Caliper - individual skin fold thickness meter

A fat caliper is a device for measuring one of the most important indicators for losing weight. Often, the percentage of subcutaneous fat is simply forgotten, focusing only on the readings of the arrow of the scale and the centimeter for measuring volume.

The approach is not entirely correct, because everyone involved in figure correction wants to get rid of fat, and not muscles, which have a much higher density. In addition, people of the same weight and height can look like fit athletes or pudgy fatties, depending on their body fat percentage.

Is it possible to accurately determine your fat percentage?

There are several ways to determine this indicator relatively accurately and quickly. Some of them are complex and suitable only for medical institutions. Two are ideal for independent use at home.

Visual determination of fat percentage

An extremely simple household method. Invite your loved ones and evaluate your own figure in the mirror. After that, select a series of photographs of public people with a similar figure and stated body fat percentage.

The big advantage of this method is that it is accessible and free. The downside is possible bias, in which a person unconsciously classifies himself among slimmer people.

Determination using a caliper

A subcutaneous fat caliper is a special measuring device for determining the size of the fat folds in different areas of your figure. After measuring using tables for men and women, the percentage of fat tissue is determined separately.

There are 2 measurement methods:

• For women. The first fold is pinched from behind the arm, between the elbow and shoulder joints. The second fold is grabbed on the side diagonally under the lower rib and femur. At the waist, a vertical fold of fat is taken into a caliper at a distance of 3 cm to the side of the umbilical cavity.
• For both sexes. The first fold is measured in the same way as in the first method. The second is measured on the front surface of the forearm, vertically. The third crease is measured diagonally on the back between the shoulder blade and the pelvic bones.

After taking measurements with a caliper, the percentage of fat from the total volume is calculated:

% fat = (A-B+C) + 4.03653, where:

Parameter A - 0.41563 x (total sum of all fat folds in millimeters)

Parameter B - 0.00112 x (the total sum of all fat folds in millimeters, squared)

Parameter C - 0.03661 x age in years

Depending on gender and age, different values ​​are acceptable:

The advantages of the method include insignificant costs: the price of a caliper for measuring subcutaneous fat will fit into any budget and ranges between 500 and 800 rubles.

The norm of visceral fat in a woman’s body

The above methods measure total body fat percentage. Human internal organs are normally surrounded by a thin layer. It's called visceral fat. Its quantity can be determined by comparing waist circumference and hip circumference. Another option is ready-made indicators.

Visceral fat norm for women:

How to use a fat caliper correctly

The technique is very simple: you need to straighten up, grab a fold of skin and fat with your fingers and measure it. The caliper has special handles with which the fold is taken, and the result obtained is displayed on the scale.

Often there are 2 scales on the device:

1. In millimeters
2. In inches.

This is done for the convenience of all users, regardless of which measurement system they are used to.

Using a body fat caliper is easy, but the first time you use it, you may need some help to assess the correct grip.

How to Calculate Muscle Mass Percentage

To calculate muscle mass, the most accurate and common method is the Matejka formula. First you need to make the following measurements.

You need to measure the thickness of the fold with a caliper or caliper:

1. on the front of the shoulder (biceps)
2. on the back of the shoulder (triceps)
3. on the forearm
4. on the front thigh
5. on the shin

Use a measuring tape to measure the girth:

• shoulder
• forearms
• hips
• shins

Formula for determining skeletal muscle mass (SMM)

where DT is height (m), k=6.5, r is the average circumference of the shoulder, forearm, thigh and lower leg without subcutaneous fat and skin, determined by the formula

Shoulder circumference is measured in a calm state at the place of greatest development; forearm girth - in the place of greatest muscle development on a freely hanging arm, the muscles are relaxed; calf girth - in the place of greatest development of the calf muscle; The thigh circumference is measured under the gluteal fold, the body weight is evenly distributed on both legs, located shoulder-width apart. The folds are determined in the same position and places as the girths.

To calculate muscle mass as a percentage, divide muscle mass by weight in kilograms and multiply by 100.

Caliper Features

When taking measurements, it is necessary to remember that all conditions are met:

• Measurements are always taken on the right side, in a relaxed position,
• Before measurements, you may need to set the pointer to a specified position (in some models this is 50),
• Always hold the caliper in one hand, with your thumb on the upper lever and your index finger on the lower lever,
• When taking measurements, the caliper handles should be strictly perpendicular to the drawn skin fold,
• Don't press too hard. Many models are equipped with a pressure indicator that changes color when the desired compression is achieved. Don't miss this moment
• An electronic caliper for measuring subcutaneous fat is quite accurate, but the readings must be recorded to within one millimeter.

When taking your first measurements, do not rush; take several measurements at once. If the caliper readings differ by more than 2 millimeters, take a control measurement and use the arithmetic average of all measurements in your calculations.

To collect individual statistics, it is recommended to record all measurements. This way you can not only track the dynamics of changes in the percentage of fat in the body, but also calibrate the device.

You should not get carried away with reducing body fat: in healthy adult men who engage in physical exercise, this percentage should not be less than 4-5%. For women this figure is 10-15%. Below this value, health problems, including reproductive health, may begin.

Caliper - a device for measuring subcutaneous fat

Hi all!

