Exactly how do you measure body fat? And what is a good measurement? Thanks

if you search bodybuilding.com you can find many methods. If you aren't too picky about accuracy you can use the navy methond (forget what it is called) where you measure your neck and waist at your belly button then look on a chart.

Most people use calipers or eletric impedance devices like the bodyfat measuring scales.

I believe the most accurate method is hydrostatic measure -- they dunk you in a tank of water and determine your water weight (buoyancy) versus your land weight. The basis for this is that your lean mass sinks while fat floats.

You can also use skinfold calipers (http://www.johnstonefitness.com/store/shop.php?c=health&n=3760931&i=B0007ZAM1U&x=AccuFitness_AccuMeasure_FatTrack_Gold_Body_Fat_C aliper_Fat_Track_Gold_Digital_Body_Fat_Caliper_New _Inclues_Myotape), electric impedance devices (http://www.johnstonefitness.com/store/shop.php?c=health&n=3760931&i=B0009V1YPU&x=Tanita_BF680W_Duo_Scale_Plus_Body_Fat_Monitor_wi th_Athletic_Mode_and_Body_Water), or a flexible measure and predictive chart (http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/home-body-fat-test-2774-143.html). The results from these methods will vary significantly but they're not bad at being consistently innacurate (e.g. keep using the same method over and over and you can track your progress reliably.)

My preferred method is to take photos and compare. :tu:

The "navy way" is to take your relaxed waist measurement (not sucking it in, not your pants size, etc - just inhale, exhale, let the gut relax...then measure at navel height.) Make the tape snug, but don't "pull on it" to the point where you get a lower reading as it pushes fat out of the way.

Measure your neck the same way (if you've got a goiter / adams apple, don't measure there - measure the smallest measurement around the neck, again without pulling hard on the tape). Subtract that from your waist and you'll get a (very) rough fat percentage.

It's my opinion that at the thinner end, it reads too high (John's calling 8% with a ~ 32" waist, and I kinda doubt he has a 24" neck), and at the fat end it reads too low.

In my case, when I started, I was 5'10, ~ 195, neck of 16.5, pants size 36-38 depending on the pants and 42" measurement as described above.....42-16.5 = 25.5. Frankly I think I was more like 28% or even a touch higher, but that's just a guess.

I'm now ~ 185 and comfortably wearing a pair of 35 pants that I got a few years back and could never wear, and my belt is down 2-3 notches. :D