#skinfold

There are many ways to measure your progress. -The bathroom scale will tell you the overall body weight but not the fat to muscle ratio. - Calculating Body Mass Index (BMI) which is similar to a Height Weight chart is used by a lot of industries, but really..... it's not that useful. In fact, its been debunked. -Body measurements can give you a little more info on progress of gaining muscle or losing fat. (as in this previous post)  - Skinfold tests are particularly useful to measure progress ESPECIALLY when trying to measure if  you are gaining muscle vs. losing fat. (a.k.a. Body Composition)

You can have  a skinfold test done by a medical professional or fitness trainer but its easy to learn to measure your own body. When done correctly it is far more accurate than BMI's or the scale.

This is the caliper.

There are expensive fancy ones and there are cheap basic ones. I use the cheap basic (under $10) one and it seems to work just fine. Purchase whatever fits your budget. [Available at pharmacy’s and sporting good stores. Shop around online for the best deal.]

Measuring.  There are 7 potential measuring spots on the body. You can measure at all seven, or use five  or the minimum of three.

These are the spots: 1. Midaxillary Line- armpit level with nipple and arm raised. Pinch vertically. 2. Chest- half way between armpit & nipple. Pinch diagonally. 3. Abdominal- about an inch away from navel. Pinch vertically. 4. Subscapular- just below shoulder blade. Pinch diagonally. 5. Subpralliac- just above hip bone. Pinch diagonally. 6. Tricep- mid point on back of arm. Pinch vertically. 7. Thigh- halfway down front thigh. Pinch vertically.

I do three spots:  triceps, subprilliac and thigh. They are easy to reach. When “pinching” make sure you grab the loose skin/fat with one hand then with the other hand pinch the caliper until the side bar clicks. The gauge will lock on the measurement.  Pinch the chosen sites 3-5 times. Write down your results (in millimeters), and average out your results to calculate.

Calculate your results. There are charts you can refer to that came with the caliper. Or you can do the math long-hand using the formula Developed by Jackson & Pollock.  I like this site. Just plug in your numbers and let it do the mathwork. 

Consistency is the key.  Consistent measuring. Consistent tracking measure once a month or 4 times a year. Plus measuring with the tape should give you a pretty good idea of where you are at.