Best bodyfat measurement?

[OrioleMagic]

I have one of those scales that is supposed to measure bodyfat along with weight. I think its really inaccurate. I have lost almost 20 pounds in the last 6 months, while continuing to lift weight. I can almost see my abs.

My scale still gives me the same body fat as I had 6 months ago?!??

What's a better bodyfat measurement?

 

[Un-Aru]

Those scales work by sending an electrical current through your body and measuring the speed with which it returns to the source. Water conducts electrity very well, however, fat is not a good conducter at all, so the slower the current, the higher the BF %.

And therein lies the problem... if you're not hydrated, if there's not enough water in your body then the current is not conducted as quickly and the scales report a higher BF%.

Case and point: I jumped on one to test it out after a night on the p*ss. Severely dehydrated I got a reading of 24%. Hahaha, my BF hasn't been over 10% for about 16 years.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

The mirror.

:crackup: :crackup:

Actually the best test would be a hydrostatic (underwater immersion) test.

 

[yngad]

i found mine out at my school's rec center they have a machine called the bod pod its pretty sweet....its supposed to be pretty accurate too.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

i found mine out at my school's rec center they have a machine called the bod pod its pretty sweet....its supposed to be pretty accurate too.

Doesn't it use the same principle as hydrostatic measurments but instead it uses air?

 

[mrRuckus]

i found mine out at my school's rec center they have a machine called the bod pod its pretty sweet....its supposed to be pretty accurate too.

I used one of those. For a while when i was skinny it said 5% body fat. Then i lost some more fat and it started giving me an error... i was too fat free for it.

 

[yngad]

Doesn't it use the same principle as hydrostatic measurments but instead it uses air?

yeah.

 

[Skilla_Staz]

I wouldn't get overly concerned with bodyfat percentage. Just like weight, it its a number.

Your satisfaction should be based more on how you look and feel than what the numbers say.
If I was looking big and had my abs showing, and then hopped on the scale and it only read 165, i'd be perfectly happy with that. I'd still lift and keep/improve on what I've got, sure. However, if I hopped on that scale and it read 165 and I was looking a little jiggly in places, I woulnd't be happy. Same weight. Different appearance. I wouldn't even concern myself with the BF percentage. I'd know it wasn't where I want it to be and thats all that matters.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I wouldn't get overly concerned with bodyfat percentage. Just like weight, it its a number.....

Ummm, no.

Who would you guess is healthier, a 6'0 tall guy weighing 225 pounds with a 34' inch waiste or a 6'0 tall guy weigning 225 pounds with a 40' inch waiste?

 

[Skilla_Staz]

Ummm, no.

Who would you guess is healthier, a 6'0 tall guy weighing 225 pounds with a 34' inch waiste or a 6'0 tall guy weigning 225 pounds with a 40' inch waiste?

Well, if i I didn't know the numbers, and just looked at the guys, I would be able to see that the two were the same heigh, however, the one with the 40" waist would look a lot larger. He would most likely be a lot flabbier and less defined. I was saying that you shouldn't focus so much on the numbers, but more or less the appearance. The 34" guy is going to LOOK a lot better than the 40" guy, I can guarantee it.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Well, if i I didn't know the numbers, and just looked at the guys, I would be able to see that the two were the same heigh, however, the one with the 40" waist would look a lot larger. He would most likely be a lot flabbier and less defined. I was saying that you shouldn't focus so much on the numbers, but more or less the appearance. The 34" guy is going to LOOK a lot better than the 40" guy, I can guarantee it.

But with your original premise you said that they were just numbers. I gave you an example of two people with the same numbers (minus the waist size) and you noted the obvious difference. Body fat % isn't just a number, it's a viable measurment that's used the assist in determining the health of a person.

 

[Skilla_Staz]

Yes, you've got a point there. I was saying that people get too worried about what the number says, and lose focus on what they look like and what they feel like.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

It should be self-evident...a person knows when he's fat...weight means nothing...and BF %, to me, is very much overrated and misunderstood, really...I'll bet most guys underrate their BF...

It's important if you health conscious. If you work out often especially if you do any resistance training, you can't depend on a scale. You can work out like a fiend and notice that even though you're looking more defined you have lost little if any weight at all. What's happened is that you've gained muscle mass which is heavier and more dense than fat. The best way to accurately keep measure the change is by determining your bodyfat percentage.

 

[mrRuckus]

The best way to accurately keep measure the change is by determining your bodyfat percentage.

Or the fact that your jeans are now sagging even though you weigh the same as you did last month.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Or the fact that your jeans are now sagging even though you weigh the same as you did last month.

I can testify to that...