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Welcome
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Directions for Measuring Body Fat
by Dusty R. Green, M.Ed., Author of Smart
Eats, Smart Supplements, and Smart Exercise
I recommend the three-site measuring method for men and women. The front middle of the thigh is the only common site that men and women share. The following describes the sites and shows an alternative (Lange) to the Accu-Measure skinfold calipers.
Females
#1 The first site on females is midway between the elbow joint and shoulder
joint at the back middle of the upper arm.
#2 The second site is just above the iliac crest. It is the top of the hip bone on the side of your body.
#3 The third site is the front of the thigh midway between the knee joint and hip joint.
Males
#1 The first site for men is midway between the nipple and the joint of the
shoulder.
#2 The second site is just to the side of the belly button.
#3 The third site for males is the same as females: the front middle of the thigh midway between the knee joint and the hip joint.
Consistency Is The Key!
1. Always measure the right side of your body or just the left side. Do not
combine or mix right side measurements with left side measurements.
2. Measure only skin, not through clothes.
3. Females may need a helper on the arm measurement site.
4. Relax the body part you are measuring to enable you to grab the fat.
5. Grab as big of a hunk as you can with your thumb and index finger.
6. Squeeze the hunk just shy of pain.
7. Place the caliper ends 1/4 of an inch away from your thumb and index finger.
8. Squeeze the calipers together slowly around the fat (5 seconds) until the
"press lever" clicks into place.
9. Measure each site several times until you read the same number (in
millimeters) at least three times.
10. Females add the arm, hip bone, and thigh sites together.
11. Males add the chest, belly button, and thigh sites together.
12. Take the sum of your measurements and look on the following chart for your
body fat percentage under your gender and age.
Body Fat Percentage Rating Scale
|
Classification |
Men% |
Women% |
|
Very Lean "World Class Athletes" |
2-8 |
5-10 |
|
Lean |
9-12 |
11-14 |
|
Less Lean |
13-15 |
15-18 |
|
Far From Lean |
16-above |
19-above |
