how accurate are digital bodyfat analyzers?

**Freak** · 12-21-2005, 06:06 PM

How accurate are the digital bodyfat analyzers?

Which brand/model works best?

**fahad** · 12-21-2005, 06:14 PM

speaking of bodyfat analyzers.. r these good http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bdymsr.htm and which 1 u guys think is the best??? and do u guys think that i can measure my body fat % by myself or i need someone 2 do it 4 me.....thx :xmascheer ...........

pickle · 12-21-2005, 06:34 PM

Scales that do your bodyfat through your feet? They all bullshit. You have to be at the right hydration level for them to even be semi accurate. My friend got a reading of 22% bodyfat and on a pinch test immediately after by 2 different people he got 5%

**Freak** · 12-21-2005, 07:15 PM

I was thinking of the ones that you hold; just something accurate and convenient not real worried about the prices either. Similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...615084-7203951

Any ideas?

CWUTrainer · 12-22-2005, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thefreak350

I was thinking of the ones that you hold; just something accurate and convenient not real worried about the prices either. Similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...615084-7203951

Any ideas?

Okay...SO these work in a pretty simple manner....Your body can conduct an electrical current...hence you getting shocked. However, fat does not conduct as quickly as muscle does as there is more water in muscle than fat. Therefore, these work by sending a current through your upper torso section. They give you an okay and accurate measurement..and they are great for tracking your progress. So if you used the same one...they would accurately tell you how you are doing in terms of loss or gain of bodyfat. Where the problem is is that they do not include most of your lower half of your body...so if you have a cut upper torso then, you will get a good measurement, even if you have a fat ass... I would buy a small pincher style calpier, they are about 10 bucks man..Do the math and get teh truth

CWUTrainer · 12-22-2005, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thefreak350

I was thinking of the ones that you hold; just something accurate and convenient not real worried about the prices either. Similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...615084-7203951

Any ideas?

Okay...SO these work in a pretty simple manner....Your body can conduct an electrical current...hence you getting shocked. However, fat does not conduct as quickly as muscle does as there is more water in muscle than fat. Therefore, these work by sending a current through your upper torso section through each hand. Usually left to right. By doing this it measures the amount of time it takes for the current to reach and gives you a readin based on that. They give you an okay and accurate (+/- 2.9%) measurement..However, they are great for tracking your progress. So if you used the same one...they would accurately tell you how you are doing in terms of loss or gain of bodyfat. Where the problem is is that they do not include most to all your lower half of your body...so if you have a cut upper torso then, you will get a good measurement, even if you have a fat ass... I would buy a small pincher style calpier, they are about 10 bucks man..Do the math and get teh truth

chadcruz · 12-22-2005, 01:09 AM

I have a Tanita brand set of scales. It has 2 modes...regular and athlete. From my experience there is a huge difference in bf% read-out between these 2 modes. On the regular mode I am 19.5% and athlete mode I am 10.8%. As someone else said the results can vary greatly..even if you are weighing yourself at the same time everyday.

**Freak** · 12-22-2005, 05:19 AM

Ok seems like it is a general consensus that they are not accurate and go with the caliper, thanks everyone for posting.

chadcruz · 12-22-2005, 05:44 AM

Just remember to use the caliper in the same spot every time and be consistant when measuring.

pumpingiron · 12-22-2005, 06:05 AM

On my digital scale I got 25% bf but I know I'm around 12%.

f1ex · 12-22-2005, 06:26 AM

Glad I read this thread now - my girlfriends crappy digital reader put me at 18 to 20% which suprised me

Gopher · 12-23-2005, 11:12 AM

IMO the digital readers are crap. The one in my scale routinely reads me as benig over 26% bf, one of the hand held ones at my gym gives me readings ~16% and a test with calipers using 3 test points reads me as being a little under 8%... I don't even waste my time with those digital readers anymore.