Hey, I was wondering what the cheapest way to get a decent accuracy BF estimate, I need to figure out my actual bf% so i know when to stop cutting and start bulking.

Update: I just did an analysis using myotape on mybodycomp.com and it gave me 15.18% body fat. I am currently 143 lbs at 5'8. What weight do you think would get me to 10% bf? So I know when to start bulking

Update: I just did an analysis using myotape on mybodycomp.com and it gave me 15.18% body fat. I am currently 143 lbs at 5'8. What weight do you think would get me to 10% bf? So I know when to start bulking

It's not so much weight. I am the same height as you are and weight about 10LBS more with lower BF. Don't worry so much about weight. As you drop the fat you will add muscle and likely go up in weight.

Eat right, do some cardio, and lift weights. The more lean mass you add at the gym the more fat you will burn.

As for the method. My gym has a body fat analyzer, don't know how accurate it is but it's what I use.

:gl:

I need to figure out my actual bf% so i know when to stop cutting and start bulking.
The actual % isn't that important. You can just go by a visual inspection of how you look. If you're only 140ish lbs and new to weight training you don't need to be cutting at all. Just eat properly and lift. Cutting is on the distant horizon.

I have found as my weight drops, so does my BF% on average.

The actual % isn't that important. You can just go by a visual inspection of how you look. If you're only 140ish lbs and new to weight training you don't need to be cutting at all. Just eat properly and lift. Cutting is on the distant horizon.


Im not so new to lifting. I've lifted 2 years in highschool, and a year in college, just never with eating right.

You can start bulking whenever you want, at 6% or at 40%. There's no magic answer.

If you want to look "ripped" then control your caloric intake. If you want to build more muscle, eat more food.


Im not so new to lifting. I've lifted 2 years in highschool, and a year in college, just never with eating right.

I totally agree with this. In my experience, each method of measuring body fat can result is very different figures. I just use the calipers as a guide to see if I'm gaining or losing fat, not to get an actual concrete figure.

Enigma66 is right: check the mirror to decide if you're where you'd like to be.

The actual % isn't that important. You can just go by a visual inspection of how you look.