Checking your bodyfat is important to your health. You can appear to be slender, but in actuality, you have a relatively high percentage of bodyfat.

There are several methods of determining your percentage of bodyfat. Underwater weighing, circumference measuring, and skinfold calipers are some of the more common methods. According to Donoghue, underwater weighing is more accurate for bodyfat percentages above 40%. For people between 15-40% skinfold calipers and underwater weighing are about equal. For people less than 15%, skinfold calipers are more accurate.

Ideal bodyfat percentages change throughout your life. For men up to age 30, 9-15% is good. From age 30-50, 11-17% is good. From age 50 and beyond, 12-19%. A person should stay at or below this range. The lower end of the range would be considered lean.

For Women under age 30, the range is 14-21%. From 30-50, it is 15-23%. Over 50, the range is 16-25%.

For competitive bodybuilding males, the ideal bodyfat percentage is around 7%. Depending on your body type, some body builders can down as low as 4% during competition. For competitive women bodybuilders, their bodyfat is around 12%.

On this web page I have decided to use the Jackson Pollock data. It is considered more accurate for men under 12% and women below 15% bodyfat. Men measure skinfold measurements in 3 different areas. They measure the skinfolds around the chest, abdomen, and thigh area. Women measure the skinfolds around the tricep, suprailiac, and thigh.

Skinfold calipers generally exert about 10 grams per square millimeter and it is painless. To get an accurate reading, grasp the skin and the underlying layer of fat with your fingers. While continuing to hold the skin, place the jaws about 1/4 inch from your fingers. Completely release the trigger of the caliper so the entire force of the jaw is on the skinfold. It is important to keep firmly holding the fold with the fingers while taking the readings because it is important to measure the thickness of the skinfold, not the force required to keep it folded. The calipers will creep a little to a lower reading then when first applied. When it is finished creeping, that is when you want to write down the measurement. For best results, take 3 different readings and average them.

This is how you measure the skinfolds used to determine the bodyfat for males.
Chest - diagonal fold halfway between the shoulder crease and the nipple.
Abs - vertical fold one inch (2.5 cm) to the right or left of the navel.
Thigh - vertical fold halfway between the knee and the hip.

This is how you measure the skinfold used to determine the bodyfat for females.
Tricep - vertical fold halfway between the shoulder and the elbow.
Suprailiac - diagonal fold at the crest of the hip bone (ilium).
Thigh - vertical fold halfway between the knee and the hip.

Most of the information here was taken from the book How To Measure Your % Bodyfat, written by Wallace C. Donoghue. Calipers and a copy of this book can be purchased from BodyTrends.

All measurements are in millimeters, except weight. Weight can be either pounds or kilograms, it doesn't matter. Age is expressed in years.