In today's review, I want to share with you my impressions of the caliper I recently received - a device for measuring subcutaneous fat. I will say right away that this product is far from essential, but it is still interesting to find out how fat you are, especially considering that this purchase is expensive Well, you can’t call it anything.

So, in order to satisfy my own curiosity, a caliper was ordered. Since I don’t plan to use it for a particularly long time or often, I initially looked for the most budget option. Oddly enough, it was found on eBay with a price of $0.90. More out of habit than out of necessity, before placing an order, the seller was checked using a local service. The check showed that it is reliable and you can safely place an order without fear of negative consequences. Anyone can familiarize themselves with the data obtained as a result of the verification using this link.

The parcel was sent the next day after payment. It took her about 1.5 months to get from China to Belarus. It is unknown where she disappeared all this time, since there was no track.

The seller did not fuss much with the packaging and sent the caliper in a regular gray plastic envelope. I didn't even bother to wrap it in bubble wrap. The contents of the parcel looked like this:

As you can see, here we have a caliper, as well as a small two-sided black and white instructions in English. The caliper itself looks like this:

What is a caliper? This is a device whose main purpose is to measure the thickness of the skin fold. If the measurement process is approached carefully and the correct methodology is used, it is possible to fairly accurately determine the total percentage of body fat, as well as estimate the percentage of subcutaneous fat.

Visually, the caliper is something very reminiscent of pliers with a fixed scale from 0 to 70 millimeters.

There are no special complaints about this device. The plastic does not smell, there are no casting residues (burst), all marks are applied evenly and can be read without problems.

For more convenient use, the caliper has a protrusion for your finger. To prevent it from slipping, there is a corresponding pattern on the ledge:

Dimensions:

In principle, there is nothing interesting in its appearance. The most interesting thing in the instructions: it says how to use it, and there is also a table in accordance with which calculations are made. As I already wrote, the instructions are double-sided, black and white, in English. Its contents look like this:

If you don’t go into too much detail, the instructions for its use boil down to the following: stand up straight, find a point slightly above the hip, to the right of the navel, just below, pinch the skin and fat in this place with your fingers and measure the thickness of the resulting fold with a caliper. It is important to hold the fold of skin with your hands so that the caliper measures only the thickness of that fold. You may notice that immediately after pinching, the caliper may “crawl”, after a couple of seconds the “crawl” will slow down, then it is necessary to record the measurement. Before releasing the caliper, the measurement must be recorded on the scale. The resulting figure in millimeters and age must be compared with a table showing fat levels. And lastly, the data for women and men is different, so you should carefully choose the appropriate table so as not to confuse anything. To make it easier to understand, I present the table in Russian and in multi-colored versions.

In order not to overdo it with pressure and not to hurt yourself in an attempt to appear slimmer than you really are, there is a special mark on the caliper. Indicators must be taken when the arrows are aligned.

Well, and, in fact, what everything was started for - real tests. To begin with, my result: height 188, weight 80, age 35, waist circumference about 89 cm.

I didn’t press enough to align the arrows, and the angle wasn’t very good—it wasn’t convenient to take a photo with one hand and squeeze the caliper with the other. But the result is more or less visible. It turned out to be something like 14 mm. If you compare this value with the data from the table, it turns out that I’m not even fat

A little later, my wife came up. Her height is 166, weight 58, age 35.

This time the arrows aligned. As it turned out, her marks coincide at approximately the same value. She is about 12 millimeters. By following this path, she and I reached the “ideal” level, which to me, a person with correct self-criticism, did not seem entirely consistent with reality. And this made me think that we were doing something wrong. After googling, I found out that one measurement is not enough. The caliperometry method is a measurement of the thickness of skin-fat folds in certain areas of the body (usually from two to eight). From two to eight! But most often there are four of them: side, shoulder blade, biteps and triteps. All measurements are taken on the right side of the body. Like that:

So, after adding up all these values, the results were no longer so rosy. My 14 mm increased to approximately 22 mm, thereby moving from the “ideal level” to the “average”, which, in principle, corresponds to reality. The wife’s values ​​​​also changed (grew up until about 19). According to the table, my body fat percentage is 23.4, my wife’s is 28.2. Conclusion: it’s time to lose weight, quit with pizzas, pies and other dough and meat delicacies

In conclusion, I want to say that the caliper is a really cool thing. Of course, for those who constantly play sports, it is more necessary than for me. But even I was interested to know what my fat content was. Well, in the process of working on yourself, you can track the process of reducing “fat reserves” not by eye, but accurately, enjoying the results achieved

That's probably all. Thank you for your attention and your time.

Classification

There are many types of calipers on the market that vary greatly in price, quality, accuracy, reliability, ease of use. Below are some types of calipers.[15]

Measuring Tips

• Measure the crease on the right side of the body
• Do not use the caliper in areas with damaged or diseased skin.
• To capture the fold correctly and without difficulty, do it on dry skin, without creams and lotions.
• In obese people, the preferred method of determining body fat is to measure circumferences with a metric tape.
• Do not take measurements after physical activity or bathing, as the skin fold may increase due to the accumulation of fluid under the skin.
• Women should not take measurements during their period due to the usual weight gain during this period.
• To obtain correct body composition results, take measurements at the same time of day and using the same caliper.
• To grasp the same fold with your fingers, a little experience is required. The first time you measure, practice until you get the same results.[14]