How to Calculate the Body Fat in an Arm

Fat can be stored in places all over your body, including the arms. If you are curious as to the percentage of body fat in your arm, you can find out using a simple skin fold technique. Personal trainers and physicians use advanced equipment to formulate your body fat using bone density and overall body mass, but you can achieve the same knowledge using an arm measurement with a ruler or body fat caliper.

Things You'll Need

• Ruler or body fat caliper

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Instructions

• 1

  Pinch the back skin on your upper right arm between the elbow and shoulder. Use your index finger and thumb to create a vertical skin fold. For more accurate measurements, you can use a body fat caliper that measures to the closest millimeter.

• 2

  Measure the exterior skin fold with a ruler to the closest 1/4 of an inch. Start the ruler from where the tip of the thumb meets the skin to the exterior portion of the skin fold (furthest away from the arm).

• 3

  Calculate your body fat: If the skin fold measures 1/4 inch, your body fat is 5 percent to 9 percent; 1/2 inch, 9 percent to 13 percent; 3/4 inch, 13 percent to 18 percent; 1 inch, 18 percent to 22 percent; 1 1/2 inches, 22 percent to 27 percent; 2 inches, 27 percent to 32 percent; and 2 1/2 inches, 32 percent to 37 percent.