How to Take Waist & Neck Measurements to Determine Body Fat

If you are trying to watch your weight you may also want to stay on top of your percent body fat. Your weight on the scale does not always tell the full story. In order to maintain good health you need to keep your body fat levels low as well. If you are just starting exercising, you may lose fat but gain muscle. This means you may actually gain weight or the scale may not budge. However, you are healthier as you have a lower amount fat. There are many ways to determine your body fat.

Instructions

Calculating Your Body Fat

• 1

  Using a tape measure, wrap the tape around the smallest part of your waist. The tape should be snug but not tight and not over clothing. Your abdominal muscles should be relaxed. Record this number.

• 2

  Next, wrap the tape around your neck at the smallest point. It should slope down slightly in the front. Keep the neck relaxed and the head straight. Record this number.

• 3

  Measure your height without shoes. You also need to know your current weight. You can not figure out your body fat composition without knowing these numbers. Having to little information will not provide you with accurate results.

• 4

  If you are female you also need to measure your hips. Since a woman's body composition is very different from a male, it is necessary to measure the hips as well. Wrap the tape around your hips, below your navel at their widest point. Wrap the tape snugly but do not pull it tight.

• 5

  Use an online calculator to determine your results. Visit the links below for calculators where you can plug in your measurements and have the results in seconds.

• 6

  To figure it out yourself, if you are male plug the measurements into this formula. Percent body fat equals (86.010*LOG((abdomen)-(neck)))-(70.041*LOG(height))+36.76 LOG refers to the logarithm with a base of 10, or LOG10, not that with a base of e, or LN.

• 7

  If you are female plug the measurements into this formula. Percent body fat equals(163.205*LOG(abdomen+
  (hip)-(neck)))-(97.684*LOG(height))-78.387