How to Check Body Fat With Calipers
Identify where you are going to measure skin folds., Hold the skinfold with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. , Align the calipers perpendicular to the skinfold site and .25 inch (.635 cm) from the thumb and index finger. , Wait a few...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Identify where you are going to measure skin folds.
For consistency, all measurements should be made on the right side of the body.
You may want to mark the location, because measurements should be repeated in the same place.
The 3 skinfold sites for men are chest, abdomen, and thigh.
The 3 skinfold sites for women are tricep, suprailiac, and thigh.
The abdomen skin fold measurement is taken 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the bellybutton with the skinfold oriented vertically.
The chest skinfold measurement is taken halfway between the underarm and the nipple with the skinfold oriented diagonally.
The suprailium skinfold measurement is taken at the top of the hip bone with the skinfold oriented diagonally.
The thigh skinfold measurement is taken on the front of the thigh halfway between the hip and knee joints with the skinfold oriented vertically.
The tricep skinfold measurement is taken on the back of the upper arm midway between the shoulder and elbow. -
Step 2: Hold the skinfold with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand.
,, You may take the reading as soon as the needle has stopped moving. , Record measurements to the nearest .5 mm (.02 inch). ,, Measurements at a single site should vary by less than 1 mm (.4 inch).
If they do not, continue taking measurements until they do. , Take the sum of all 3 measurements.
Call it S.
You will also need the person's age.
For men, the equation is Body Density =
1.1093800 � (0.0008267 * S) + (0.0000016 * S�) � (0.0002574 * age).
For women the equation is Body Density =
1.0994921 � (0.0009929 * S) + (0.0000023 * S�) � (0.0001392 * age). , Percent Fat = * 100 -
Step 3: Align the calipers perpendicular to the skinfold site and .25 inch (.635 cm) from the thumb and index finger.
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Step 4: Wait a few seconds after releasing the trigger to allow the needle to stabilize.
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Step 5: Read the dial.
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Step 6: Allow 15 seconds for the fat to relax back into its normal thickness.
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Step 7: Take a second measurement at each site.
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Step 8: Calculate body density using the proper equation for the person's gender.
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Step 9: Calculate the percentage of fat.
Detailed Guide
For consistency, all measurements should be made on the right side of the body.
You may want to mark the location, because measurements should be repeated in the same place.
The 3 skinfold sites for men are chest, abdomen, and thigh.
The 3 skinfold sites for women are tricep, suprailiac, and thigh.
The abdomen skin fold measurement is taken 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the bellybutton with the skinfold oriented vertically.
The chest skinfold measurement is taken halfway between the underarm and the nipple with the skinfold oriented diagonally.
The suprailium skinfold measurement is taken at the top of the hip bone with the skinfold oriented diagonally.
The thigh skinfold measurement is taken on the front of the thigh halfway between the hip and knee joints with the skinfold oriented vertically.
The tricep skinfold measurement is taken on the back of the upper arm midway between the shoulder and elbow.
,, You may take the reading as soon as the needle has stopped moving. , Record measurements to the nearest .5 mm (.02 inch). ,, Measurements at a single site should vary by less than 1 mm (.4 inch).
If they do not, continue taking measurements until they do. , Take the sum of all 3 measurements.
Call it S.
You will also need the person's age.
For men, the equation is Body Density =
1.1093800 � (0.0008267 * S) + (0.0000016 * S�) � (0.0002574 * age).
For women the equation is Body Density =
1.0994921 � (0.0009929 * S) + (0.0000023 * S�) � (0.0001392 * age). , Percent Fat = * 100
About the Author
Brittany Mendoza
Experienced content creator specializing in home improvement guides and tutorials.
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