You use skin- or skin-fold calipers to measure the thickness of skin folds at different sites around your body. You then add all the fold thicknesses together and enter this total into a formula that will estimate your percentage body fat. Alternatively, you can simply compare this number to a prepared table of totals and read off the percentage according to age. To maximize accuracy, use standard techniques and accurately located body sites.
Skinfold Technique
Step 1
Firmly grasp the fold of skin plus its subcutaneous fat between your left thumb and forefinger, with your fingers pointing downwards. Lift the fold so that its sides are parallel.
Step 2
Place the contact surfaces of your caliper around the fold of skin, just touching the fingers of your left hand. Hold the caliper at 90 degrees to the fold.
Step 3
Keep the fold raised with your left hand and slowly release the caliper trigger so that its contact surfaces grip about halfway up the fold.
Step 4
When the needle stops moving on the caliper scale take the reading to the nearest half millimeter.
Step 5
Take two consecutive measurements of each skin-fold. If they differ by more than 2mm, take a third measurement and record the mean of the closest two measurements.
Skinfold Sites
Step 1
Take the chest skin-fold measurement half way along a line between the crease of the arm at the shoulder and the right nipple. Lift the fold at a 45 degree angle to the horizontal.
Step 2
Take the abdominal skin-fold measurement one inch to the right of the navel. Lift the fold vertically.
Step 3
Take the thigh skin-fold measurement at the front of the upper leg, halfway between the inguinal crease and the top of the knee joint. Lift the fold vertically.
Step 4
Take the triceps skin-fold measurement at the back of the upper arm, midway between the point of the shoulder and the elbow. Lift the fold vertically.
Step 5
Take the hip skin-fold measurement immediately above the crest of the hip bone. Place your thumb over the iliac crest, and with your forefinger, lift the fold at a 45 degrees angle to the horizontal.
Step 6
Take the sub-scapular skin-fold measurement just below its inferior angle. Lift the fold at a 45 degree angle to the horizontal.
Tips and Warnings
- For standardization, take all measures on the right hand side of the body. Take the reading within 4 seconds of applying the body fat calipers to the skin-fold, otherwise this may underestimate the actual skin-fold value. Take measurements at the same time of day for each test. If possible, be measured by an experienced professional. The same person should take your measurements on each test.
- Do not compare your body fat percentage to tables or norms. At best, these are only averages with a wide error range. Comparing the actual skin-fold totals is a more accurate way to assess change. Do not have a test immediately after exercising since the skin will be too slick to accurately grasp a fold. It is often necessary to ask people to lift up clothing and expose layers of skin to measure particular skin-folds. Because of this, some individuals may find the process embarrassing. It is always prudent, therefore, to have someone else present when taking these measurements.
References
- "Anthropometric Standardization Reference Manual"; T.G. Lohman, A. G. Roche and R. Martell (Eds); 1988.
- "International Standards for Anthropometric Assessment"; M. Marfell-Jones, T. Olds, A. Stewart, and L. Carter; 2006.
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