Hey guys,
I am a little confused here about a couple of things...when i filled up my profile on www.mybodycomp.com it said i was about BF 13.9 %...so i posted my pics here to see what u guys thought....http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=6895
and most of u said 13-15% which sounded about right to me too...then the other day i was at my university gym and they have a Tanita scale there so i had one of the trainers help me with it...the thing that bugged me the most was the fact that the trainer said i didnt have to take off my socks cuz i always thought this test had to be done with bare feet...so i did it like he said with socks on and that scale read 16.9%..what gives...?? is it the scale or just my fatness..was the test performed inaccurately...thanks :D

i don't like those tanita scale thinggys...i had one done at my old gym and that said i was 16% but pinch test says im 12...and i dont think im 16.....

then at my new gym they did something similar... they attached 2 electroids to my right hand and another 2 to my right foot..and it gave the resistance (i guess in a similar way to the tanita).then they typed my height weight and some measurements(thiegh,calve, stomach, arms length) and that gave me a reading of 8.8%..... so i aint got a clue what i am...

the most accurate device is the mirror dude...if you still think youve got some fat then you still have!..simple...once your happy then u know u can maintain/BULK!!!!

peace out

I am not sure either is correct by some of the results posted. You were given some good estimates on photos. You should be barefooted on scales, from every explanation, I have heard. Get some calipers or use a mirror. Look at John Stone's pictures, he seemed to have an accurate count.

All body fat estimates can be made subjective by the measurements we give. Men tend to want to be taller, we flex and pull the tape tight at waist and loose at chest, arms and legs.

You might try navy method, it was based on large study:

http://www.he.net/~zone/prothd2.html

What about those devices that they put on your arm? Are they accurate and do they need to be calibrated for vitals?

My company does a health fair every year and they have one of those there. Last time I went the guy gave me my reading but didn't even calibrate it for my height, weight or anything. The year before that they did.

rtestes

I think your Navy method is closer to the real thing.. Golds gym measured me with 3-4 measurements and then calipers and came up with 34% BF a month ago.. 3-4 days ago after losing 12lbs Bodycomp came up with 21.7% which I found hard to beleive and I did the Navy one yesterday and it came up with 29% which I think is closer..

Yeah man, I've found both the scale and mybodycomp.com to be unreliable. Good advice on just going by the mirror though. If it comes to a point where you really, really want to know, you could go for the hydro-tank, or have someone good with calipers take it. I've found both of these methods at the local university. It was about 40 bucks to get dunked, and I found a professor, slipped her a $5, and got a quick caliper job. It turned out that the calipers read at about exactly what the tank gave, so those are some other options if you just have to know, but I'd just as soon make the mirror my friend.

-Shafe

...and I found a professor, slipped her a $5, and got a quick caliper job.

Haha, I was just rereading that...and I have a feeling that it was the cause for a few double takes. Maybe my new goal should be to get to the point where I have all the cute nutrition and wellness majors requesting ME for caliper practice :eek: ...lol.

Ya I was beginning to want a caliper job...at least once :p

I just did the navy method, which put me at 14.5% - unlikely :). Bodycomp puts me at 17.99% and my calipers (which I am not very good at) put me between 17-18. Either way, I'm happy. I'll get it done 'officially' one of these days, but as I'm not trying to cut too far down it's not a priority, more of a curiousity.

Mybodycomp gives me 12.5%, and the navy method gives me 11%. I seriously doubt the accuracy of either one of those -- I'm probably at least 14%.

I've got a set of those Accu-Measure Calipers and they put me at 30% which I beleive(but only temporary:) If I'm using them right..

Thanks everyone...its kinda sad though ..its 2004 and we still dont have an accurate and inexpensive method of measuring BF%...really shows how much we care about ourselves...maybe some day perhaps til then mirror is my best friend... :D mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fatest one of all....

The technology for a 99.99% accurate body fat measurement already exists. It's called autopsy. :D This is a direct measurement.

The next best measurement uses water displacement for an accurate estimate -- but the equipment is expensive and found usually at research universities.

Tanita scales and calipers aren't ever going to be very accurate because they are indirect measurements.