What Good Is a Body Fat Tester?

A body fat tester, also known as a caliper, can be used to measure the percentage of fat your body is made up of. For instance, it takes measurements that when calculated can tell you if your body is an athletic 15% body fat or an obese 30%. A dependable body fat tester is an extremely useful tool in measuring weight loss and fitness progress. While a scale can measure how many pounds you lost, it doesn’t take into consideration the gain of muscle that is inevitable during a fitness program.

When you begin an exercise program you probably have your goals laid out. They may include losing a specific amount of weight or fitting into a certain pair of jeans you have been holding onto for sometime. Regardless of your goals, it would be foolish to disregard the fat loss and muscle building that results from a fitness program. Whether your goal is to lost fat or gain muscle mass, a body fat tester is a convenient at-home tool to track your progress and subsequently keep you motivated.

When on a health program, there may be some weeks when the scale doesn’t budge. This can be frustrating if the scale is your only means of tracking progress. When you track your body fat percentage it become apparent that even on the weeks where pounds aren’t lost, progress is being made.

A body fat tester works by “skinfold test”. This means that you choose 3-9 sites on the body to pinch and measure. Typical measure sites include the chest, tricep, abdomen, thigh, and lower back. With your thumb and finger pinch a fold of skin and fat and measure with the body fat tester. This reading, along with the others are compiled and formulated into your body fat percentage.

How do I know what my percentage means?

For women and men, the numbers mean different things. Take a look below to get an idea of what a healthy range would be for you:

Women
Essential: 10-12%
Athletic: 14-20%
Fit: 21-24%
Acceptable: 25-31%:
Obese: More than 32%

Men
Essential: 2-4%
Athletic: 6-13%
Fit: 14-17%
Acceptable: 18-25%
Obese: More than 25%
While you can pay money to have someone measure your body fat for you, you can also purchase your own body fat tester to track your fat loss on a consistent basis. Check out the caliper we have available at Extreme Body Workout. Tracking fat loss can be very motivating and keep you going when the scale is reluctant to move.