Skinfold calipers are small tools that can be used to calculate a person's body fat percentage. You can then multiply her body fat percentage by her weight to figure out how many pounds of body fat she has. The Durnin-Womersley formula is an effective method for calculating a woman's body fat percentage, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). The ideal body fat percentage range for a woman is 14 to 25 percent. It is not possible to measure your own body fat with calipers, but you and a friend can take turns measuring each other.
Step 1
Pinch the skin on the woman's bicep with your index finger and thumb. Hold your fingers horizontally so that the skin makes a vertical fold. Pinch the skin halfway between the elbow and the shoulder. Place the calipers below your fingers to measure the size of the vertical fold. Write down the size in millimeters.
Step 2
Pinch the skin on the woman's tricep with your index finger and thumb halfway between the elbow and shoulder. Hold your fingers horizontally so that the skin makes a vertical fold as you did for the biceps measurement. Use the calipers to measure the size of the vertical fold. Write down the size in millimeters.
Step 3
Pinch the skin diagonally below the shoulder blade. Pinch the skin at a 45-degree angle with the top part of the fold pointing toward the spine and head. Take the subscapular measurement with the calipers and write down the measurement in millimeters.
Step 4
Pinch the skin at a 45-degree angle above the hip bone in the front of the body near the waist. This is the iliac crest measurement. The pinch should be made so that the fold of skin runs parallel to the curve of the hip bone, with the top part pointing away from the belly button. Take the measurement in millimeters and write down the result.
Step 5
Add up all four measurements and consult a Durnin-Womersley body fat calculations chart to get your body fat percentage, or enter each measurement separately into an online calculator (see Resources).
Step 6
Multiply the body fat percentage by the woman's weight to get her amount of body fat in pounds. For example, a 200-lb. woman with a 20 percent body fat percentage would have 40 lb. of body fat.
Tips and Warnings
- Results can vary greatly depending on the skill level of the person using the calipers. Practice using the calipers before trying to get accurate results. Do all measurements three times and use the average for your final measurements. You can purchase skinfold calipers at a sporting goods store or online.
Things You'll Need
- Skinfold calipers
References
- Womenshealthmag.com: Crunch Your Numbers
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: Course Manual;" Michael Clark, Scott Lucett, Rodney Corn; 2008
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