anything for a few hours before or does this make a difference?

s7ryf3925pivug

ittakestwo wrote: »

bumping this thread.

So is the BF % you get from a chemist very inaccurate?

What is the best time to get measured to give the most accurate results. Should you not drink or eat anything for a few hours before or does this make a difference?

If it's by bioelectrical impedance analysis then no. I checked mine twice in the same day that way and the results varied by 3%.

Mellor

The yokes in the chemist are about as accurate as guessing from a photo