Body Fat Scale

I got a body fat scale in normal mode it says I am 256lbs 22.5% and 53.3% water but there is this athlete mode that says I am 13% with 61% water…

I am not sure what I should use I got a bit of a belly and fat face but the rest of my body is pretty lean / legs/ specially arms. I work out 5 times a week, just weight lifting. No cardio.

I am 6’3 256 and 24.

What do you guys think??

I got a scale that suposed to show body fat also i dont use body results from it
reason stepped on it one day with socks on showed 2% drop in body fat
I am 55 years old my son is 23 years old i stepped on his profile showed 10% difference in body fat asked several trainers at gym why the difference they had no idea
I go by the mirror now

How can standing on a scale tell your body fat percentage?
Also if you are 256lbs and you only have 13% bodyfat then you should consider entering the Mr Olympia at some stage lol.

Getting a body fat reading is a bit more sophisticated then standing on scales.

[quote]JayOsler wrote:
I got a body fat scale in normal mode it says I am 256lbs 22.5% and 53.3% water but there is this athlete mode that says I am 13% with 61% water…

I am not sure what I should use I got a bit of a belly and fat face but the rest of my body is pretty lean / legs/ specially arms. I work out 5 times a week, just weight lifting. No cardio.

I am 6’3 256 and 24.

What do you guys think??[/quote]

Those things don’t work. They’re no good even for measuring progress (where the difference in #'s matters more than the # itself), since they’re super sensitive to hydration. You’d have to be extremely consistent with your diet and any physical exertion to get any kind of consistent reading. Just use a mirror.

And I don’t know what you’re looking for with this post. Are you unsure if you’re “too fat”? Isn’t that for you to decide, which could be done just by looking in a mirror? And if you want others to decide if you’re “too fat”, why don’t you post a picture? Lifting forums can never have enough “Am I Fat? What’s my BF %?” posts!

They don’t work. Neither do the hand held bio-electrical impedance devices. Calipers can be accurate, at least for measuring progress. Besides that, either get a dexa scan, hydrostatic test or don’t worry about it.

Yeah, just ended up returning it lol. It was expensive too like 150$… i health body scale. Just going to go by the mirror.

I personally hate “going by the mirror.” It can be deceiving for sure and can fluctuate so much based on lighting, time of day, hydration levels, sodium intake, stress levels, last time you ate carbs, and the list goes on. In fact, every time I ever do a 12 week cut, there’s always that middle portion where I can swear I’m getting fatter, because I look so depleted and the mirror would just mess with my head. I’ve had mornings where a few stressful days at work leave me looking like the before pic in one of those before/after pics for a supplement ad.

Personally, I think bodyweight taken first thing in the morning same day week to week is much better paired with measuring the waistline.

if you can see your ABS, is that not a good starting point ?

Also, the Dexa is the only true way to know what % body fat you have…otherwise,
the electrical impatence Tanita’s ($375) are the only ones scale wise that are of even marginal use.

A high quality caliber ($300) along with Poliquins 12 site testing is good for getting a baseline.

Still, how much was that mirror in your bathroom … ?

Jskeabac: The psychological part of bodybuilding is always tough! I will try your tips of measuring in the morning daily.

Killersirk: thanks for the info! It would be pretty cool to get the dexa test one day and find out. And compare how crazy off those scales at home are.

[quote]JayOsler wrote:
I got a body fat scale in normal mode it says I am 256lbs 22.5% and 53.3% water but there is this athlete mode that says I am 13% with 61% water…

I am not sure what I should use I got a bit of a belly and fat face but the rest of my body is pretty lean / legs/ specially arms. I work out 5 times a week, just weight lifting. No cardio.

I am 6’3 256 and 24.

What do you guys think??[/quote]

IN terms of your seemingly disproportionate leanness, you have to realize that there is a very wide discrepency in terms of how different people carry their bodyfat. Aside from where, some people also seem to conceal it much better (usually if they have larger bone structures, and more overal lean muscle mixed in).

Personally, I hate those little digital things. I’ve had them give me ridiculous readings a week out from contests when my entire body is a web of vasularity.

Most physique conscious folks rely on the mirror, because at the end of the day, no one really knows your bf%, or your weight, they just know what they can see. Still, in terms of gauging progress, you have to account for the margin of fluctuations that can be quite significant in some people.

I like to take weights every morning at the same time, and make note at the end of the week of your lowest reading. A combination of progressively declining weekly “lows” and improving body compostion via photos or mirror, and you’re moving in the right direction!

S

Okay, thanks! I will give that a try.

[quote]jskrabac wrote:
I personally hate “going by the mirror.” It can be deceiving for sure and can fluctuate so much based on lighting, time of day, hydration levels, sodium intake, stress levels, last time you ate carbs, and the list goes on. In fact, every time I ever do a 12 week cut, there’s always that middle portion where I can swear I’m getting fatter, because I look so depleted and the mirror would just mess with my head. I’ve had mornings where a few stressful days at work leave me looking like the before pic in one of those before/after pics for a supplement ad.

Personally, I think bodyweight taken first thing in the morning same day week to week is much better paired with measuring the waistline. [/quote]

This is why I think a weekly carb-up (notice I didn’t say “cheat meal”) is imperative while dieting. Just to fill the muscles out a little and give you some better feedback on where you’re actually at. I try not to look otherwise, because like you said it can fuck with your melon.