How to Take the 7 Skinfold Measurements with Calipers

A common method of measuring body fat is by measuring the thickness of subcutaneous fat on 7 particularly fleshy areas of the body. These skinfold measurements are taken with a special tool called calipers, and it requires some skill and practice to become accurate. If you have a pair of good calipers and you want to calculate your percent body fat, the first step is to obtain these skin fold measurements.

The steps below will teach you how to do it correctly.

Things You'll Need

• calipers

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Instructions

• 1

  First, learn how to pinch the skin to take an accurate measurement. Lift the skin up from the muscle with your thumb and index finger, as far as it will go without hurting. This is best done while the subject is standing. Don't try to squeeze the skinfold too much, since fat is compressible and this will give you an inaccurate reading. After 5 seconds, apply the calipers halfway between the top and bottom of the fold and take a reading.

  Keep in mind this is difficult with very lean people. If you are pinching and measuring his/her muscle thickness rather than the skin and subcutaneous fat, you will know it because he/she will say "ow!" You may have to to make a very very tiny fold to get only fat. On the other hand, the skin fold will be very thick and easy measure on an obese person.

• 2

  Now, learn where to take the 7 measurements.

  (1) pectoral: midway between the nipple and armpit
  (2) midaxillary: directly under the armpit, below the level of the nipple
  (3) tricep: on the back of the arm, midway between the shoulder and elbow
  (4) subprailiac: On the side, just above the hip bone
  (5) abdominal: an inch away from beside the navel
  (6) thigh: midway between top of thigh and knee, on the front of the leg
  (7) subscapulur: on the back, below the shoulder blade

  All skin folds should be made vertically, with the exception of the midaxillary, subprailiac, and subscapular. These should be taken along the natural creases of skin, horizontal or diagonal.

• 3

  Next, learn consistency and accuracy. If measurements are being taken for a group of people, the same person should measure the skinfolds with the same pair of calipers so that the results of body fat calculations can be compared.

  Same goes if you are measuring yourself over a period of time. Have the same person measure you so that you can track changes accurately.

• 4

  Also, if you are measuring your body fat over a period of time, it is important to always pinch on the same side of the body. Alternatively, you can do both sides of the body and average the results. Just be consistent how ever you do it.

• 5

  If you measure the same area more than once, wait at least 30 seconds before pinching again so that the skin can normalize.