muscle/body fat % - UK-Muscle Body Building Community

OGX · 29-12-2004, 08:17 PM

How do you work this out! Do you just judge by eye and is there some other method?

**big** · 29-12-2004, 08:40 PM

The mirror and/or calipers.

**hackskii** · 29-12-2004, 09:35 PM

Water, but this method is inaccurate as you have to have all your breath out of you while they put you under the water and if you have any breath in you this will toss off the measurements.

The calipers might be the most accurate if you get someone who knows how to do it and use the same person while dieting, along with some good calipers.

The other one is the one you hold in your hands but this is not accurate either.

The other measurements are ok but not accurate either where they take you wrist and waist along with height and weight to figure out your bodyfat% but if you dont have much fat other that on your waist then it wont be accurate either.

I do have the information on the calipers to buy apon request

SportDr · 29-12-2004, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hackskii

Water, but this method is inaccurate as you have to have all your breath out of you while they put you under the water and if you have any breath in you this will toss off the measurements.

I take it you mean Hydrostatic weighing Hackskii old boy

This is the 'Gold Standard' of BF measurement, a lot of other methods are based upon formulas created using this technique and is probably the best here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hackskii

The calipers might be the most accurate if you get someone who knows how to do it and use the same person while dieting, along with some good calipers.

Negative. The calipers use a formula either J&P or the other one? which are based on assumptions. These are only as accurate as the formula used and the skill of the measurer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hackskii

The other one is the one you hold in your hands but this is not accurate either.

I think Scott means BIA, Bio electrical impedance. This can be hand held, but more accurate models use ankle and wrist electrodes. They are accurate only if you meet the 24+ testing criteria i.e no alcohol for 24hrs

Winger!

Quote:

Originally Posted by hackskii

The other measurements are ok but not accurate either where they take you wrist and waist along with height and weight to figure out your bodyfat% but if you dont have much fat other that on your waist then it wont be accurate either.

Hip to waist ratio and body mass index (BMI) are both very flawed and basic measures of BF.

The most accurate methods available use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or require you to be dead (Cadaver study). Cadaver studies were used to develop the formulas used in the other methods, problem was that most of the cadavers were elderly and not from a sporting population. Ethnic minorities were not well represented either.

SO if you are from an ethnic minority or have an athletic physique, the BF measurements given by most of the methods available, regardless of the skill of the measurer, will be a rough guess at best. The closest you may come to accuracy would be Hydrostatic weighing,available at your local sport science lab today!

Damn I knew this degree would come in handy one day....;)

SD

**hackskii** · 29-12-2004, 10:25 PM

Yes, what he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^, sorry I cant give you any rep points at the moment.

But, I had a friend (black guy) that did the hydrostatic one and he freaked out and didnt let all his air out of his lungs so this ruined the test.
He felt that he was gonna drowned so he did not let all the air out of his lungs so the measurement was flawed.

The most expensive and most accurate caliper is the Lange caliper but this might not be cost effective for the home user:(
Another good choice is Slimglide.

SportDr · 30-12-2004, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hackskii

Yes, what he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^, sorry I cant give you any rep points at the moment.

But, I had a friend (black guy) that did the hydrostatic one and he freaked out and didnt let all his air out of his lungs so this ruined the test.
He felt that he was gonna drowned so he did not let all the air out of his lungs so the measurement was flawed.

The most expensive and most accurate caliper is the Lange caliper but this might not be cost effective for the home user:(
Another good choice is Slimglide.

I have been Hydro weighed twice now and you do have to stay under with lungs fully expired of air for a good few seconds while the scales balance, so I see where he was coming from. You also have to rub all the air out of your hair and shorts if you are wearing any.

Harpenden calipers are the ones we use at the Sport Science labs but this company http://www.qualitysupps.co.uk/ do some cheap alternatives for £10.99. I got some a week or so ago and they are fairly accurate.

regards

SD

OGX · 30-12-2004, 10:10 AM

The sports department at my uni are assesses muscular strength (sit ups and push ups), measure aerobic fitness (bike) and also body fat for 20quid at the mo! What type of method you think they use for BF? I dropped them a email asking just waiting for reply now!

Deano! · 31-12-2004, 11:22 AM

the guy i train with in the gym has this thing i held in my hand with two metal circles on each side, he took down my weight and height i held these metal things and it told me my body fat, should i go by that?

OnePack · 31-12-2004, 02:33 PM

What I wanna know is how one can measure oneself if u don't have any of this special equipment?

29-12-2004, 08:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
OGX core monster Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Scotland Posts: 336	muscle/body fat % How do you work this out! Do you just judge by eye and is there some other method?

29-12-2004, 09:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 23,737	Water, but this method is inaccurate as you have to have all your breath out of you while they put you under the water and if you have any breath in you this will toss off the measurements. The calipers might be the most accurate if you get someone who knows how to do it and use the same person while dieting, along with some good calipers. The other one is the one you hold in your hands but this is not accurate either. The other measurements are ok but not accurate either where they take you wrist and waist along with height and weight to figure out your bodyfat% but if you dont have much fat other that on your waist then it wont be accurate either. I do have the information on the calipers to buy apon request __________________ "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." - George Carlin Scott To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

29-12-2004, 10:25 PM	#5 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 23,737	Yes, what he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^, sorry I cant give you any rep points at the moment. But, I had a friend (black guy) that did the hydrostatic one and he freaked out and didnt let all his air out of his lungs so this ruined the test. He felt that he was gonna drowned so he did not let all the air out of his lungs so the measurement was flawed. The most expensive and most accurate caliper is the Lange caliper but this might not be cost effective for the home user:( Another good choice is Slimglide. __________________ "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." - George Carlin Scott To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

31-12-2004, 02:33 PM	#9 (permalink)
OnePack UK-M's Mascot Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Staffordshire Posts: 1,502	What I wanna know is how one can measure oneself if u don't have any of this special equipment? __________________ Thank you.

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29-12-2004, 08:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
big UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: The only side effect of steroids is GREATNESS Posts: 5,458	The mirror and/or calipers.

30-12-2004, 10:10 AM	#7 (permalink)
OGX core monster Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Scotland Posts: 336	The sports department at my uni are assesses muscular strength (sit ups and push ups), measure aerobic fitness (bike) and also body fat for 20quid at the mo! What type of method you think they use for BF? I dropped them a email asking just waiting for reply now!

31-12-2004, 11:22 AM	#8 (permalink)
Deano! Looking Freaky Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: N.Wales Posts: 633	the guy i train with in the gym has this thing i held in my hand with two metal circles on each side, he took down my weight and height i held these metal things and it told me my body fat, should i go by that?