how do i measure body fat and/or muscle mass?
trying to be more healthy and lose weight, but put on muscle easily when i exercise. want to be able to keep track of how well i am doing, for motivational reasons.
Public Comments
- For a comprehensive answer your best bet would be to see a nutritionist professional who can provide accurate measures at least just once to set you on the right track for when you measure it yourself. Bodyfat Ideals differ between men and women. Women ideal is 17-20% During my weightlifting days last year I used a "pinch" test which is widely available on Internet sites type it into goggle. Here you take measurements from different areas of your body you need a set of "skinfold callipers" though ideally. Not always accurate though as you tend to get the results you want rather then an accurate measure (without expert insights). I also bought body fat % gizmo from ASDA but it was a total waste of money ie not accurate.) If you are into body building weight training try this book of amazon, "Beyond Brawn" by Stuart McRobert. It is brilliant. Good Luck x
- Skin fold calipers provide a good mix of convenience and accuracy. Here is an article about measuring body composition: http://www.spartafit.com/articles/measuring%20body%20composition.php
- The skin fold measurement using calipers is regarded as on of the most accurate ways to measure body fat %. However as a Personal Trainer I can guarantee that you cannot accurately measure yourself. It takes practise to even understand where exactly to pinch. You can buy scales that measure body fat by sending a very small electrical pulse up one leg and measuring the time it takes to come back. Some people don't think these are very accurate however I have tested them against the skin fold measurement and have found them to give a very similar reading as long as their batteries are fully charged. Measuring muscle mass is very difficult but you can basically measure everything else in your body minus the fat. If the weight goes up then it will be from the muscle. So your body weight minus the % of body fat will give you the weight of everything else. Measure this and the changes will represent the changes of your muscle mass. I hope this has been useful and good luck with the exercise.
