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Search Total Fitness America
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Body Fat Analysis - Caliper Test - 7 Site - Women
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creation date:
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July 11, 2006
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last update:
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December 20, 2006
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Introduction
The 7-Site Body Fat Analysis, which is routinely conducted through the use of a subcutaneous (skin-fold) fat-measuring caliper, was developed and perfected by Dr. Andrew S. Jackson (University of Houston) and Dr. Michael L.
Pollock (University of Florida). The testing form below is precisely programmed according to their body fat calculation formulas, which are considered by leading health and medical institutions to be the gold standard in portable, body fat evaluation and assessment.1
Why is body fat analysis so important? Because unlike weighing yourself on the scale, which doesn't really indicate anything at all except....well....your weight, or relying on the "ideal weight-to-height" chart, which is absolutely useless because it doesn't account for musculature, hydration levels or bone size and density, knowing your
body fat percentage is the ONLY reliable insight into your body's true state of leanness! Only a body fat analysis can indicate how many pounds of FAT you are carrying around, since being aware of your total body weight doesn't give you a single clue about your health!
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The 7-Site Body Fat Analysis is relatively accurate in measuring an individual's body fat composition compared to many other fat-measuring methods, thanks to the sobering reality that human beings store a good portion of their
total body fat directly beneath the skin. This specific type of fatty deposition is scientifically referred to as subcutaneous adipose tissue, and the skin-fold caliper specifically utilized in conducting this evaluation takes full
advantage of that biological fact.
There are seven distinct testing sites that are painlessly "pinched" between the tongs
of the caliper, obtaining measurements of skin-fold thickness in millimeters (mm). These seven resulting values are then plugged into the evaluation form below, which calculates your percentage of body fat according to
the formulas developed by Jackson and Pollock, as well as conveniently deriving the seperate weight of your fat and lean tissue in pounds or kilograms!
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According to the established and standardized testing procedures, all measurements are to be taken along the RIGHT side of the test subject's body (regardless of the individual's dominant side).
Listed below are the exact locations of all the seven measuring sites,
brief instructions on the precise methods for taking these measurements, and a corresponding anatomical illustration which visually clarifies and summarizes the testing procedures!
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Note:
Because some of the testing sites involving this analysis are out of easy reach (e.g. subscapula), it is typically cumbersome and ineffective for an individual to perform this test on
themselves. Hence, we highly recommend that you seek a trained fitness professional who is experienced in body fat analysis to conduct this specific test for you, thus
significantly minimizing the occurrence of error and greatly reducing the margins of inaccuracy.
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One-third of the way between upper armpit and nipple.
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One inch to the right of navel.
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Midway between patella (knee cap) and top of thigh.
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Midway between elbow and shoulder.
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Directly below the shoulder blade.
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Directly above the iliac crest (hip bone).
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Directly below the armpit.
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After carefully obtaining the skin-fold thickness of all seven locations, measured in millimeters, it's now time to take those numbers and plug them into the calculation form below, which in turn will figure out your
body fat percentage in relation to your total body mass!
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So now you're aware of your body fat percentage. But what, exactly, does that number indicate? The ultimate goal of this evaluation is to gain an understanding of how your testing results should be interpreted and graded within the scope of wellness.
For that purpose, we have posted a
Body Fat Percentage Grading Chart below. Simply locate your age bracket in the left column, then select the number in the
corresponding row that's closest to your own body fat percentage value. The resulting color "zone" of your body fat percentage represents a general assessment of your state of leanness, according to nationally-established health standards.
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Only one other body fat testing method - known as"hydrostatic" body fat analysis - which requires having the test subject attend a specialized evaluation facility involving the use of bulky
equipment and software, is officially documented and confirmed to be more accurate than caliper-based body fat analysis.
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Don't have a body fat skin-fold caliper handy for this test? That problem can be easily and quickly solved, because the
Accu-Measure Body Fat Caliper ,
available at bodybuilding.com, is an inexpensive
and simple to use tool that affords you the convenience of accurately and discreetly evaluating your body fat composition! Toss that scale out the window, because once you get into the habit of regularly testing your body fat percentage, you'll grow to understand and appreciate why body fat analysis is the only scientifically validated method for gauging your
true state of leanness!
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