Use Body Fat Caliper Calculation Like A Fitness Instructor

Weed through the confusion of body fat calculation by following these simple instructions.

There are countless ways to calculate body fat recommended on the Internet and various forums. One thing the majority have in common is that they are way to simple and basically wrong. You might have come across one myth, which is that you can work out your body fat percentage simply by using your height and weight.

Truth is that this will give you very inaccurate results, as it does not take your individual body shape into account. Maybe you are carrying a little too much weight on your abdomen, but the rest of your body is relatively lean. Such a situation can quickly give you false impressions and lead you to make exercise and dietary choices that will not help.

The Best Option: Invest In A Body Fat Caliper

We use the term invest, because that is exactly what you will be doing. It is not an expense, but a once off purchase of a simple device that will give you accurate feedback of your body fat content.

With this accurate reading, you can then work on putting together a training plan and diet that will help you achieve your goals.

How Does It Work?

The purpose of one of these instruments is to take measurements from different parts of the body to determine the amount of body fat that is on it. What the instrument does is take a measurement of the thickness (in millimeters) of folds of skin.

Because there is a layer of fat just beneath your skin, this allows the caliper to get an accurate measurement of the body fat below. By reading the thickness it will be able to help you calculate a body fat percentage for your whole body.

When using such a device, you should hold the caliper in your dominate hand and use the other one to hold the skin folds. You should take at least four readings to get an average percentage of the total body fat you are currently carrying. There are some formulas that work with less, but generally speaking the more readings the better your results will be.

If you purchase a caliper, like the one we highly recommend here, it will come with a diagram showing you exactly where to take the measurements.

These are the most common areas recommended by professional fitness coaches:

• One of the key places you should take a measurement is the back of your triceps.
• The next one is usually taken from the front of your biceps.
• The next area to measure is right under your shoulder blade at a 45 degree angle.
• The last area is at the right side of the waist. This is called the sacroiliac and is one of the most important areas to take a measure of with your caliper.

One of the most frequent questions we hear is “What is the ideal body fat percentage for my body?” Basically, there is no one simple answer, because different people are at their healthiest with different levels of body fat. Gender, age and overall fitness levels are all contributing factors and will be marked out on body fat charts.

Another question that you may have asked yourself, is “What is the ideal body fat percentage for my particular sport?” For example, a swimmer will perform better with a higher level of body fat than a runner. The best thing to do if you are a performance athlete is to speak with a personal trainer, as there is no one answer we can give you for a specific sport.

General Body Fat Guidelines

For the average male up to about age 30, 9-15 percent is a healthy range. For a male about 30-50 in age, it’s about 11-19 percent for a target range.

Women’s physiology is totally different so the healthy range if you are  a woman up to age 30 would be 14-21 percent. While women up to age 30-50 would be targeting about 15-23 percent.

Both genders have to take into consideration their height, age, and genetics. This can all play a key role in what may be considered healthy for their individual body type. The next thing to take into account is your overall body weight, as this will play a key role in determining what is healthy for you.

One thing that you should always do is to keep track of your body fat index over time as this can really highlight some interesting things about your diet and training. When you work with a fitness pro you can gradually tailor your training and diet to see which changes have the most positive impact on your body fat percentage.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, your body fat caliper is a great tool if you are trying to keep an eye on your health and figure. The caliper is also a good tool for helping you see the progress towards goals you may have set. If you do not own one yet, then check out our buyers guide.

Good luck!