Body fat percentage is the percentage of your total body weight that's made up of fat. It's a common measure of general physical fitness and will generally decrease as your fitness improves. You can calculate your body fat percentage from your weight and some key body measurements. You should perform this procedure as soon as you wake up, so that your water weight will be at its lowest level of the day.
Step 1
Weigh yourself and take your waist measurement at your navel. Use pounds and inches.
Step 2
Take measurements of your forearm, hips and wrist in inches if you're female. Measure your wrist at its thinnest point. Measure your hips and forearm at their fullest points.
Step 3
Calculate the lean body mass for males with the formula (weight x 1.082) - (waist x 4.15) + 94.42. If you weigh 193 lbs. and have a 35-inch waist. Your lean body mass is therefore (193 x 1.082) - (35 x 4.15) + 94.42 = 158 lbs.
Step 4
Derive lean body mass for females with the formula (weight x 0.732) - (waist x 0.157) + (forearm x 0.434) - (hip x 0.249) + (wrist / 3.14) + 8.987. Assume that you weigh 128 lbs. and have a 27-inch waist. You forearm measures 9 inches, your hips measure 36 inches and your wrist measures 6 inches. Your lean body mass is (128 x 0.732) -- (27 x 0.157) + (9 x 0.434) - (36 x 0.249) + (6 / 3.14) + 8.987 = 95 lb.
Step 5
Compute your body fat percentage with the formula (body weight - lean body mass) x 100 / (body weight). Assume you weigh 193 lbs. and have a lean body mass of 158 lbs. Your body fat percentage is (193 - 158) x 100 / 193 = 18.1 percent.
Things You'll Need
- Scale
- Tape measure
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