Its great to know your body fat percentage for many reasons - the main one being health. While knowing what your exact body fat percentage level is can be motivating, unless you are training for a sport specific goal that requires a certain percentage to compete, it isn't necesary to know your body fat before starting a fitness regimen. Most people that have unhealthy levels of body fat - know by looking in the mirror specifically at the waist line area if they have a higher than desired body fat percentage, no brain surgery there. But when getting your body fat tested there are several different methods of doing so and they are not all equal:
SKIN CALLIPER - USES MEASURING THE SKIN FOLDS OF 3 OR MORE POINTS ON THE BODY 2-3 TIMES AND THEN CALCULATED USING A METHOD THAT COMPARES YOUR MEASUREMENTS WITH THOSE OF A SIMILAR GROUPS % LEVELS. THIS METHOD IS 2-4% ACCURATE AND IS MEASURING THE SUBCUTANEUOS FAT UNDER THE SKIN.
THE UPSIDE: WHAT MAKES THIS METHOD ATTRACTIVE IS THAT IT IS CONVENIENT, CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE ANYTIME AND IS LOW COST.
THE DOWNSIDE: IS THAT IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSON DO THE MEASUREMENTS EACH TIME OR THEY DO NOT MEASURE THE EXACT SAME SPOT OR PINCH THE SKIN DIFFERENTLY YOUR MEASUREMENTS WILL BE DIFFERENT EVERY TIME - LESS ACCURATE. IT DOES NOT TELL YOU HOW MANY POUNDS OF YOUR BODY MASS ARE MUSCLE VS. FAT.
BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDENCE - A LOW VOLTAGE CURRENT OF ELECTRICITY IS SENT THROUGH OUT YOUR BODY EITHER BY HOLDING ONTO A MACHINE WITH METAL PLATES OR STANDING ON ONE. BECAUSE FAT IS NOT A GOOD CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY AND WATER IS THE MORE FAT YOU HAVE WILL "IMPEDE" THE CURRENT - SO THIS REALLY IS MEASURING THE AMOUNT OF TOTAL WATER IN YOUR BODY AND THEN YOUR FAT IS CALCULATED USING BODY WEIGHT, GENDER AND HEIGHT. THIS FORM OF MEASUREMENT IS +/-3% ACCURATE IF DONE WITH THE CORRECT GUIDELINES, MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THERE ARE GUIDELINES TO GETTING AN ACCURATE RESULT WITH THIS SO HERE THEY ARE:
1. ABSTAIN FROM EATING AND DRINKING FOR 4 HOURS BEFORE THE TEST
2. AVOID EXCERCISE WITHIN 12 HOURS OF THE TEST
3. MAKE SURE TO EMPTY YOUR BLADDER COMPLETELY BEFORE THE TEST
4. DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL BEFORE THE TEST
5. AVOID DIURETICS PRIOR TO TEST UNLESS PRESCRIBED BY YOUR DOCTOR
UPSIDE: THIS IS A VERY COVENIENT PORTABLE FORM OF MEASUREMENT THAT REQUIRES LITTLE OR NO TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE TESTER OR TESTEE SO BASICALLY ANYONE WITH A MACHINE CAN DO IT.
THE DOWNSIDE: THE ERROR RATE IS HIGHER THAN OTHER METHODS A TOTAL OF 3% ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, AND IT TENDS TO OVERESTIMATE LEAN PEOPLE AND UNDERESTIMATE THOSE OVERWIEGHT AS FAR AS BODY FAT%, NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT UNLESS THE PERSON KNOWS ALL THE GUIDELINES BEFORE THE TEST AND FOLLOWS THEM EACH TIME THE RESULTS WILL NOT BE ACCURATE.
HYDROSTATIC WEGHING: THIS IS HAVING YOUR BODY FAT MEASURED BY BEING WEIGHED UNDERWATER AND IS THE GOLD STANDARD OF BODY FAT MEASUREMENTS. BASICALLY THEY DETERMINE HOW MUCH BODY FAT YOU HAVE BY HOW HEAVY OR LIGHT YOU ARE IN THE WATER. THE HEAVIER YOU ARE OR THE MORE YOU SINK IN THE WATER, THE MORE MUSCLE MASS YOU HAVE. THE LIGHTER YOU ARE; OR THE MORE YOU FLOAT UP IN THE WATER THE MORE FAT YOU HAVE. THE PERSON IS WEIGHED OUT OF THE WATER FIRST AND THEIR VO2MAX IS MEASURED ( HOW MUCH AIR YOUR LUNGS CAN HOLD) IN ORDER TO GET AN ACCURATE MEASUREMENT YOU MUST BLOW ALL OF THE AIR OUT OF YOUR LUNGS WHEN YOU GO UNDER WATER SO YOU DON'T FLOAT UP BECAUSE OF THE AIR IN YOUR LUNGS.
UPSIDE: THIS METHOD IS ABOUT 98% ACCURATE AND IS THE GOLD STANDARD OF TESTING. EVEN THOUGH THE PROCESS ITSELF USES MORE EQUIPMENT AND TESTING PROCEDURES AND REQUIRES A KNOWLEDGEABLE FITNESS CONSULTANT TO PERFORM THE COST IS RELATIVELY LOW - I HAD MINE DONE FOR $25 IN SACRAMENTO, CA.
DOWNSIDE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE TO PUT YOUR HEAD UNDER WATER OR HAVE DIFFICULTY BREATHING NORMALLY OR RELATED RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS THIS MAY NOT BE THE METHOD FOR YOU.
MY FINAL THOUGHT ON THIS IS IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET THE TEST DONE AT LEAST DO IT RIGHT AND GET THE MOST ACCURATE RESULT YOU CAN.
