[E=mc²]

I'd like to keep track of my bf% just so I'm not unknowingly gaining more fat and to keep track of progress.

How do you guys determine your bf%? calipers? Where do you guys buy em? I'm referring to do it yourself ones.

Otherwise, where can I get these tests done?

[racerman88]

go to fitness world and go for the tour and and free workout and ask for the test. =Not as accurate though because it does not account for % of water in the body. Calipers are more accurate.

[SkinnyPupp]

You get a free caliper from bodybuilding.com if you order over $75 or something like that. It's not the greatest, but it's also not completely useless like impedance scales.

[Sid Vicious]

Most accurate: hydrostatic testing

medium accuracy: skilled caliper testing

unknown accuracy/low: those handheld ones, scales

[AutozamAZ-3]

bodycomp scale (iron man) is what i use - fairly cheap + easy to learn

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0007ZH18M.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

remember that there are many factors that play in this... remember the way to get accurate score is to stay really hydrated, and if it helps, take off your socks and moisten the soles of your feet a little bit so that the scale conducts better

[SkinnyPupp]

You will never get an accurate score from those, especially if you are somewhat muscular.

[hal0g0dv2]

dam i have not checked mine in ages probably should

[AutozamAZ-3]

You will never get an accurate score from those, especially if you are somewhat muscular.

any closer and its a skin fold test. its the best test you can do at home.

if your really muscular - you must referring to a bmi test where it can get confusing as to wether you are actually fat or muscular (correct me if i am wrong though)

[E=mc²]

cool stuff
I'll consider getting a skin caliper (though I don't think I'm gonna buy from bb.com as I'd rather buy from supplementscanada or SVN).

There's always two sides to every argument...
so is the ironman body comp scale any good??

[SkinnyPupp]

There's no argument for bodyfat scales. They just suck. Get a caliper for like $10 or $20, it will be better than even a $200 scale.

[E=mc²]

lol yeah I was just gonna post that I checked the price of one of those scales and could care less whether they are indeed good or not.

[AutozamAZ-3]

There's no argument for bodyfat scales. They just suck. Get a caliper for like $10 or $20, it will be better than even a $200 scale.

true. skin fold tests are much more accurate... but are they easy to use (especially for those just starting out to use skinfold testing)? you can't base the test on just one area, you gotta do stomach, triceps behind arms, etc... how do you know you are grabbing all off the fat or are you even grabbing muscle?

K.I.S is what i like to live by

keep it simple

fyi scales don't cost $200. you can find a really good one that measures bf%, hydration level, muscle mass, etc basically everything you need for around $100.. hey but why not go all out and use both scales and skin calipers haha?

[SkinnyPupp]

true. skin fold tests are much more accurate... but are they easy to use (especially for those just starting out to use skinfold testing)? you can't base the test on just one area, you gotta do stomach, triceps behind arms, etc... how do you know you are grabbing all off the fat or are you even grabbing muscle?

K.I.S is what i like to live by

keep it simple

fyi scales don't cost $200. you can find a really good one that measures bf%, hydration level, muscle mass, etc basically everything you need for around $100.. hey but why not go all out and use both scales and skin calipers haha?
Yes, they are incredibly easy to use. The one that you get free from bb.com automatically puts on the right amount of pressure for you, and gives you 3 or 4 different places to measure. You add up the measurements, and it gives you a corresponding bodyfat % based on age.

If you use both scales and calipers, you'll just get two totally different readings. For instance the last time I checked, the calipers showed 16-17% bodyfat for me. My scale says 26%.

It might be only 80% accurate this way, but it's better than the 0% accuracy of bodyfat scales if you lift weights.

[E=mc²]

I just bought one of those Accu-measure 3000 skin calipers on ebay for $12 CAD shipped.
:thumbsup:

[bossxx]

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ACCU-MEASURE-Body-Fat-Caliper-Tester-ACCUMEASURE_W0QQitemZ160332633916QQcmdZViewItemQQp tZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item255491d73c&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

this thing?

[E=mc²]

yep that's the one

[StealthFighter]

Most accurate: hydrostatic testing

medium accuracy: skilled caliper testing

unknown accuracy/low: those handheld ones, scales

The most accurate is through autopsy, actually.

There's always going to be margins of error with any other method. Some have less, some have more.