[Fitness Filter]

[digitaldiscipline]

So, the fitness trainer that serves our office was in to do body fat caliper tests, and I'd managed to secure a spot, because, as has been detailed previously, I don't think our Tanita scale can be trusted in that regard.

Boy, was I fucking right about *that.*

Three years ago, when K & I joined Lifestyles, as part of our welcome package, we both did the hand-held electro-resistance test, which said I was at about 23%. Seemed reasonable, since I'd done a lot of ass-sitting and not much ass-busting during my time in New Orleans, New York, DC or Pennsylfuckingvania (weekly (or less-oft) dancing at the club, the occasional helping hand when someone needed a body or bit of furniture moved).

Over the last thirteen months, having left LFF for my own self-directed workouts (which means, basically, giving up the entertainment of spin class and the eye candy in exchange for a little more money in my pocket and less driving). Like a diligent little gym rat, I put together a spreadsheet to track how I'm doing on the scale and with the tape measure, and some progress was made - about 20 pounds down, an inch here, half an inch there, etc - but the body fat number on my scale never went very far - it'd hang around 21, the occasional dip to 19, whatever.

So, the crazy lady (anyone who does triathlons is crazy) whipped out her calipers, pinched here and pinched there, jotted some numbers, consulted her tables, and laid it on me.

14.4%

Well, boy howdy, I feel a whole fucking lot better about myself and all the effort I've been putting in.

Comments

[ms-cantrell.livejournal.com]

congratulations :) my tanita says i'm at 25, and the electro test at the gym and their calipers say i'm at 20, which is why i wish i'd paid less for my scale. the package the tanita came in, however, does say that it isn't designed for athletic people.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering if part of the inaccuracy of mine is because I think it still believes I'm two years younger than I really am (funny story - when I was 16, I had some blood work done to see if there were hormone imbalances of any sort, because I was really small; it turned out that I'm not merely a late bloomer, I'm aging about 10% slower than the calendar says; at sixteen, I had the body of a 14 1/2 year old.... so, carried forward, that two-year discrepancy is if anything, under-reporting *laugh*).

I didn't RTFM that carefully; I wonder if mine said something similar (though I don't feel too badly; it wasn't that expensive).

[ms-cantrell.livejournal.com]

i went back and read the manual after gymrats had a lot of posts complaining about how inaccurate they are. i don't remember how much mine cost [just that it was more than i thought a scale would be], but there's apparently a more expensive version that is designed for athletes, and is somehow more accurate 'if used properly.'

[etcet.livejournal.com]

"press button. step on scale. wait. read numbers."

i'm wondering what, exactly, you can fuck up with that, other than not being barefoot?

[ms-cantrell.livejournal.com]

get on the scale at the same time every day, drink a lot of water at the same times each day, etc.
i don't remember all it says, i don't do any of that, i just push the button with my toe and stand on it. i know the body fat can't be trusted, so i just use it for weight once a week or so.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

"fitness" is a lifestyle.

using a -scale- shouldn't be.

:)

[maelstromsl.livejournal.com]

Calipers are the only way to go :) I'm probably going to duck into my friend's gym in DeLand to see how accurate I've been with the home caliper measurements

Re: :)

[xany.livejournal.com]

Calipers are the only way to go

...or more accurately, "are the most common and accurate way to go, assuming you watch them as a trend over time and average the results."

The most accurate way to check body fat is via hydrostatic body fat testing (http://www.getdunked.com/home/default.asp) where the body is fully immersed in water. Granted, this is pricy; however it is the most accurate method available to modern science.

Calipers are relatively accurate, as long as you're using them to measure the average of trends over time instead of concrete data. Same with hand-held methods or body fat monitoring scales (though these are more prone to fluctuations than the calipers).

[serpentstar.livejournal.com]

Excellent work, mate. :) Great progress.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

(anyone who does triathlons is crazy)

Hey.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

ladies and gentlemen.... exhibit a!

:-)

[angledge.livejournal.com]

HAY.

;-)

[etcet.livejournal.com]

triathlons -and- chaosvizier? you cannot honestly believe we'd buy you're anything but bent, toots. *cheeky grin*