03 body fat assessment

Body Fat Assessment and Tools

Know your fat mass and set the
right timelines

UNIVERSITY


Visuals
 Why? Assess just like you will be judged
 When to take:
 First thing AM before food and water and after using restroom
 At minimum once per week, leading into show increase frequency
 How to take:
 No overhead lighting, limit shadows
 Natural light is best, place the camera between you and a window
 Next best is lighting in front of you like a bathroom or LED light stands
 Camera 6ft away and waist height, capture only feet to head
 Use a self timer
 All poses that you will be judged on


Estimate Your
Body Fat Men


Estimate Your
Body Fat
Females

Body Fat
Estimates
Bodybuilder

15-20% Body fat

10-13% Body fat

6-9% Body fat

3-5% Body fat


Body Fat
Estimates
Women’s
Physique

20-25% Body fat

15-20% Body fat

12-15% Body fat

7-10% Body fat


Body Fat Testing
• DEXA/Hydrostatic Weighing- ~5%
• BIA ~8-10%

• Skin Fold Sites – 3-5%
• -Track 7 site caliper or 3 largest skin folds
• Navy Seal Method-~3

• rough estimate will overestimate in heavily muscled
• Only need a neck and waist circumference (hips also for females)


Scale
• Why? Objective data for body comp changes. Can have greater
precision of the result of energy intake and expenditure
• When/How
•
•
•
•

Weigh Daily
Fasted after using restroom
Only in underwear
Use the average weight across the week for assessment
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

week 1

240.2 240.4

240 238.8

week 2

238.8

238 238.6 239.4

240

240 239.2
238

Weekly
Average

240

239.8

240

239.0

Change:

0.8


Girth Measures
• Why? Together with scale weight we can gauge fat loss and muscle gain
• Sites
• Chest, arms, waist (at naval, 2” below, 2”above), hips, thighs

• How/When:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Once per week
First thing AM
Use centimeters for accuracy to the 0.1cm
For waist tense it but don’t suck in or push out
Flex arms and measure largest point
Chest, at nipple line, big breath out and measure
Legs measure straight legs
Hips largest point


Fluctuations to Account for
• Sodium and Carb intake
• Fluid intake
• Digestion/Food Volume
• Sleep
• Stress
• Activity Level
• Medications/Hormones/PEDs
• Menstrual Cycle

Your Physique Data
An accurate diagnosis starts with a
thorough assessment

Know your prep duration
Know fat gain verse muscle gain
Know if you are holding water

Know when to adjust training/diet
Fluctuation Assessment

Baseline
weight:
240
height
5'7"
estimated body fat
13
total body fat lbs
31
chest
129.5
L arm
60
R arm
59.8
2" above
87.2

At naval
90.2
2" below
92.4
Hips
106.7
L thigh
73.6
R thigh
73.2
caliper glute
9
caliper lower back
15
weekly wt change: 0.8lbs