What is my body fat %

donnie-cov · 12 February 2018 at 4:09PM

Hi so i used the boots shop machine thats weighs bodyfat percentage and weight and height etc. And from last month it was 17.6% and i started bulking and i checked today ( one month later ) and the bf percentage says 10.9% Which i Know is complete Bull When i haven't even been cutting or any cardio.

So is there anywhere in the uk i can get a body fat percentage? And I have the caliper but i don't have a clue how to use it.

Also heres photos of my body if you could estimate by BF%! PLEASE!!! js8LwS

https://ibb.co/eMcfwS

https://ibb.co/cCkB37

GingerS · 21 February 2018 at 11:59AM

Abi_J wrote: »

There are enough online websites that you can find where you can easily calculate the body fat percentage.

but the results can be quite different from each other.

parking_question_chap · 21 February 2018 at 7:17PM

Abi_J wrote: »

There are enough online websites that you can find where you can easily calculate the body fat percentage.

How can the internet calculate bodyfat?

I think you are confusing body fat percntage with body mass index.

ixat · 23 February 2018 at 12:22PM

Bodyfat and BMI numbers aren't the most important thing; if you're physically fit and have 'muscle' rather than 'flab' then the supposed 'ideal' numbers don't apply.

clairec79 · 23 February 2018 at 8:41PM

parking_question_chap wrote: »

How can the internet calculate bodyfat?

I think you are confusing body fat percntage with body mass index.

No there are sites that claim to measure body fat - they include other measurements - such as wrist size (I presume because you don't tend to have much fat there it works out your body type maybe?) - I have to say when I tried it came back that I was low body fat - my post kids belly would assure you that that isn't true,)

For example https://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bodyfat - this was forearm not wrist, I either misremembered or used a different one

BrookesAndrew · 28 February 2018 at 11:50AM

Body fat is really hard to get an accurate measurement. The only way to get a truly accurate measurement is to have it measured in the bod pod.

http://www.bodyscanuk.com/

There is a place in London which will do it but it is quite expensive. You can get an idea of what your body fat is with calipers and taking measurements of your skin but I have heard these can vary by a number of percent. The scales at boots are very inaccurate because they can't actually analyse what your body is made up of. You could have loads of water in you or loads of muscle, they just cant tell with you standing on a scale.

Best way to see if you are loosing weight is to go by how your clothes feel and the occasional mirror check. Try to stay off the scales because again they won't tell you how much of your body is fat, water or muscle. Take monthly or weekly photos to track your progress.

Hope this helps

BrookesAndrew · 28 February 2018 at 11:56AM

Looking at pictures I would say you are about 15 percent body fat maybe a bit more. Abs will start appearing at 10 percent body fat. If you are trying to bulk up then eat a high protein diet and lift heavy with the weights. Have protein with every single meal. The more muscle you have the more your BMR will increase. This number is the amount of calories you burn just to live every single day. Remember that loosing weight and gaining muscle doesn't happen over night and will take a number of months to notice a difference. Just stay patient and keep doing what you are doing. Diet is the most important thing, you can't outwork a bad diet!

Hope this helps and remember, eat a high protein diet, lift weights 4 to 5 times a week

dunroving · 21 March 2018 at 12:40PM

All bunkum. Get a professional to estimate your body fat using a 4-component method. Contact your local university sport science department. In the current economic climate they will possibly be interested in making a couple of hundred from a body composition consultancy.

QueensGreene50 · 25 March 2018 at 8:53PM

I've read that the machines you stand on in DW / Nuffield gyms etc aren't the best if you want true accuracy. Some Bodybuilding gyms will have experienced workers who know how to use body fat calipers if you want to avoid the price of a proper scan.

dunroving · 28 March 2018 at 9:59PM

Even in the hands of an expert, the equations used with skinfolds have a high standard error of estimate. Take any results with a big dollop of scepticism.