Body fat tests?

[akhp163]

My local gym offers a fat pct test and it is electronic. she charges 45.00. I can get a caliper test for 5.00. What is the most accurate test?

[kaberle_15]

Caliper test

[akhp163]

Also, if I were to go to the doc for a fat test, what would they use?

[xtreme171]

The most accurate is a water tank. Belive it or not my workout partner got his bf tested in a tank last week and was 23.1% immediately after being tested we went to workout and the gym has a handheld unit that we use and it showed him at 23.5% thats pretty accurate but to answer your question i think calipers are better than the electronics.

[Phate]

the electronic scales that you stand on and the handheld electronic testers can be accurate, but the problem with them is that the handheld ones only measure the upperbody and the scales only measure the lower body, they also figure your bf by measuring the resistance to the current they send through you, meaning a dehydrated person will come back as having less bf then a hydrated person

calipers are a good overall measurer as long as the person knows what they are doing and does the tests in the same location and the same way everytime, because people aren't perfectly semetrical, if they measure in different areas then the measurements can vary

as stated above, the best measurement is by submersion in water, though that can be costly and time-consuming if done on a regular basis

i'd invest in a pair of accumeasure calipers, normally only 5-15$ depending on where you get them, and do measurements at the same time once a week or eoweek, over time you will get better at it and you will be able to keep a log of your bf and lbm which will help you dictate how you train and diet

hope this helps

[kaberle_15]

The most accurate is a water tank. Belive it or not my workout partner got his bf tested in a tank last week and was 23.1% immediately after being tested we went to workout and the gym has a handheld unit that we use and it showed him at 23.5% thats pretty accurate but to answer your question i think calipers are better than the electronics.

There are flaws with the water tank actually and it's rarely used anymore, i need to find my kin notebook and I will tell you why.

[Phate]

There are flaws with the water tank actually and it's rarely used anymore, i need to find my kin notebook and I will tell you why.

yeah, please do, cause i thought it was supposed to be the gold standard, lol, guess you learn something new every post

[kaberle_15]

yeah, please do, cause i thought it was supposed to be the gold standard, lol, guess you learn something new every post

I just found my notebook and the reason listed why the water tests could be flawed is because of air that goes under the water with you, in your lungs and on your skin and hair....ect and the air also gets calculated into the result. And because of the cost and preparation it's not very common anymore when all the electronic and caliper test are easier to conduct and cheaper. My notes say the best way to determine bf% is a cadaver test (but that doesn't help because you would have to be dead) and the next best thing is skinfold measurements using Yuhasz and/or Durnin theories.

These are my old uni kinesiology notes, not my opinion.

[Strategus]

What do you guys think about the accuracy of the BodPod?

[Beefkake31]

I just found my notebook and the reason listed why the water tests could be flawed is because of air that goes under the water with you, in your lungs and on your skin and hair....ect and the air also gets calculated into the result. And because of the cost and preparation it's not very common anymore when all the electronic and caliper test are easier to conduct and cheaper. My notes say the best way to determine bf% is a cadaver test (but that doesn't help because you would have to be dead) and the next best thing is skinfold measurements using Yuhasz and/or Durnin theories.

These are my old uni kinesiology notes, not my opinion.

I have been water tested and yes it makes a big difference if you breath out all the way and release the air in your lungs or not. Mainly in that way it makes it inaccurate but you just need to get allll that air out of the lungs when you are underwater.

[Phate]

What do you guys think about the accuracy of the BodPod?

it looks like a good idea as it would erase the flaws in hydrostatic testing due to breathing irregularities, do you have one where you live