Measure Body Fat

Body Builders and competitive athletes may need to obsess about their % body fat, but most of us just need a simple, reliable and consistent measurement of progress. There are more than a dozen different techniques for estimating body fat, including infrared and x-ray techniques, and one that involves drinking a radioactive isotope . Keep in mind that any approach gives you an estimate based on various measurements and mathematical formulas, you can't directly measure the fat like you can with weight and height. You would have to go through the inconvenience and mess of removing all the fat from the body, weighing it and replacing it to do that. 

It is best to look at the body fat measurement over time to see changes, and to have it performed by the same competent person using the same equipment. All of the methods have strengths and weaknesses, and research has been conducted to validate them. 

Visit trainercary.com/body-fat for a simple online calculator that you can use to track your body fat on your own. All you need to do is take a few measurements and enter them below. I've found this method to be more accurate than the small machines and scales that are often used, and comparable to - but easier and more convenient than body fat calipers.