SIMPLE METHODS TO TEST YOUR BODY FAT PERCENTAGE

When losing fat it is important to know, not just how much
weight you are losing, but how much of your body is muscle
and how much is fat. You want to lose fat while maintaining
or even building muscle. So, you need some way to keep
track of your body fat percentage.

The following are two simple methods to determine current
body fat percentage and lean mass percentage.

METHOD NUMBER ONE

For this test you will need someones help and a ruler that
reads in millimeters (mm).

Step 1. Hang your right arm at your side and have someone
find the point halfway between your shoulder and elbow, on
the rear (triceps side) of your arm.

Step 2. With his/her thumb and forefinger have him/her pinch
a fold of skin and fat away from the muscle.

Step 3. Have him/her measure the thickenss of the skin pinched.
(Do not rest the ruler against the skin.)

Step 4. Have him/her do steps 2 and 3 several times and get the
average reading.

Step 5. Find your body fat percentage by using the chart below.

FAT PERCENTAGE CHART

Skinfold Thickness in mm body fat % men body fat % women

6 5-9 8-13

13 9-13 13-18

19 13-18 18-23

25 18-22 23-28

38 22-27 28-33


METHOD NUMBER TWO

This test reqires a scale and a tape mesure. Do the following
calculations:

FOR MEN

Body fat (%) = 94.42 + 1.082 (nude weight in pounds)
- 4.15 (waist girth around bellybutton in inches)

Then:

Body fat (%) = bodyweight - lean bodyweight x 100
__________________________________

bodyweight


FOR WOMEN

Lean body weight = 8.987 + 0.732 (weigth in kilograms)
+ 3.786 (wrist diameter in centimeters)
+ 0.434 (forearm circumference in centimeters)

Then:

Body fat (%) = bodyweight - lean bodyweight x 100
__________________________________

bodyweight


Notes:

To convert pounds to kilograms devide by 2.2

To convert inches to centimeters devide by 0.394

Devide circumference by 3.14 (pi) to get diameter.

M1