How To Measure Body Fat Percentage At Home Accurately

When we look in the mirror and decide we want to lose weight, what we’re actually saying is we want to get rid of excess body fat.

But if it’s body fat we want to lose, why do we obsess with the scale? It’s the easiest metric to gauge whether we are losing weight or not. It just can’t tell us what kind of weight it is. Is it water? Fat? Or heaven forbid muscle mass?

Doctors use BMI to assess health risk because it's easy.

It’s not the best way to assess this as body fat percentage and distribution come into play.

Health is the best reason we’d want to know our body fat percentage. So today, we’re going to look at 4 different ways to assess body fat at home, including one that just requires a measuring tape.

The best way to figure out the accuracy of the different methods would be to compare them to a more expensive measuring device that’s known to be accurate, like a BOD POD or DEXA scan.

I happened to find a study that compared the exact model of handheld fat loss monitor I own. To not only a BOD POD but to a 7 point skin fold analysis done by a skilled technician with callipers, a 5000.00 dollar Research grade bioelectric impedance analyzer and several other consumer-grade bioelectric devices.

The study found that, on average, there was no significant difference between the more expensive testing methods and my handheld fat loss monitor.

We’re going to do an experiment looking at 3 inexpensive ways to measure body fat at home and compare them to the hand monitor.

First, let’s look at how the hand monitor works. It uses bioelectric impedance, sending a weak electrical current through the body. Because of this, if you have a pacemaker, you shouldn’t use this method.

I check my body fat first thing in the morning after I go to the bathroom and weigh myself. I enter in my weight and the other information I’ve pre-programmed. It requires your height, age, sex and if you are an athlete or not.

How you decide if you’re an athlete is by your training and how frequent, intense and long it is. I’ve played around with this setting, and it gives me virtually the same body fat percentage either way.

You hold it out in front of you at approximately 90 degrees from your body, hit start and completely cover the silver electrodes on the handles with your hands.

This morning it came to 10 percent. We want to take the weekly average and compare it to the previous weeks to assess progress.

Now that we have the 10%, let’s see how it compares to the navy body fat calculator. For this method, we need a cloth measuring tape, and for men 2 measurements, we want our neck circumference. The other measurement is our waist, measured at the belly button.

We put this into the calculator with our height and age. It comes to 11.1 percent body fat. So 1.1% different than my handheld. This isn’t bad, considering methods like the DEXA scan are within 1 to 2 percent.

Next, we’ll look at some inexpensive callipers.

There are 3 different ways you can use these callipers. I like the single site and the 3 site locations the best. In theory, the 7 site test is the best, but unless you’re experienced using callipers, it’s just more opportunities to miss measure.

For the single site measurement, you find the top of your hip bone and come up about an inch, pinch the fat horizontally pulling it away from your body.

The 3 point method works better if you have someone to help you. On men, It takes the fat measurements from the halfway point between your nipple and where your shoulder and chest come together by your armpit. The next measurement is to the right of the belly button, and the final one is halfway between the hip and the knee.

[biostaples]

Thanks for the great info!! 🙂
Note: a difference of 10% to 11% isn't a 1% error, it's 10% error (1/10 x 100%).
It is a 1%age unit difference though.

[GreyWolfFitness]

I’ve never heard of the navy method Laurence and it’s reasonable accurate considering how easy it is to do MINT

[ARI-wcxd]

My hand held fat measuring devise had reading 19.5% in the evening and 17.5% in the morning and Navy Body Fat calculator gave me 20.5%. So, I believe that around 19-20% is my body fat. I have long way to go to 12%.

[RageBaiter]

I just use the navy one. So easy to do and doesn't tend to overestimate. As long as it's tracking down I don't worry too much.

[PaxR-rs]

Hi, just to add a bit of information on how to measure body fat with an impedance fat analyzer. The do's and don'ts. This info is copied and pasted from another web site.

The amount and nature of body water affects the validity of most techniques (especially bio-electrical impedance analysis). For this reason, the following guidelines should be followed in preparation for assessment:

Do not eat or drink within 4 hours of testing.
Do not exercise within 12 hours of testing.
Do not consume alcohol within 48 hours of testing.
Do not use diuretics within 7 days of testing.
Do not severely restrict caloric intake within 48 hours of test.
Do void your bladder and colon within 30 minutes of testing.


I would wait at least 8 hours between eating and drinking before taking this type of fat analysis test.

[Bonezz]

Great info sir. Thank you.
And you are shredded! Keep up the good work!

[hustlemuscle]

So I have the omron body fat monitor and used it for years.

I recently went to a weight loss clinic that has the expensive ones. In comparison the omron seems to estimate body fat lower than the ones at the doctors office.

I just add 5% to the omron for a more accurate reading. In the end none of them will be super accurate.

The goal is just to have a starting point and over time lower the bf percentage.

[wonderwhatsnext]

Thanks for the great information. Your videos keep me motivated. How often do you check your body fat? Is it ok to check after a workout or before?

[fazole]

I'm doing this AFTER Christmas. Well after. 😆

[thefix-itguyreviewer]

The skinfold method is the most accurate..

Bodybuilders use it all the time.. You look about 6% body fat.. The handheld electronic devices are always too high they are the most inaccurate.

The Navy SEAL thing or the military one is not accurate because it does not measure how much muscle you have.

If you have big hips someone like me. When I was younger I weighed 155 6'1 I was so skinny.


I still had big hips I had a 38-in waist.

So there goes that measurement right out the door...

The skinfold method is actually measuring your fat!!

[LakseJohn]

My bath scale told me I'm at 27%, according to the Navy way, I'm 17%... I feel body shamed by my own appliance.

[Entrapturing]

Lmao @ the thick cartoon man in the beginning 😂😂😂

[saaimafit]

I did the last test you mentioned but I did used a meter stick and then rounded up. After the calculation the website I used said 10% body fat but i would say im at least 12%-15% body fat

[AnthonyFloresCPA]

Omron now has a scale with a built in fat monitor for only $90 with pretty good reviews and a well rated app. I too bought one 13 years ago for only $27! I wonder why they’re so expensive now. Anyway, hopes that helps someone!

[fredgodfrey]

Do you think you could post more about the Fit Index calculation? Thank you I'd really appreciate it

[The_Conspiracy_Analyst]

If you're dieting, and you can track your calories very accurately (whole foods, weighing portions), and track your activity and weight, then there's another way. You can track your caloric deficit to the weight loss, see what your TDEE was, and estimate your BMR and plug it into the Katch-McCardle formula to get your lean body mass. For me that was accurate within a few percent. Nobody ever mentions this method though.

[ThiagoFernandes-ht]

Great info here, thank u! I'm thinking about buying an onrom hbf306c, starting my cutting this month. I found here in my country for 20$. Would u recommend it? Is it accurate? Thank u

[Trippp]

I bought this same exact model almost 15 years ago. I bought it for like $30 at the time. Why the F is it selling for $500 now? I’m blown away. Is it because they don’t make it anymore?

[CONSACLR]

Thanx 4 sharing, it helped out a lot!!!

[miamidolphinsfan]

that price of $397 is too expensive for me. I'll have to stick with my calipers....not great but it's the affordable one for me