How To Calculate Your Body Fat

Are you conscious of your body fat? If yes, then this article is perfect for you. Calculating body fat percentage allows you to know about the actual amount of fat present in your body. However, bear in mind, body fat percentage means different things on different levels. While body builders need to have 2-5% body fat, to compete efficiently, for an average person 5% fat is too less and can cause serious health problems. The other factors that need to be considered while deciding the perfect body fat percentage are your age and gender.

 

There is a marked difference between healthy body fat percentage required by men and women.Women are better off with higher body fat percentages than men, because higher fat levels ensure safer pregnancy. Talking about the percentage, in case your body fat ishigher than the highest-listed healthy percentage or lower than the lowest healthy percentage, you need to make proper adjustments for attaining healthy body fat percentage. In the following lines, we have provided information on how to calculate your body fat percentage and its chart, using a generic formula.

Step 1: You need to multiply your bodyweight by 1.082.

Step 2: Add the step 1 result to 94.42. Save the number.

Step 3: Multiply your waist girth by 4.15.

Step 4: Subtract the step 3 result from the number obtained in step 2. The result, thus obtained, marks your lean bodyweight.

Step 5: Subtract the lean body weight from your total bodyweight (Total weight - Lean Bodyweight).

Step 6: Multiply the step 5 result by number 100.

Step 7: Divide the step 6 result by your total bodyweight. This final result will be the percentage of your body fat.

Step 1: The first step would be to multiply your bodyweight by 0.732

Step 2: Now, add the result obtained above to 8.987.

Step 3: Divide your wrist circumference by 3.14.

Step 4: Multiply your waist measurement by 0.157.

Step 5: Multiply your hip measurement by 0.249.

Step 6: Multiply your forearm measurement by 0.434

Step 7: Now, add results of step 2 & 3.

Step 8: Subtract step 4 result from that obtained in step 7.

Step 9: Subtract step 5 result from step 8 result

Step 10: Add the results of step 6 & 9. This would be your lean body mass.

Step 11: Subtract the derived lean body mass from your actual bodyweight.

Step 12: Multiply the step 11 result by 100.  

Step 13: Divide the step 12 result by your actual bodyweight. This would be your body fat percentage.

Note: The body fat percentage chart is as per ACE (American Council on Exercise).