Went and had a professional do an 8 point caliper test and I am pretty sure it is about 15% off. Very reputable trainer locally. The reading came back at just over 6%. Here are a couple of pics relaxed from today. I have no dexa of bod pod options in my area and I need to get an idea of what I really am. My bio scale says 21%. I am 6’2 192. I am currently on a bulk at 4000 cals and have gained 4 pounds in the past 2 months but don’t seem to be gaining any further. I don’t want to get i to “fat territory”. The issue is I have gained weight but none of my measurements have changed except my waist. Arms, chest, quads and calves remain the same as before starting a bulk. How can an 8 point caliper measurement be so wrong.
Just have the same guy do the measurements next time. You have a baseline established now.
The reason you’re most likely not seeing much change in your measurements is because you’ve only gained 4lbs in 2 months. Most likely the increased abdominal size is due to food/water mass in the gut.
So in theory, I may need more than the 4k I am eating.
By using the word theory and may, there’s no other option for me to agree. Because may means that it could be needed, or it could also not be needed.
From a purely logical standpoint though, if you are eating 4k calories and not gaining weight, you would need to eat more than 4k calories to gain weight.
I like the way you think lol. Gonna have to throw some dirty fiids in. 4k clean on chicken, rice and lean sirloin keeps me quite full all day. Maybe i’ll add some oils in.
I like avocados as a fat source.
There’s error in the formula (it is probably documented somewhere), there is imprecision in the calipers, then there are all sorts of issues with the tester themselves.
It’s basically like trying to measure windspeed using a crappy windmill and a stopwatch
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So you think the scale is more accurate at 21%?
If the calipers read 6%
And the scales read 21%
Then a true bodyfat of below ~13.5% would make the calipers more accurate and above that would make the scales more accurate.
I’m no expert but I’d expect you to have body fat in the mid teens rather than low teens, so scales.
So perhaps a long bulk is not the best of ideas until maybe getting to 10-12%. Sad part is I cut some months back from 215 at a high bodyfat to 185. Ill atach the before and after. Since cutting I have put 4-5 pounds back on but look waaaaaaaay softer than when I first cut. Not sire what bf I was before cut or after but it was definitely a difference.
That’s a great cut.
It’s fun to know things like body fat but why does it matter? Are you trying to bulk while staying in a particular body fat range?
Why are you bulking after a successful cut?
The truth about body fat is that the exact number is irrelevant. If you like the way you look but the calipers say you’re 18% then are you going to be suddenly unhappy? If the calipers say 9% but you think you’re soft then are you going to be happy?
Bottom line is that you looked great at 185. I’m coming off a 30+ lb cut and I’m just going to hang out for awhile. I’ve also accepted that I can’t gain weight (quality weight) quickly. I’m not going to gain 15 lbs just for 1 lb of muscle. I’d rather slowly add that 1 lb over time instead of bulking and cutting.
If you’re worried about your fat during a bulk then you could measure your quad, abdomen, and chest with calipers but just use the measurements as a guide. Don’t put them into an equation to determine body fat; just use them for reference.
Currently on test eq stack for 14 weeks. Want to maximize gains. Besides, 185 at 6’2 is skinny any way you slice it.
This must be why Eddie hall got someone to come use calipers instead of getting a dexa or the bod pod. Because it would say he is lower. Also saw an athlean x video where he said some one from the NFL was measured 0% or some shit so it is obviously not all that accurate
I would be real sad if a bodpod had me in the high teens… that would tell me that before my cut I was prolly mid 20’s maybe higher. I am only up 6 pounds from the after pic in my cut photo. I cant imagine being in the mid teens in that pic. Maybe I was and the lighting just helped who knows.
Did you pay for this professional caliper testing? You look good, but you’re not 6 percent - you know that, and a “reputable” trainer would know that right off the bat.
CT wrote an article (possibly on his ThibArmy site) about body fat testing and everyone’s obsession. He attended a clinic and had his body fat test by professional coaches in the industry and there was more than 10% variability from one person to the next. Those were trained professionals!! It just proved that there’s a lot of operator error involved. Its only use is to have the same person check you each time to track changes, but I wouldn’t worry about the body fat percentage part.