Height, weight, waist, and wrist measurements. Accurate for BF % ?

Import · December 12, 2002, 10:17am

I have seen some websites using this to try and determine BF%. How accurate is this method?

Import · December 12, 2002, 11:45am

Very inaccurate. Based on population averages. If it were based on a population of poeple like you, then it would be more accurate.

Import · December 12, 2002, 11:49am

Agreed, but wouldn’t it, for the same person, be a pretty good estimate of change over time?

Import · December 12, 2002, 12:02pm

how accurate are those bioelectrical impedence scales that you can by in the stores?

Import · December 12, 2002, 12:16pm

If you put scales in the subject line of search engine there a quite a few threads on BF scales.

Import · December 12, 2002, 12:46pm

If you’re talking about skinfold caliper measurements over time, then yes that would be true. However, you can increase your waist measurement while decreasing body fat by thickening of the abdominal wall and mass gains on the abs and spinal erectors. Wrist and height will stay the same.

Import · December 12, 2002, 12:55pm

What do you mean people like me? You don’t know anything about me.

Import · December 12, 2002, 1:01pm

You just made Brider’s point chief, those are based on averages of people that arent you, by people who dont know you. So you could have a 36 inch waist and a 6 pack, but I would bet that the site would put you as a chubbster.

Import · December 12, 2002, 1:45pm

I believe Brider was referring to the fact that if all the measurement tables were based on people with the same body type, height, bone structure, and genetic features “like you”, than they would be accurate…for you and people “like you” or with your body type only…but since they are based on a typical cross section of the population…trainers and nontrainers alike as well as people of differing body types…then they are a guesstament at best.

Import · December 12, 2002, 1:55pm

Sorry brider, dumbass me read this incorrectly. thanks antny16 for the correction.

Import · December 12, 2002, 3:12pm

No problem. Misunderstandings happen.

Import · December 12, 2002, 4:02pm

Michael,
I’ll go against the grain and say that it’s not too bad compared to skinfold. I have used the chart in the back of “The Zone Diet” (also available on their web page and felt it to be consistent with a professionaly done 7 point caliper assessment. Yes, you can have a thick, muscular trunk, but somehow I’ve always felt it was within +/- 2-3%. The electric scales have never worked for me, they would usually show me 7-10 % higher than the tape measure method.