3 Ways To check your Body Fat percentage…

FYI. You may want to check your recommendations here regarding your percent of body fat. You are encouraging people to veer into the underweight "unhealthy zone" with your claim that 18-25% body fat (for men) is "Acceptable, but needs work." According to the CDC, 18-25% is the "healthy" range. With under 18% veering into the underweight.

Here's my source: www.cdc.gov

May 16, 2013

I love your site, but guess this calculator is off for some people. You are right it is lower than what the body fat scale says.

I am female, 5'6.5" 150lbs with 24.5 waist, 38.875 hips ( I have been growing my glutes with tons of heavy lifts and it grew from 36.5 to 39 so far) and 12 neck.

The calculator has been saying 23% for months and months, although my measurements and scale weight have gone down, clothes feel different..and my abs are showing..obliques, etc... and my biceps and triceps are showing and have separations..and my calves and quads have some definition. I do carry excess fat on my lowerbody and have more work there to do, but when looking at the picture comparisons above..the first women's comparison, I am definitely between the 15-18% look based on the muscle I can see and the striations on shoulders, etc.

So , my point is for people to not get upset and discouraged when using online calculators. They just aren't accurate and neither are calipers or any other measurement due to many variables. I had ultrasound, under water, caliper tests done all within hours of each other to see...all had wildly different numbers. So there goes that...

Even DEXA scans are inaccurate according to the studies I read.

So, rely on your own measurement progress and your own picture progression. Take pictures and measurements. That will be more telling. Nobody is going to ask you what your weight or body fat percentages are...they are just going to go by what you look like.

I weigh 150 and wear size 2 jeans! So, just wanted to throw that out there for people so they don't get discouraged when using calculators. They mess with your mind lol.

March 27, 2013

This results probably are not much accurate :/

I'm male and with the information i put about me the result was 16,3% of body fat..
It's true that i can't see my abs and its true that i just got a small belly but i'm positive that i should have more than 16,3% of body fat..

March 24, 2013

I am:
Male
Height: 6'3"
Weight:256
Waist: 40
Hip: 48
Neck: 16
What is my Body fat percentage I am a male.

March 16, 2013

Hey age 15
Height 5"5
Neck 15"
Waist 34"
Everytime I do it I get nan :|
Do it for me please

March 10, 2013

I am a 35 y/o and my waist is currently 30", hips 42", and neck 14". I am in the military and these measurements put me on the borderline for body fat failure. I would like to know how to lose at least 2 more inches off my waist without losing inches off my neck (if that is possible)? I don't mind the hips too much because I have a big but and maintain keeping it toned with squats. Your help would be appreciated. Thank you.

February 10, 2013

Hi I am 5 ' 2 , I am 13 and my weight is 52 kg but I am having unstable weight changes. I want a flat belly with visible packs
My dream weight would be 40 please tell me the necessary steps I should take
Thank you

February 06, 2013

Hey im 6 feet tall and am about 12 stone not sure what that is in pounds but anyways im not fat and im not really skinny but im looking to build up my chest and arms more and get a bit of detail on my abs , when i flex i can see ive got a six pack but with a bit of help from the light angled on it haha , does the sledge hammer work out really work all them areas , chest arms and abs , would it get me ripped , in the mean time ill b going to the gym 3 days a week , im 19 if that helps , any sujestions anyways

February 04, 2013

I`m an average skinny guy and i just started working out this past week. I want to start gaining mass. I just want be a bigger guy. Now, i have a little gut. A little body fat. I don`t if I should start doing AB exercises or cardio fat destroying exercises. I wouldn`t even say its fat, nothing major anyway. A little belly lol. If i suck my gut in, my stomach is literally flat. I don`t have any stretch marks. Apparently my body fat (bmi) is 22%. Anyway, I am trying to gain mass (get bigger) .. though i want to get abs. How it this gonna work? I`m just confused on what exercises or cardio i should do to get rid of my stomach fat-gut and also maintain to gain mass(put weight on)

January 25, 2013

Hello Adrian. I am a 14 year old girl who is 5'2'' and weighs around 110 lbs. I am not overweight, but I do have some fat I'd like to lose and my ultimate goal is to reach 105 lbs. According to this, I have a 22% body fat percentage. What I'm aiming for is just to get rid of my belly fat and my thigh fat in a way that would be healthy for a growing 14 year-old girl. I don't want to become "ripped," nor am I concerned with showing off any "muscles" (I find the pictures of women with body fat below 18% to be rather ghastly anyway, and not something I'd really want to look like). I really would like to just seem thinner without going to unhealthy extents. Any suggestions?
By the way, I am keeping track of my calories and I am a sprinter on the track and field team. However, in the middle of exam week when I have off from school for studying I find it to be a problem with intermittent snacking between my meals. It's getting out of hand, and while I don't eat foods that are unhealthy, I simply eat too much in between (instead of the 1300 calorie diet needed to lose a few pounds, I'm eating more around 1500 calories and am stuck at 110 for now). Coming from a family with hearty appetites to begin with, it's difficult for me to manage to eat smaller portion sizes than they do when it comes proper mealtime, so eating "five to six small meals" is out of the question. All I really need to do is just stop this unnecessary snacking. Could you possibly offer me some advice on this?

