How to Calculate Your Body Fat

Understanding how to figure out and maintain your proper physique is imperative to good health and adequate fitness. Some may think that, by cutting back on certain foods and hitting the gym, they are doing everything that needs to be done. In reality, the amount of fat that you have on your body is more important than any of those factors. If you want to be as healthy as you possible can, then you are going to have to know how to calculate your body fat. Luckily, the endeavor is not as difficult as some might think.

1. Know What Body Fat Is

You won’t be able to calculate something if you don’t even know what it is. In short, your body fat is the total sum of fat that exists on your body after all other things are taken out of the equation: organs, bones, muscles, and water weight, among other minor considerations. Depending on your gender, age, and height the amount of fat that exists on your body will vary. The fact of the matter is that everyone on the planet is built just a tad bit differently, so the ideal body fat percentage always varies slightly from person to person.

2. Realize and Accept the Ideal Physique for Your Unique Body Type

If you want to calculate your body fat, you are going to need to know what kind of body you should be working toward. Men tend to have less body fat, especially when they are ripped, than the average woman. Even someone who is in fantastic shape may still have 10 to 20 percent body fat, and the way in which the male and female body holds this fat is vastly different. Think about that when you set out to calculate where you stand, and try not to become disillusioned by your seemingly tight body. Remember, looks can be deceiving.

3. Measure Yourself

Now that you have the knowledge and understanding that you need for this, you can go about finding the best way to calculate your body fat. There are several rather accurate methods from which to choose; here are the two most popular:

Body Fat Calipers – You can usually find these bad boys at your local fitness store or gym for around ten bucks. You use them by pinching an inch and then measuring it with the caliper. Then, you use a chart to calculate your body fat percentage.

YMCA or Navy Measurements – Using a simple tape measurer, you can easily calculate how much body fat you have. Although it is not the most accurate technique, it is one of the easiest methods to find out how your body is doing in regard to body fat content.