Skinfold calipers are one of the least expensive, most readily available methods of measuring body fat. There are numerous formulas for how to translate measurements from specific body sites, taken in millimeters, into a percentage of body fat. Since skinfold measurements may vary enormously, even between expert testers, it's best to have one person take your skinfold measurements, from the same body sites, consistently over time. This way, you will be able to track your progress with confidence.
Step 1
Check to make sure that the meter on the skinfold calipers reads zero when they are closed. This is important for accurate measurements.
Step 2
Ask the subject to stand with arms relaxed at his side. Locate the "point" on top of the subject's shoulder (acromial process) and the "point" on the bottom of the elbow (olecranon process). Determine the midpoint between these two points, on the triceps muscle on the back of the arm, and pinch a vertical fold of skin away from the muscle. Apply the skinfold calipers to the folded skin and wait four seconds before reading the measurement on the calipers. Note it down, or have an assistant do so for you. This is the triceps skinfold measurement.
Step 3
Locate the midpoint between the subject's shoulder and elbow again, this side on the front of the arm over the biceps muscle. As before, pinch a vertical fold of skin away from the muscle, apply the calipers to the skin and wait four seconds before making a reading. This is the biceps measurement.
Step 4
Ask the subject to stand, relaxed, with her back to you. Locate the lower tip of the subject's right shoulder blade, in line with the edge of the shoulder blade, and pinch a fold of skin away just below this point. As before, apply the calipers, wait for seconds, and make a reading. This is the subscapula skinfold test site.
Step 5
Feel the subject's right side to find the top of the iliac crest or hipbone. Pinch a horizontal fold of skin away just above the iliac crest, directly underneath the line of the armpit and angled slightly down toward the bellybutton. Apply the calipers, wait four seconds, and make a reading. This is the suprailiac skinfold site.
Step 6
Add up the four readings you just made, note the total, then repeat Steps 2 through 5. Sum up the second set of four readings and compare this to the first total. If the two sums vary greatly, repeat the test a third time; otherwise, average the two readings for a final sum of four measurements: biceps, triceps, subscapula and suprailiac.
Step 7
Translate this sum of four measurements into a percentage of body fat by consulting the Table for Skinfold Caliper Results (see Resources). Locate the sum of the four test sites in the "S" column of the table, then read across to either the F column (for women) or the M column (for men) to find the percentage of body fat.
Tips and Warnings
- There are many formulas for calculating body fat based on skinfold caliper tests, and the chart given here applies only to the combination of the four sites listed--biceps, triceps, suprailiac, subscapula. Always make sure the formula or chart you're using matches up with the sites you've chosen to use for testing.
Things You'll Need
- Skinfold calipers
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