8 therefore measuring the thickness of your folds of skin is a fairly accurate method to calculate body fat percentage. Another method for calculating an estimate of body fat percentage uses bmi. No electrical current is involved. Fm bf weight lean mass lm formula. Use a tape measure to determine your waist wrist hip and forearm circumference. Body fat percentage bfp body fat weight weight.
Body circumference measurements and body fat scales that use bioelectrical impedance are both methods you can do on your own. Body fat weight weight lean body mass. Then input your gender and measurements below to receive a body fat index based on average values. Calipers are a pinch an inch way to measure body fat. Such scales work with the help of sensors underneath. According to the american council on exercise approximately 50 of your body fat lies under the skin.
The body fat index is not an indicator of fitness level since the calculation is made with no regard to height or weight. To be eligible to enlist in the army you must meet the height and weight requirements for your age. For more accurate measurements of body fat the use of instruments such as bioelectric impedance analysis or hydrostatic density testing is necessary. Body composition is the amount of body fat a soldier has in comparison to their total body mass. If you are over the prescribed weight for your height you can still qualify by being below the specified body fat for your age based on standards. If you are using other units you can transform the formulas accordingly.
A basic way to measure body fat percentage is by using a soft tape measure like the kind youd use for sewing to record measurements of different parts of the body. While not as accurate as skinfold measurements taken by a trained. You can also find tape. Skinfold calipers measure the thickness of your subcutaneous fat the fat underneath the skin at certain body locations. Body fat scales are easy to use. Measurements are taken at either 3 or 7 different sites on the body.
Fat mass fm formula. Both equations for lean body mass use weight in pounds and all other measurements in inches. Lm weight fm bmi method. Using skinfold calipers is the most common way to measure your body fat mass. With these simple devices which are similar to measuring tapes with clamps skin folds are measured on three or more parts of the body most commonly the abdomen upper arm and thigh. You simply step on the scale and the tool measures both your body weight and your estimated fat percentage.