Fitness Calculators

Rich   This method is by far 100 times better than using the calipers. While testing for the police academy I had the caliper test performed. I ranked #1 overall for the physical fitness portion but scored a 35.01% body fat. Water displacement is the only accurate method, however, if we remove human error from this method it is not terrible. Often people will round a number to be closer to the more desireable measurement. Other calculators allow for decimals to be used in the measurement. Secondly, the notion of being muscular does not necessarily mean you are lean. Fatty muscle and lean muscle are two separate things. If you are the type of person who wants to have bulk rather than lean, then that is exactly what you will receive. BMI is a general guide for the masses to follow. If you are muscular person you will most likely have in accurate readings. Body Fat %, unless measure through water displacement can not be accurate, however, it does have its uses. - 10/23/2009 8:31:30 AM

Me   Guys: this method is fairly accurate. If you're getting meassured at the narrowest point you're doing the female version (there's your 8% difference user A) also BMI does NOT take into account body composition (fat, muscle, blood, organs) it's just a quick guide for average sedentary people. Finaly, bigger neck = lower body fat (hint to fellow service members) - 9/16/2009 8:01:54 PM

Mike   Women measure around the narrowest point and men measure at the naval. For men 25% and higher is considered obese. For women, it is 33%. This test does not consider extraneous variables. I measured 9% from a water displacement test but 12% on this test because I have well-developed oblique muscles that affect my waist size. - 9/16/2009 11:03:45 AM

Beez   This system really pisses me off. I'm 5'6" and weigh 167 lbs and I'm realatively muscular (my legs, arms and checks have almost no fat) & according to this system and the Air Force I have 21% body fat. However when I had the more accurate method with the calipers done by my personal doctor my body fat came out to 14.8%. I think it is about time that the military got rid of this method because it is strictly for efficiency purposes & adopt the most accurate method. - 9/3/2009 3:50:01 PM

c   well body mass doesnt work for me cause im short with lean mass. my bmi is 29 overweight however according to this i have an acceptable 18% body fat which is about right - 8/20/2009 3:59:26 PM