Measuring body-fat is important for several reasons. It is also linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. In terms of health effects, excess fat can add stress to the joints, and cause postural problems. These factors affect overall body shape in a negative way, thus contributing to a disproportionate physique and unhealthy look. Fat also tends to congregate in specific places (primarily on the stomach in men and around the hips and buttocks in women). Because muscle tissue is more compact than fat, any deposition of fat, due to its tendency to balloon out, will cover a greater area than that of muscle.
The amount of body-fat a person carries can make a tremendous difference to their body shape and health. This article, therefore, will analyze the different methods, and review the various types of caliper testing, to gain a broader perspective on how they can benefit those wanting to improve their health and body shape.
However, in most clinical or applied situations, underwater (hydrostatic) weighing is impractical. Indeed, other methods such as hydrostatic weighing are thought to be superior.
#BODY FAT CALIPER PRO#
Many bodybuilders, and general fitness exponents, keep their body-fat at around 8-10-percent (within striking distance of a competition, or simply to look good year round).ĭespite being used for decades to measure body-fat (among the general population and pro athletes), the jury is still out on the efficiency and efficacy of caliper testing. While a 9-12 percentage is classed as low for the average 20-30-year-old male, the average bodybuilder, in this bracket, would probably consider this to be unacceptably high, even as an off-season measurement. Generally speaking, a successful result is one which places an individual within a desirable range for their gender and age.īodybuilders and other fitness enthusiasts, on the other hand, often have vastly different expectations in terms of shedding body-fat. Calipers are the apparatus used to measure various skin-fold thicknesses, at specific sites, to acquire a percentage value. Body-fat percentage can be ascertained and monitored with caliper testing. To plan for this fat-loss, it is important to know exactly where one is at and to regularly chart progress for ongoing results. As bodybuilders, we generally want to shed any visible body-fat to accentuate underlying muscles, and highlight hard-fought definition. In today's world, many either want to rid themselves of excess body-fat to improve their health, enhance their physical presence, or both. As long as you have the same person (maybe yourself) take measurements in the same way each time, then you will get relatively useful data." We simply added up the measurements we got with the calipers on different locations in the body. We wouldn't use any complicated formula to figure out our body fat percentage. "We would measure ourselves with calipers. "I was working for a supplement company several years ago and a group of us guys in R&D would have these in-house body fat competitions. Rob Thoburn, scientific advisor for BSN nutrition, remembers using calipers in exactly this way. In fact, in some circles it is thought that skin-fold measurements, not body-fat percentage, will provide greater accuracy when monitoring changes.
Skin-fold measurements can be converted into a percentage, which can be compared to various norms, and improvements in diet and/or training intensity can subsequently be made to further strip body-fat, to meet physical objectives.Īlthough a good way in which to chart progress, it should be said that calipers cannot be totally accurate. Indeed, the measurements taken from a skin-fold body-fat test, provide a very good indication of ones body-fat levels.
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