Body fat is the percentage of your weight that's made up of fat. Your body fat percentage will typically decrease when you began an exercise program, although your total weight may not change significantly. This means that body fat percentage is generally a better indicator of fitness than total body weight. You can calculate your body fat percentage by taking a few measurements of your body. The distribution of fat is different between the sexes, so women must use a specific set of measurements and calculations.
Step 1
Weigh yourself with a scale that uses pounds.
Step 2
Measure your waist at the navel. Measure your hips, forearm and wrist at their widest points. Make the measurements in inches.
Step 3
Calculate your lean body mass. Your lean body weight is (0.732 x weight) - (0.157 x waist) - (0.249 x hips) + (0.434 x forearm) + (wrist / 3.14) + 8.987.
Assume for this example that your weight is 127 lbs. You have a 27-inch waist, 36-inch hips, 9-inch forearms and a 6-inch wrist. Your lean body mass is (0.732 x 127) - (0.157 x 27) -- (0.249 x 36) + (0.434 x 9) + (6 / 3.14) + 8.987 = 95 lbs.
Step 4
Compute your body fat percentage from your lean body mass. Your body fat percentage is (weight - lean body mass) x 100 / (weight).
Assume for this example that you weigh 127 lbs. and have a lean body mass of 116 lbs. Your body fat percentage is (127 - 95) x 100 / 127 = 25.2 percent.
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Scale
- Calculator
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