Bodyfat % from Bod Pod Testing

[OldGHGuy]

Went for body composition testing for the first time using the Bod Pod. (Air displacement vs Water displacement). This method, as claimed by the manufacturer, is supposed to be as accurate as the underwater method (see attached data sheet).

I found the experience to be very quick, easy and informative. And at $40, very inexpensive.

 

[malfeasance]

Well?

What was your result?

Is this a "before" or an "after" measurement?

 

[readalot]

Went for body composition testing for the first time using the Bod Pod. (Air displacement vs Water displacement). This method, as claimed by the manufacturer, is supposed to be as accurate as the underwater method (see attached data sheet).

I found the experience to be very quick, easy and informative. And at $40, very inexpensive.

Decent method. Lines up pretty good with other fun methods. I personally like the old body measurement equations which are also decent for rough estimates. Mirror don't lie.

Hard to cheat the waist circumference to height ratio.

 

[malfeasance]

Hard to cheat the waist circumference to height ratio.

Eh, different builds have different waist measurements. Indeed, your waist measurement will change with age (grow) independent of your body fat level.

I was a little shocked in my 50s at what my waist measured with so little body fat remaining that I looked disgusting in real life (but looked awesome with stage lighting and a spray tan!)

 

[OldGHGuy]

Well?

What was your result?

Is this a "before" or an "after" measurement?

The point of the post was to inform on the Body Pod, not to discuss my own results.

 

[readalot]

Eh, different builds have different waist measurements. Indeed, your waist measurement will change with age (grow) independent of your body fat level.

I was a little shocked in my 50s at what my waist measured with so little body fat remaining that I looked disgusting in real life (but looked awesome with stage lighting and a spray tan!)

Visceral fat or organ growth?

You have a good point.

 

[malfeasance]

Visceral fat or organ growth?

You have a good point.

I do not know the answer, but I sincerely doubt it was visceral fat when I was in that condition.

 

[readalot]

I do not know the answer, but I sincerely doubt it was visceral fat when I was in that condition.

I'm with you. My waist circumference right now is about 2" more at 40 lbs higher body weight. BF% about the same. Obviously that means I am carrying around more absolute pounds of fat.

Reay irritating my limbs are 0% BF and waist/lower back feel like 20%.

Waist to height ratio just a decent metric for "am I in decent shape?". Target less than 0.5.

 

[malfeasance]

I'm with you. My waist circumference right now is about 2" more at 40 lbs higher body weight. BF% about the same. Obviously that means I am carrying around more absolute pounds of fat.

Reay irritating my limbs are 0% BF and waist/lower back feel like 20%.

Waist to height ratio just a decent metric for "am I in decent shape?". Target less than 0.5.

I am talking about on stage, though. Like an unhealthy low body fat, Christmas tree lower back, striated glutes, and so on . . .

And still my waist was larger than when I was in my early 20s with a higher body fat level.

Your structure changes over time.

Also, individuals are different. Branch Warren's waist as compared to Chris Bumstead.

This was just a long way of saying that waist to height ratio is not a good way of measuring body fat . . .

but grabbing at those love handles on the lower back is!

 

[readalot]

Summary of Bodyfat Estimation Equations - Copy into MS Excel

May save you some time from posing the question on here…what’s my bodyfat %? If you can’t get a consensus under 15% mean with +/-3% SD then decent chance the answer is too darn high. Could also use the quick rule of thumb: waist-to-height ratio: keep it <=0.5 --see more info in the thread...

t-nation.com

Sorry for dumb email firewall. If useful to anyone interested. Mean estimate lined up well with BodPod for me. Equations can be copied straight into Excel.

 

[readalot]

I am talking about on stage, though. Like an unhealthy low body fat, Christmas tree lower back, striated glutes, and so on . . .

And still my waist was larger than when I was in my early 20s with a higher body fat level.

Your structure changes over time.

Also, individuals are different. Branch Warren's waist as compared to Chris Bumstead.

This was just a long way of saying that waist to height ratio is not a good way of measuring body fat . . .

but grabbing at those love handles on the lower back is!

Yep and where individual distributes bodyfat. At 8% BF all my fat is around my waist and lower back. Not homogenous at all. Would need surgery to get some kind of Xmas tree lower back. I don't know anything about that.

 

[bighunanballs]

Do you have a comparison to DEXA scan

 

[readalot]

This was just a long way of saying that waist to height ratio is not a good way of measuring body fat

And just to state the obvious from link above...need weight and height as well. Some formulas also use neck.

Overall, cheap, decent method for most. Competitive BBs don't care what their actual BF level is. Lower the better and pinch plus mirror all they need from my understanding.

 

[malfeasance]

Yep and where individual distributes bodyfat. At 8% BF all my fat is around my waist and lower back. Not homogenous at all. Would need surgery to get some kind of Xmas tree lower back. I don't know anything about that.

LOL at the surgery comment. You just need to keep cutting. I was shredded from the front but had a covering of fat on my lower back. It was the absolute last thing to go.

There is no such thing as spot reduction. If there is fat, regardless of where it is, you just need to burn it up and not replace it with food.

Somewhere is going to be the last place where fat needs to be burned off. If it is not the lower back (which is a common location for stubborn fat), then it will be somewhere else, but all that means is that a few more weeks of cutting will get rid of it.

It was very uncomfortable, to say the least, but I pushed myself to my limit and even got there a little early - I had to back off cardio and increase my calories at the ending weeks of prep, but that is because I did not cheat and was very dedicated for the entire 16 weeks, making progress the entire time.

 

[readalot]

LOL at the surgery comment. You just need to keep cutting. I was shredded from the front but had a covering of fat on my lower back. It was the absolute last thing to go.

There is no such thing as spot reduction. If there is fat, regardless of where it is, you just need to burn it up and not replace it with food.

Somewhere is going to be the last place where fat needs to be burned off. If it is not the lower back (which is a common location for stubborn fat), then it will be somewhere else, but all that means is that a few more weeks of cutting will get rid of it.

It was very uncomfortable, to say the least, but I pushed myself to my limit and even got there a little early - I had to back off cardio and increase my calories at the ending weeks of prep, but that is because I did not cheat and was very dedicated for the entire 16 weeks, making progress the entire time.

Congrats on getting there! Only spot reduction I was talking about was surgical. I would never do it.

You are right though I haven't taken it far enough probably if that was my goal.

 

[malfeasance]

Congrats on getting there! Only spot reduction I was talking about was surgical. I would never do it.

You are right though I haven't taken it far enough probably if that was my goal.

Oh, I am "bodybuilding fat" now, LOL. That is the stage where other guys in the gym and the normal population think you are in "fantastic shape" but deep down you know you are skinny fat, and a glance in the mirror shirtless confirms it.

But even 12% body fat looks lean to outsiders when you are closer to 60 years old than 50. It is just not something most folks are used to seeing.

 

[readalot]

Oh, I am "bodybuilding fat" now, LOL. That is the stage where other guys in the gym and the normal population think you are in "fantastic shape" but deep down you know you are skinny fat, and a glance in the mirror shirtless confirms it.

But even 12% body fat looks lean outsiders when you are closer to 60 years old than 50. It is just not something most folks are used to seeing.

Amen!

If I'm not getting a disgusted look at the gym I know I am slacking.