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fat % scales
- Thread starter tony20md
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johnny tougharms
New member
most accurate method is a DEXA scan....has surpassed hydrostatic weighing in accuracy
WannaImpress
New member
JG1 said:
So true.......if it wasn't for the fact that I got it for free I would have taken that b***h back.
johnny tougharms
New member
calipers are not accurate either unless you have someone who is extremely well trained to use them....they are not as easy to use as most people think.....from personal experience people average a 2-2.5% error when using them......contact your local university and ask if they have a DEXA....might cost you a few bucks....(50-60) to get it done but they are the way to go....get a print out of everything you need to know.....lean mass, fat mass, bone mass, b.f %...etc.
johnny tougharms
New member
definitely worth it.....this was the top method until dexa was developed...its still an A-1 test though
johnny tougharms
New member
yeah exactly.....they are based on electrical impedance so salt levels, water, time of day, during workout, food,,,all these things will throw them off.....100 bucks canadian for one of those pieces of shit....oh well....
Bonecrusher
New member
I have both scales and accu-measure calipers. The calipers are the best route and cheaper. With the calipers you can tell which way you are going as long as you check at the same location and don't try to add a little extra squeeze to cheat. The only thing the scales are good for is weight, I can get on and off 5 times and come up with the same weight each time.
Peace
Peace
Tigerparks
New member
bf scales
BF scales are TOILET! Period.
I weigh myself on them and I come up at 23%!!!
I reprogramme it for my tubby girlfriend and she's like 10%!!!!
I'm like "I don't THINK so!"
Don't bother with them. Just get someone with callipers to do it 4 u.
BF scales are TOILET! Period.
I weigh myself on them and I come up at 23%!!!
I reprogramme it for my tubby girlfriend and she's like 10%!!!!
I'm like "I don't THINK so!"
Don't bother with them. Just get someone with callipers to do it 4 u.
If you realize the limitations of the scales they work great! First, you need to get the athlete model so that you can set them for athlete. Do not buy the cheaper ones that have no memory or settings options, that is the source of most complaints. you have to be consistent in how you use them, you bet! Weigh yourself only first thing in the morning after your piss. I mean, c'mon, no one complains that their scales suck when they give different readings thruout the day! As we eat drink and exercise, our weight fluctuates and that is what the scales reflect. Are they good for an absolute measurement, no. Can they be a useful tool for showing trends and give approximations, yes! I have been using them with great success for several years, i plot my weight and bf% everyday and check out the graphs. It is very easy to see if my fat levels are going up and down and relatively how my progress is coming. It is also a heck of a lot easier just to step on the scales rather than use calipers(which i have) or go the the university immersion tank! 
The thing to do is buy the GOOD scales not the $50 ones and try them out, see how they work. Make sure you buy them at a store that has a money back warranty so you can return them if you chose, no risk and you can make the decision for yourself.
The thing to do is buy the GOOD scales not the $50 ones and try them out, see how they work. Make sure you buy them at a store that has a money back warranty so you can return them if you chose, no risk and you can make the decision for yourself.
Enigmaxxx7
New member
any time i order more than $150 of supplements from netrition.com (which is every month), i can get a free caliper. i can pick from a bunch of free shit. or you can just buy it.
fhg43
New member
I've posted on these scales before, but they work well-better than calipers I think. Scales have good accuracy if you follow a protocol with them. Any type of athletic/performance testing must follow strict protocols-there ared so many variables involved in human physiology that testing under varying conditions will lead to flawed results.
I weigh myself at the same time of day everyday-I am always well hydrated-I always piss/crap before I hit the scale-I have it calibrated exactly for me (athlete setting, correct height, age etc...). I even give myself a 2-3 % margin of error and I'd say it is accurate.
You can't just hop on your buddy's scale and get a shitty reading and then conclude "These things suck". If you own one and read the f'ing instructions and use it correctly it is an effective tool for BF% tracking.
NOTHING will be 100% accurate except for an autopsy. DEXA and water are good-DEXA being the current gold standard w/90%+ accuracy. Underwater is still very accurate, but its calculations are based on autopsies on cadevars. Age, race, and other factors are all taken into consideration when doing the calculations for underwater weighing. I have seen the research assists at the university screw up the calculations on a lean black runner and get a NEGATIVE BF%!!! So this goes to show that anything can be in accurate if you do it improperly.
FHG
I weigh myself at the same time of day everyday-I am always well hydrated-I always piss/crap before I hit the scale-I have it calibrated exactly for me (athlete setting, correct height, age etc...). I even give myself a 2-3 % margin of error and I'd say it is accurate.
You can't just hop on your buddy's scale and get a shitty reading and then conclude "These things suck". If you own one and read the f'ing instructions and use it correctly it is an effective tool for BF% tracking.
NOTHING will be 100% accurate except for an autopsy. DEXA and water are good-DEXA being the current gold standard w/90%+ accuracy. Underwater is still very accurate, but its calculations are based on autopsies on cadevars. Age, race, and other factors are all taken into consideration when doing the calculations for underwater weighing. I have seen the research assists at the university screw up the calculations on a lean black runner and get a NEGATIVE BF%!!! So this goes to show that anything can be in accurate if you do it improperly.
FHG
chronic2371
New member
Go with calipers. Just make sure you find an experienced tester (more that 1000 skinfolds). The calipers will be more site specific than other methods. Remember there can be error in any method. Don't worry to much about the exact BF % that you get. What you want is for that number to be moving in the right direction. Down.
A good way to find out if someone is good with calipers is to have them do a 7 site or 10 site skinfold on you and record the mm readings. Go back to them the next day and have it done again. If the numbers are the same or within 1mm then they are consistent in there testing method. And that's what you want. Consistancy.
A good way to find out if someone is good with calipers is to have them do a 7 site or 10 site skinfold on you and record the mm readings. Go back to them the next day and have it done again. If the numbers are the same or within 1mm then they are consistent in there testing method. And that's what you want. Consistancy.
