Skinfold measurements can be an accurate method of estimating your body fat percentage when performed by a trained technician. The technician uses calipers to measure the thickness of the subcutaneous fat at specific locations. You may then plug these measurements into a standard formula for each sex to obtain your body fat percentage. The accuracy of body fat percentage from skinfold measurements approaches that of underwater testing when it's performed by a well-trained technician. These formulas require the skinfold measurements to be made to the nearest half millimeter.
Step 1
Take the skinfold measurements for women. Make the triceps skinfold measurement in the middle of the back of the upper arm. Make the suprailiac skinfold measurement on the side of the waist, just above the hip. Make the thigh skinfold measurement from the middle of the front of the thigh.
Step 2
Take the skinfold measurements for men. Take the pectoral skinfold measurement on the side of the chest between the armpit and nipple. Take the abdominal skinfold measurement from the abdomen, just to the side of the navel. Take the thigh skinfold measurement from the middle of the front of the thigh.
Step 3
Add the skinfold measurements together. This will be the sum of the triceps, suprailiac and thigh measurements for women. For men, it will be the sum of the pectoral, abdominal and thigh measurements.
Step 4
Calculate the body density. For women, this is given by the following formula: Body Density = 1.0994921 - 0.0009929 x sum + 0.0000023 x (sum x sum) - 0.0001392 x age.
For men, this is given by the following formula: Body Density = 1.1093800 - 0.0008267 x sum + 0.0000016 x (sum x sum) - 0.0002574 x age. The variable sum in both of these formulas is the sum of the skinfold measurements determined in Step 3.
Step 5
Calculate the body fat percentage from the body density determined in Step 4. This is given by the following formula: Body Fat Percentage = 495 / Body Density -- 450.
Things You'll Need
- Skinfold calipers
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