Understanding and Taking Body Measurements
Before we get into techniques, you need to know what to measure in order to track your progress. There are plenty of abbreviations I’m sure you have heard being thrown around such as BMI, BP, LBM, BFP, HRM, and so on, but what is important to keep track of, what do they mean, how you go about figuring them, and which are useless. This section is about how to take the different body measurements, how to use them is covered in the "Tracking Progress" section.
Let’s get started.
BMI is technically supposed to be used as a guideline for determining levels of obesity; With a BMI of under 18.5 being underweight, 18.5–24.9 being normal, 25–29.9 being overweight, and 30 or more being obese.
The formula to calculate your BMI for adults is: BMI = (weight in pounds/height in inches squared) x 703.
Body fat percentage. B.F.% is a little easier to explain, in that it is exactly what it sounds like; the total percentage of your bodyweight that is comprised of fat. This is one of the few times that there is a notable difference between men and women. Women naturally have slightly higher body fat levels due to the extra layer for childbirth and breast tissue.
Essential Fat (or bare minimum levels) is in the range of 10-12% for Women, and 2-4% for Men
14-20% for Women and 6-13% for Men are percentages often found in Athletes
21-24% for Women and 14-17% for Men are levels found in generally fit individuals
Average acceptable fat percentages for Women are around 25-31% and 18-25% for Men
If you are at or above 32% for Women and 26% for Men, you are at an unhealthy level.
One way to calculate your body fat percentage fairly easily and accurately is also probably everyone’s least favorite method – using skin fold calipers.
Skin fold calipers are a device which measures the thickness of a fold of your skin with its underlying layer of fat. They are fairly easy to find, and a cheap pair can cost around $5. Due to some of the locations used for measurement, you will need someone to help you perform some of them. If you're right handed, pull out the fold of skin with the underlying layer of fat with your left hand and hold it with the fingers of the left hand. Then with the calipers in your right hand, place the jaws of the calipers. The jaws of the calipers should be about 1/4" (7.5mm) from the fingers of your left hand which continues to hold the fold of skin. Release the trigger of the calipers so the entire force of the jaws is on the Skinfold. Do not release the fingers of the left hand while taking the readings.
It is important to keep holding firmly the fold of skin with the fingers so that the calipers are measuring just the thickness of the fold of skin. You will notice that when you place the calipers on the Skinfold that the calipers will "creep" a little, after a few seconds the “creep” will slow down and this is the time that the measurement should be taken. You must note the reading on the scale before releasing any pressure off the calipers.
There are four locations you should measure, which are on the bicep, triceps, just below your shoulder blade and just above the high point on the front of your hips. Take these measurements and write down the readings on the calipers scale. It doesn’t matter what order you do the readings in.
The triceps measurement is taken halfway between the shoulder and elbow joints. The fold is taken in a vertical direction directly on the center of the back of the arm. The Biceps measurement is taken exactly the same as the Triceps, except it is taken on the center of the front of the upper arm. The measurement taken near the shoulder blade is taken just below the bottom point of the shoulder blade. Note that the skin fold is taken parallel to the medial border of the scapula (shoulder blade). The measurement taken at your hips is the final measurement. This is located just above the iliac crest, the protrusion of the hip bone, a little towards the front from the side of the waist. The fold is taken approximately horizontally as shown on the diagram.
Now that you have all these numbers, what you do with them to give you a percentage is add up the four readings your body fat percentage can then be determined from a caliper chart like the one below. There is a different chart for men and women, so take note of which one you are using when looking up your measurements.
Let’s get started.
BMI is technically supposed to be used as a guideline for determining levels of obesity; With a BMI of under 18.5 being underweight, 18.5–24.9 being normal, 25–29.9 being overweight, and 30 or more being obese.
The formula to calculate your BMI for adults is: BMI = (weight in pounds/height in inches squared) x 703.
Body fat percentage. B.F.% is a little easier to explain, in that it is exactly what it sounds like; the total percentage of your bodyweight that is comprised of fat. This is one of the few times that there is a notable difference between men and women. Women naturally have slightly higher body fat levels due to the extra layer for childbirth and breast tissue.
Essential Fat (or bare minimum levels) is in the range of 10-12% for Women, and 2-4% for Men
14-20% for Women and 6-13% for Men are percentages often found in Athletes
21-24% for Women and 14-17% for Men are levels found in generally fit individuals
Average acceptable fat percentages for Women are around 25-31% and 18-25% for Men
If you are at or above 32% for Women and 26% for Men, you are at an unhealthy level.
One way to calculate your body fat percentage fairly easily and accurately is also probably everyone’s least favorite method – using skin fold calipers.