Thanks,
Elle

January 22, 2013

I'm 5'1.8'' and weigh 108 lbs but apparently I'm 27.51% in body fat? I am apparently near obese and overweight, even with a BMI of 19.9. Am I really that fat? I guess I suck even more than I thought. Goddamnit.

January 20, 2013

Hey Adrian, I need HELP!! I'm a 24yr old female I weigh 184lbs at 5'6 and a body fat % through this site is supposedly 43% ;( but my body is weird I have put myself on a weight loss rollercoaster for the past 3 years! I have lost...gained...lost...gained and my problem is I would go on a 1200 cal diet and run 2hrs a day I wasn't doing any training which has really made me have the flabbiest of skin like no definition at all, can I fix this?? I'm sad. HELP!!! Will I ever be fit. Also last year I was pretty successful when I lost 25lbs and got down to 161 but gained it all back, what to do. Where can I get the free dvd... Thanks!

January 19, 2013

I'm probably at 25% body fat... I weigh 124.4 lbs and I'm 5ft 2.5inches. I want to join the field and track team and to do this I need to lose about 15-20 pounds... My ultimate goal is 3 months but if I can do it before than with 5-6 days a week of exercising I will! I eat healthy already so that's not a problem. I would look good with 15%
images.tvrage.com
The problem is in my thighs, arms, and STOMACH big time! Oh, and my butt jiggles a lot too :(
What's the day to day strength and cardio instructions? I would prefer to do strength only 3 times a week and cardio 5-6 times.

December 21, 2012

Hi! I had a question, can a person who has a 45 inch waist line ever have a flat stomach? I am about 5'5 and weight around 205. Also is there a way to avoid sagging skin after weight loss,like around the waist, and the inner thighs?Thanks,
Cassandra

December 05, 2012

Hi Adrian
I'm 49 and weigh around 73kg, about 5ft 8in tall, my body fat is 20.19, usually been physically active. what should I do to reduce my body fat and increase muscle weight ?
Thanks
Vivek
(India)

November 27, 2012

Hi Adrian I am 26,35% i want to reduce fat and built muscle. I would like to have a fitness model body :-) no bikini (is too thin) I like natural female muscles. What meal and workout plan you recommend me?
Pd. I am woman

November 25, 2012

hi adrian,

i live in the philippines and i am a female. I am on a healthy diet but my belly fat seems so stubborn. i just gave birth. i also do exercise. I just want to get an effective fat burner that is available in the philippines. please help.

November 05, 2012

I've just doen my measurements, and came out at 22.5%. (5'8, waist 28inches, hips 37). Id be very pleased with this as my home body fat scales are consistently measuring me at 28/29 %!! How do I know which reading is most accurate and why is there such a big difference?! (I'm 29 yrs old, female)

November 02, 2012

This scale on this site said I have 33.4 percent body fat, but i really think it's more like 31 or 32 but that is not too bad off. I know it needs to be lower but it's just not right now. and someone that was complaining about a body fat of 25 percent stop it that is not high at all.

September 23, 2012

I have been in a struggle to long and am ready to get rid of this. I know it did not go on quick and it won't come off fast. Ok! I am a female and weight 264 and desire to weigh 180? If I lose any more than that I would look like a chicken by the head.

August 17, 2012

Hi Adrian, I have a 14% body fat percentage,I am quite fit and exercise daily for anything up to 1-2 hours plus usually another hour of weight lifting. I would like to know what i have to do to be able to clearly see my six pack, My chest is flat but i can only see some of my six pack when i tense,can you tell me what i need to do to clearly see it?

July 30, 2012

hey male here sir my height is 5'7 and neck is 14 inches and waist is 30 i keep writhing this in the calulator but the answer comes nan why? could you please do it for me thank you :)

July 19, 2012

I am 5'3", 21 years old. I weigh about 120. (Waist 25". Hips 36") My body fat percentage came out as 20.22% First within what percentage of accuracy would you say this test is? And secondly, what is your best tip for maintaining weight? I've never really weighed more than I do now. I prefer myself at about 115 simply because my clothes seem to fit best at that weight. It is not difficult for me to lose, but it can be difficult to keep the scale from creeping back up, especially in the summertime, which is funny because I actually eat less. Any tips?

July 17, 2012