A Great Way To Measure Your Body Fat?
The most important measurement to watch in determining whether
you’re burning fat, or just losing water or lean body mass
weight is that of your relative body fat percentage. Period.
If you don’t get a fairly accurate measurement of this vital
statistic, all sorts of mental guessing games can occur, leading
to more frustration about your progress.
In the past, if you wanted to get a good measure of your body
fat percentage, you needed to undergo underwater (hydrostatic)
weighing. (This is still the best method for determining your
body fat percentage, but the most difficult to get done).
Or you could get one of those skin fold calipers and pinch your
body all over the place to get your relative body fat
percentage..
There are also some simple mathematical formulas you can use to
get a good idea of where you’re at.
But, in recent years, a variety of body fat scales and other bio
electrical impedance devices appeared on the scene claiming to
give you an accurate measure of your body fat relatively easily.
Just step on a scale and wait a few seconds. How easy is that?
But the better question is…how good is that? How accurate are
these things and should we use them to track our fat loss and
fitness progress?
Well, here’s the truth about bio electrical impedance for
measuring your body fat:
These devices work by sending a low level electrical current
through your body and the “impedance” is measured. This
impedance is combined with a few other factors in determining
your results. But, your impedance can vary depending on several
other attributes besides your body fat. These include your
recent activity levels, your skin temperature, and water level.
So, in order to get the most out of these devices, you’ll want
to avoid eating, drinking, or working out for several hours
prior to testing yourself. The best way to do this is to use
them in the morning right upon waking.
Even with these tips, the variance level of the data that these
devices spit out can be up to 6 percent higher or lower than
your actual body fat percentage. But, as long as you are
testing yourself at the same time every morning, on an empty
stomach, it can still be an accurate measurement of loss or
gain, even if it is an overall inflated or deflated number.
Now, here’s another huge issue with these devices that must be
addressed. The body fat scales pass this electrical current
through your lower body, and most often it doesn’t reach your
upper body.
And with the hand gripper bio electrical impedance devices, you
are receiving the current through your upper body and not your
lower body in most instances.
It appears to be a best practice, then, to use both the scale
and the hand gripper, right upon waking, and then take an
average of the two. This is critical for many people who store
their body fat in one half of the body more than the other.
Well, I hope this gives you a good idea of how you can use these
simple and easy bio electrical impedance devices to track your
body fat percentage…and more importantly, how to avoid the
flaws inherent in these scales and hand grippers.
Here’s to getting lean, strong, and healthy for life,
Rob Poulos
Zero to Hero Fitness