Skin fold calipers are a device which measures the thickness of a fold of your skin with its underlying layer of fat. They are fairly easy to find, and a cheap pair can cost around $5. Due to some of the locations used for measurement, you will need someone to help you perform some of them. If you're right handed, pull out the fold of skin with the underlying layer of fat with your left hand and hold it with the fingers of the left hand. Then with the calipers in your right hand, place the jaws of the calipers. The jaws of the calipers should be about 1/4" (7.5mm) from the fingers of your left hand which continues to hold the fold of skin. Release the trigger of the calipers so the entire force of the jaws is on the Skinfold. Do not release the fingers of the left hand while taking the readings.
It is important to keep holding firmly the fold of skin with the fingers so that the calipers are measuring just the thickness of the fold of skin. You will notice that when you place the calipers on the Skinfold that the calipers will "creep" a little, after a few seconds the “creep” will slow down and this is the time that the measurement should be taken. You must note the reading on the scale before releasing any pressure off the calipers.
There are four locations you should measure, which are on the bicep, triceps, just below your shoulder blade and just above the high point on the front of your hips. Take these measurements and write down the readings on the calipers scale. It doesn’t matter what order you do the readings in.
The triceps measurement is taken halfway between the shoulder and elbow joints. The fold is taken in a vertical direction directly on the center of the back of the arm. The Biceps measurement is taken exactly the same as the Triceps, except it is taken on the center of the front of the upper arm. The measurement taken near the shoulder blade is taken just below the bottom point of the shoulder blade. Note that the skin fold is taken parallel to the medial border of the scapula (shoulder blade). The measurement taken at your hips is the final measurement. This is located just above the iliac crest, the protrusion of the hip bone, a little towards the front from the side of the waist. The fold is taken approximately horizontally as shown on the diagram.
Now that you have all these numbers, what you do with them to give you a percentage is add up the four readings your body fat percentage can then be determined from a caliper chart like the one below. There is a different chart for men and women, so take note of which one you are using when looking up your measurements.
You may notice that the charts do not have a line for every millimeter or column for every age group on the chart, to do this would make the chart very large. To get accurate figures it is necessary to interpolate. For example, a female in the 16-29 age groups could have a sum of 29mm for the four measurements. This is halfway between the 28 and 30 on the chart. The % body fat for 28mm is 18.6% and that for 30 is 19.5%. Interpolating halfway between would give approximately 19.0%.
Scales and Electric Measurers. You have probably seen these before, and possibly even used one during school P.E. or with a Personal Trainer. These are definitely the easiest method for measuring your body fat, as all you do is stand on a scale or hold a monitor with both hands until it tells you to stop. Unfortunately - like most things - if it is easy it is probably less useful, or in this case – accurate.
Hydrostatic weighing - commonly referred to as underwater weighing, compares a subject’s normal bodyweight (outside the water) to their body weight while completely submerged. Using these two numbers and the density of the water, operators can accurately nail down the subject’s density. This number is then used to estimate body composition.
Hydrostatic weighing is an incredibly accurate technique for measuring body composition. The technique uses tried and true variables that yield results within 1-3%. For that reason, it’s often referred to as the gold standard for measuring body composition and commonly used in research settings.
The next and probably most important measurement is your LBM: Lean Body Mass is the total amount of weight you carry that isn't fat. To calculate your LBM, take your total body weight and multiply it by your body fat percentage (see, there’s a method to my madness), this will give you your total body fat in pounds. From there all you do is subtract your total body fat from your weight, which leaves your lean body mass. The other way you can calculate you LBM is by using the inverse of your body fat percentage. If your body fat percentage is 10%, that puts your lean body mass percentage at 90%. Take 90% times your total body weight and you will get your lean body mass.
Scales and Electric Measurers. You have probably seen these before, and possibly even used one during school P.E. or with a Personal Trainer. These are definitely the easiest method for measuring your body fat, as all you do is stand on a scale or hold a monitor with both hands until it tells you to stop. Unfortunately - like most things - if it is easy it is probably less useful, or in this case – accurate.
Hydrostatic weighing - commonly referred to as underwater weighing, compares a subject’s normal bodyweight (outside the water) to their body weight while completely submerged. Using these two numbers and the density of the water, operators can accurately nail down the subject’s density. This number is then used to estimate body composition.
Hydrostatic weighing is an incredibly accurate technique for measuring body composition. The technique uses tried and true variables that yield results within 1-3%. For that reason, it’s often referred to as the gold standard for measuring body composition and commonly used in research settings.
The next and probably most important measurement is your LBM: Lean Body Mass is the total amount of weight you carry that isn't fat. To calculate your LBM, take your total body weight and multiply it by your body fat percentage (see, there’s a method to my madness), this will give you your total body fat in pounds. From there all you do is subtract your total body fat from your weight, which leaves your lean body mass. The other way you can calculate you LBM is by using the inverse of your body fat percentage. If your body fat percentage is 10%, that puts your lean body mass percentage at 90%. Take 90% times your total body weight and you will get your lean body mass.