Body fat percentage is measured through testing procedures, such as bioelectrical impedance, underwater weighing and skinfold measurements. The skinfold method can be done from the comfort of your home or in a gym setting. It is slightly invasive, but it does not take very long to do. By tracking your body fat percentage, you can keep track of your progress when you are trying to change your body composition.
Step 1
Determine your skinfold points. These include the triceps, chest, abdominal, suprailiac and thigh area. The triceps are on the back of the upper arms and the suprailiac is right above the hip bone.
Step 2
Place a small "X" with a sharpie at each location. Have an assistant mark the center of the triceps for you. Place the chest mark in between the nipple and shoulder, make the abdominal mark about an inch from the belly button and make the thigh mark right in the center of the quadriceps.
Step 3
Pinch the skin sites with your thumb and forefinger. Grab about a half inch of skin above the muscle at each site. Hold the area for about 4 seconds then place the calipers on.
Step 4
Read the measurement at each site and add all your numbers together. Use the sum of the triceps, suprailiac and thigh if you are female, and use the chest, abdominal and thigh if you are male.
Step 5
Input your numbers into an equation. Look on the directions that came with the body fat caliper and plug in your numbers to determine your body fat. Match up your results to see where you rank. The acceptable range for women is 25 to 31 percent and the acceptable range for men is 18 to 25 percent.
Tips and Warnings
- The best time to read your body fat percentage is early in the morning on an empty stomach. It is also a good idea to deploy the services of a trained fitness professional to take your body fat who has experience with calipers. He will be able to easily find the skinfold sites and use the appropriate formula to find your percentage. Take all of your skinfolds on the right side of your body.
Things You'll Need
- Body fat calipers
- Sharpie
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