Do you select "athlete mode?"

[andtckrtoo]

Oh, I don't know Tanja - not all of us "Athletes" have a low body fat. We just have a higher concentration of muscle.

[Sharaz]

I think I have my scale set as Athlete for my weekly weigh in, but for BF test I use the caliper which is more accurate. The water test is the most accurate method of all, but is inconvenient.

If someone is serious on getting a more accurate BF reading I recommend the caliper which cost less that $15. I measure mine on a monthly basis or sometimes in a longer period, well my BF because doing the test by yourself can be tedious but is doable. I do it by myself sometimes, it takes a lot of practice. For better accuracy I prefer someone else to take the test. I enter the data on the following link. There are six methods. The Jackson Pollock 3 method is the most used by PT. Then you look at the end and check if you truly are on the athlete range. I love this tool, you don't have to calculate anything.

http:////www.linear-software.com/online.html

[lila_says]

Thanks SharazPR for the link, it looks really good.

[Helen]

I set mine to athlete years ago. I've not thought about it since. I'm heading down now to see what difference it makes to the numbers!

[Lucky Star]

According to the directions for many scales and monitors, we'd mostly be considered to measure in the athletic range.
I wouldn't worry about it - I think true athletes use more exacting and accurate methods than we do.

[ddj]

Originally Posted by Lucky Star

I wouldn't worry about it - I think true athletes use more exacting and accurate methods than we do.

True, but we want results that are as accurate as possible or we wouldn't bother. And if you get very different results on "athlete mode" you would want to know which one was the most accurate for you.

[Sharaz]

Originally Posted by lila_says

Thanks SharazPR for the link, it looks really good.

You are welcome

[KarenJo]

Personally, I really only need relative - is my fat% decreasing. I know that my scale will give different percentages depending on my hydration level, since it measures resistance. The most consistant level for both fat% and weight for me is first thing on getting up when my hydration level is most consistant. The fat% won't be acurate in absolute value but I'm comparing apples to apples.

If I were using calipers, I'd stick with one person measuring. When I was in nursing school we did the experiment and found that, even after training, different people varied from each other but were consistent with their own previous readings. And all of us were wildly off the first time we measured without training in relation to approximation based on other measurements. Training basically was a descrption of how hard to pinch and practice.

Water immersion is the most acurate, but still has a level of error. But, the tables of healthy fat %s are based on the trials Covert Baily did of people whose fitness level and general health level he'd had tested. So it does correspond well to those tables.

And, since I have a nephew who is a professional athlete, I know I'm no where near the levels of activity 'real' athletes put in. Not that I think the 'athlete' setting on my scale is meant for him. I don't think he has enough baody fat to register correctly at any setting.

[macska]

Originally Posted by SharazPR

I think I have my scale set as Athlete for my weekly weigh in, but for BF test I use the caliper which is more accurate. The water test is the most accurate method of all, but is inconvenient.

If someone is serious on getting a more accurate BF reading I recommend the caliper which cost less that $15. I measure mine on a monthly basis or sometimes in a longer period, well my BF because doing the test by yourself can be tedious but is doable. I do it by myself sometimes, it takes a lot of practice. For better accuracy I prefer someone else to take the test. I enter the data on the following link. There are six methods. The Jackson Pollock 3 method is the most used by PT. Then you look at the end and check if you truly are on the athlete range. I love this tool, you don't have to calculate anything.

http:////www.linear-software.com/online.html

This is the best, I've been using it for years. The reading is similar to the hand hold monitor as well if I lie about my age.